The Best Lip Treatment For the Lipstick Lover

I am a self-proclaimed lipstick addict. I wear lipstick a lot, and while I love wearing it, it does sometimes leave something to be desired by the end of the day. It's not always super easy to wipe off with makeup remover, and sometimes it can leave my lips feeling a bit worse for wear.

Over the last year, I've curated a selection of my favourite lip products, and considering I've been using on the regular now it's fall (and lips start to get even drier), I thought it would be the perfect time to let you in on my must-haves! Especially now that dark, vampy lipsticks are getting more face time, it's important to make sure your lips are in their best condition for ideal application.

Keep on reading for a closer look at the 3 parts of my lip treatment: 

NYX Be Gone! Lip Remover (available at London Drugs)

I am shocked that this product hasn't been around longer, and that it doesn't get more buzz. This is seriously a holy grail of makeup item!! I swear, take your most stubborn lipstick, apply a little of this stuff on top (as if you were applying a lip chap), and then just wipe if off in one swipe! It's the best way to make sure you don't destroy your lips trying to get it all off. I found this at London Drugs while picking up one of the NYX Liquid Suede liquid lipsticks. They were selling them side-by-side, since the Liquid Suedes are waterproof, but I think this Lip Remover works awesome for any lipstick.

e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator (available at London Drugs)

I first discovered this holy grail lip product while filming an e.l.f. Cosmetics haul video with London Drugs, and I've been buying them ever since! I love that it's in a lipstick tube, it makes for super easy application. Just dab your lips with water, use circular motions to scrub your lips with the exfoliator, and then use a wet cotton swab to wipe away. It's the best way to remove any dead skin, making sure my lips are nice and soft for tomorrow's lipstick application!

Almay Age Essentials Lip Treatment (available at London Drugs)

I've been using this so much lately I almost need a replacement already! I have never been much of a fan of lip balms - part of me fears that my lips will get addicted and be dry all the time - but this stuff is amazing. If I go without, my lips don't get uncomfortably dry, yet it's the perfect way to seal in moisture after I'm done the first 2 steps of my lip treatment! I put on a very liberal coating on my lips after using the e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator. It's also supposed to reduce the look of lines on and around the lips, so I make sure to apply over the lines of my lips.

PS. I actually love this product for days when I want to skip wearing lipstick. It has a really nice natural-looking sheen to it that's perfect for those low-maintenance makeup days.

Now your lips are the perfect canvas for those awesome fall lipstick shades!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Hetki Designs at Vancouver Fashion Week

Fashion Week is always a fun and exciting part of my September calendar, but this season was a bit more special than usual. This time, I had the opportunity to see Kate Schreiner's collection, Hetki Designs on the runway.

You may remember Kate from this post I wrote about her design collection here - she was actually a student of my mom's, back in elementary school, has been a follower of Vancouver Vogue here for years, and I had the opportunity to see her grad fashion show earlier this year. I was really drawn to her grad collection, as she focused heavily on slow fashion: designs that were meant to be eco-conscious, something I work towards here on Vancouver Vogue as well. So it was pretty awesome to have the chance to now see her designs on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week with a full audience. Her eco-conscious designs are made with classic cuts that have just a hint of trendiness: items that are meant to stand the test of time and be worn for years, not months.

Inspired by Kate's slow fashion mantra, I wore a fully thrifted outfit to the show, including a set of funky Zara overalls I found recently at Salvation Army. One of the buckles was actually missing, so I ended up doing some quick fixes before I could wear it, but it was worth the bit of extra effort. The shirt and shoes were both thrifted from Value Village.

Overalls - Zara (thrifted via Salvation Army) | Shirt - Talula (via Value Village) | Shoes - Call It Spring (via Value Village) | Purse - Just Fab

Photo by Ed Ng Photography

Photography by Dale Rollings

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Your Best Brows are 2 Steps Away

Brows are such an important feature. They frame our face and show how we feel (picture trying to read someone's face without their brows!). Brows convey so much, so it's worth taking some time to get them right!

I recently tried out the Kiss New York Professional Top Brow Sculpting Pencil in Taupe (available at London Drugs), hoping against hope that finally I would find the perfect new brow product to add to my daily routine. You see, finding the right brow pencil when you're blonde is not a walk in the park (life is tough, I know). Most of the time, the pigmentation is too orange or too dark, and comes across as very unnatural. The other problem is finding a pencil that has the right shape. I prefer one that has a long flat triangular tip, as opposed to a point. I was super excited to see the Top Brow pencil has the long flat triangular tip I've been looking for, and even has a handy brow gel on the other end! Perfect for shaping brows and keeping them in place.

Take a look below to see the before and after.

Before:

Without any brow product, mine a pretty sparse (thanks, early 2000's). They're obviously very light too, since I'm blonde. I want to keep mine pretty close to my natural colour, but I do want to give them a bit more boldness.

Brow Pencil:

As I mentioned below, I love the long flat edge of the pencil. It makes feathering the brows in a natural way very easy. I usually draw just along the top of my brow and down, and then along the bottom and down, completing a nice point connecting the top and bottom. Then I get to work on filling them in, and then lastly, touching up the edges closest to my nose, making sure to feather out the edges there too. I make sure to always follow the natural shape of my brows.

Gel Brow Mascara:

This brow gel is awesome. It's tinted, which I like, for giving some hold and added boldness to my brows. Just be very careful that you don't apply too much, as it'll get splotchy and gunky if you go overboard. I wouldn't refill between brows. I make sure to sweep upwards, lifting the hairs along the way. All done!

After:

I was really happy with how my brows turned out! They aren't orange at all - a very close colour match to my natural hairs. The gel brow mascara is also rich in fibre, which is why I think my brows also do seem quite a bit more full than usual. And after spending the day out at a work event, they were still perfectly in place by the end of the day - always an important test. I highly recommend giving this brow pencil a try if you're blonde, or if you're looking for a 2-in-1 product that really helps to build up your brows!

Brows - Kiss New York Professional Top Brow in Taupe (via London Drugs)

Lips - NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen (via London Drugs)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Splurge vs Steal: Fall Style

I can be extremely driven and stubborn when I'm looking for the perfect online purchase. I have a tendency to find something I love, discover it's sadly more expensive than my budget, and then scour the entire internet until I find a more affordable dupe! It can be a bit time consuming (although it's excellent to do while mindlessly watching TV), but when you finally do find your dream item at a discount, it's a fabulous feeling!

You may have seen my recent post HERE on fall fashion must-haves. These are items I fell in love with for fall, but to be honest, some of them I just wasn't quite willing to splurge on. For those that feel the same way, I wanted to share with you the spoils of my online shopping research! Below, you'll see my original find, the 'splurge', accompanied by the 'steal'- the result of my thrifty searching.

I actually purchased 2 out of the 4 items on this list already, as soon as I found the 'steal's! And in fact, one of my best friends found an even better 'steal' for the silk pyjamas I was looking for - she spotted some gorgeous cream satin pyjamas with black piping from Jones New York while at Winners! I literally raced to Winners to pick up a pair...for $30!! Now that was a steal. Always keep your eyes open - you never know when you'll spot that perfect piece on sale.

Hope these help keep your fall fashion shopping within budget!

Splurge - shoes: $89.95

Steal - shoes: $35.98

Splurge - watch: $229.95 (black rim $278.34)

Steal - watch: $17.15

Splurge - pyjamas: $295

Steal - pyjamas: $72

Splurge - sunglasses: $365

Steal - sunglasses: $46.03  (or $20.41)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

My Fall Uniform: Ripped Jeans & Ankle Boots

Let me just warn you right now: you're going to see a lot of white, grey and black on Vancouver Vogue this fall. I've been very inspired by more minimalist fashions lately, and as always, I love the quintessential style of Parisians, which often centres around white and black. It looks so crisp, clean and classic!

Now that that's been established, I love black jeans. They're just that little bit more versatile than blue jeans, in my mind. Add some rips at the knees (or buy them that way), and they'll add the perfect amount of edginess to all your fall outfits. My go-to shoes for a soggy, wet day are my Zara ankle boots - just a little bit of height, but easy enough to walk in around town. Plus they keep your feel out of small puddles. Ankle boots are such a great piece of transitional footwear for fall! I recommend choosing a pair with a chunky heels so you have better control when walking on slick sidewalks.

Stay tuned for more fall outfit inspiration! What style are you most excited to wear right now?

Sweater - Betty Be Good | Glasses - Fendi (via Costco) | Necklace - c/o Nobis & Grey | Purse - Just Fab | Jeans - Simons | Boots - Zara

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Fall Fashion Must-Haves

As soon as the weather cooled off and the rain came in for a day, I was ready for fall! I've noticed I've been gravitating a lot more to black, grey and white fashion items: a little less colour than usual for me. Much more minimalist than usual, but I'm excited to dive in this style. I've always been a fan of black and white outfits with a red lip to match, so this will just be expanding on this!

These are a few of the items that are on my radar for fall this year. As you can see, there are quite a few pairs of shoes on my list - I have lots of boots, but I am in need of some good basic shoes, from staples like black flats, to comfortable walking shoes like these Adidas Stan Smith sneakers and Nike Flex running shoes. The running shoes are definitely a shock even to myself, as usually I would HATE the idea of wearing runners outside of gym attire, but I must say I've been pretty inspired by the street style this year.

Now, more often than not, the things on my wishlist cost a lot more than I'm willing to budget for some trendy fall fashions, so stay tuned for another post once I've researched some steals vs. splurges!

Adidas Stan Smith Sneakers

F21 Charcoal Grey Sweater Dress

Twik Crossed Back Sweater

Cluse Marble Face Watch (with black rim)

We Are Elise Frosted Pearl Silk Pyjamas

Sole Society Patent Loafer Flats

Nike Flex Run Sneakers

Celine Caty Sunglasses

Lulus Black Cape Dress

Happy Styling xo

~ Britta

4 Ways to Transition Your Look to Fall

I always love fall style, but I must admit the first couple weeks of the season, when in transition from summer, can be a bit tricky. The weather isn't cold yet, but it's not hot either. It's a lot wetter now too (this is Vancouver, after all), but there can be really sunny break in the day too. You pretty much need to be ready for anything. That makes dressing pretty hard!

Here are my top 4 tips:

1. Dust off your trench coat. Trenches are the quintessential fall coat. They aren't necessarily waterproof (that's what your cute umbrella is for), but it keeps the wind from chilling you, and the length is good for keeping you dry from light rain. The beige colour is also a great neutral that will work with all your fall outfit colours.
2. Choose fall-appropriate colours. The easiest way to transition to fall is to say buh-bye to your brights and pastels! There's no reason you can't wear those fun colours in fall, but if you're struggling to transition to fall, it's easiest to just start wearing your summer shirts that are in darker colours. Black is always an easy one! I've put away my bright tanks for the season, but kept this black one in my closet for the fall transition.
3. Layer, layer, layer. As tempting as it can be to jump straight to cozy sweaters as soon as it rains, when the sun comes back out, you can end up overheating! After all, it's only September - it can still get pretty warm when it's not cloudy. I've been wearing sleeveless tanks with a coat over top, so when it clouds over, the coat will give me a bit of extra warmth, but if the sun breaks through, I can take it off and still be comfortable.
4. Pick your shoes wisely. I'm not ready to dive into boots quite yet, but I am cognizant of the rainy situation we're in now. My solution is these faux-patent leather flats. Unlike my other fabric shoes, rain water won't soak into these! They obviously won't keep water out if you step in a big puddle, but for quick jaunts to and from the car in the rain, they're perfect.

Bring on the fall weather, Vancouver!

Coat - Joe Fresh (thrifted via Value Village) | Sunglasses - Earrings - Nobis & Grey | Shirt - (via Winners) | Jeans - Simons | Shoes - (via Richmond Night Market) | Purse - JustFab

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Lipsticks to Try This Fall

After bright lipsticks all summer, it always feels like a breath of fresh air to pull out my dark, vampy lipsticks again in the fall. I love a dramatic lip, especially when I'm just wearing a basic cat-eye to match. It's a super easy way to amp up the drama in your look in a couple swipes!

I wanted to show you the 2 new dark lipsticks I'm really excited to wear this fall: Kiss NY Professional's Egoism Matte Velvet Lipstick in Kiss and NYX Cosmetics' Soft Matte Lip Cream in Vancouver (both available at London Drugs). Kiss NY Pro is brand new to London Drugs, and I've been loving their contour palette and brow sculpting pencil, so I was pretty sure I'd fall in love with their lipsticks too. And NYX's Soft Matte Lip Creams have been a longstanding favourite of mine for years, so I was more than excited to see they had added another shade (they're all named after cities) to their list: Vancouver!

Kiss NY Professional Egoism Matte Velvet Lipstick in Kiss:

This lipstick feels like a dream. For a matte lipstick, it's quite nice and creamy - definitely a little less matte than my other matte lipsticks, but it definitely makes it more comfortable to wear. I found the lipstick bullet took a bit of getting used to (it's not your usual lipstick shape), but it didn't take long. The colour really is gorgeous - a nice deep, vampy red. I have a feeling this one is going to get a lot of use this season!

NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream in Vancouver:

I'm not going to lie, when I heard they were making a shade named Vancouver, I kind of figured it would be a really neutral colour (if Vancouver style is any indication), but I was happily surprised to see this deep purple shade instead! It's unlike anything else I already own, and as a huge fan of their Soft Matte Lip Creams, I knew I'd like the formula too.

One thing I learned applying this dark shade though - let it dry completely and then go in and re-apply a bit to make sure it's not patchy (I noticed that once I looked at my photos!). I don't have to do this with their lighter shades, but this one you need to be a bit more careful with. I'd even recommend having the NYX Wonder Pencil on hand to line the outside of your lips after you're done applying (something I probably should have done here...but I was losing light for photos so fast! Argh fall really is already here...).

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta