Friday, March 31, 2017

How to Rock the Draping Trend Without Looking Like an 80's Diva


I've been pretty intrigued by the 'draping' blush trend after seeing it on a number of Spring/Summer runways. I will start by prefacing that I really strongly dislike 80's fashion and beauty, so when I first saw this 80's blush trend making a resurgence, I wasn't exactly keen on giving it a try. After all, it didn't seem like a super wearable trend for everyday people. That being said, today I thought I would show you a more natural-looking way to channel this trend into your Spring beauty, using cream blush! I really love the look of this toned-down version, as I think it gives your complexion a beautiful naturally-flushed look. Keep reading to see how it's done!

For starters, I like to use a cream blush for this look. A powder blush can definitely work for the draping trend too, but cream blush is easiest to re-create this flushed look. If you're looking for a specific recommendation, I love this Coral Reef shade in Revlon's Cream Blush. For summer especially, I really like the look of coral blushes.



Step 1: Pick up some pigment

Use your index finger to swirl some product. You can always start small, and pick up more cream blush with your finger if you feel like it's not enough. Remember: it's easier to apply more than take it away once it's applied! It's best to do this, especially if you're not sure how pigmented your blush is.



Step 2: Start dabbing!

Start from the apple of your cheek and work your way up to your temple, dabbing along in a C-like shape. Very similar to the C you create when you're contouring! In fact, 'draping' has been called the new contour.





Here's what it looks like after I've dabbed from the apples of my cheeks up to my temple, before blending. You can see the 'C' shape.



Step 3: Blend Away

Blend in the blush, dabbing and using small circular motions. Take a look in the mirror once finished, and see if you need to blend more. In my case, I ended up going back a few times to dab on more product and blend again.

The result: a natural-looking flush that extends beyond your cheeks, up the sides of the face!







Happy Draping! xo

~ Britta

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Stripes & Collars


Spring has finally sprung! While I've shifted over my closet from winter to spring, I realize that it's not going to be super warm for a while though, so I've been wearing transitional pieces like this long sleeve striped dress with thick tights. Once the weather warms up a little more, I'll be able to wear it without tights.

I love this outfit for when I have to run out for a work meeting: it feels business-y without being too stuffy, and it's easier to run around in loafers than heels (while still looking polished). The peter pan collar is so cute on this dress, and like with any collar, I like to accessorize mine with a sparkly necklace underneath. It's best to wear one that has a shorter chain, so it doesn't droop too far below the collar.

My mom bought me this dress from Simons for Christmas, after seeing it on my Pinterest board. Isn't she sneaky?? Basically my entire family is obsessed with Simons right now. Every time I'm in there, I find something else to add to my wardrobe. My latest purchase was a new palm leaf bomber jacket and matching shorts...you'll be seeing them on the blog soon too! If you want a sneak peek of the jacket, check out my Instagram post here.











Dress - Simons | Watch - FreeForme | Necklace - Olive & Piper | Shoes - Nine West (via Amazon) | Purse - Florence Leather Market


Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Monday, March 27, 2017

4 Fall/Winter Trends Spotted at Vancouver Fashion Week

Vancouver Fashion Week gave us all kinds of fall/winter inspiration, and while it seems a long ways away right now (hello, Spring...finally!), it's always exciting to see a sneak peek of what to expect for the future season. Keep reading to see what my favourite looks and trends were from VFW this past week.


Sheer Dresses

These have been trending for quite a long time now, and while I'm personally getting a little tired of seeing celebrities in crystal encrusted sheer body-hugging dresses, this one from Wilbur was something unique. I appreciated that the sheerness was offset by having a more flowing skirt (rather than the aforementioned skin tight variety).The pop of colour underneath was a nice touch too, especially in a beautiful emerald green.



Jacquard Fabric

Jacquards in matching sets were front and centre at KEEM's runway show. This is a texture and print I've always loved for fall/winter - I think it has a a very regal feel and always looks fantastic, especially for winter parties. Jacquard is also usually associated with a more structured fit, making them great statement pieces.

Here's a big plus: KEEM is also an eco-friendly brand! The designs are created in natural fibres, certified organic cotton and 100% faux fur ethical luxury.



Leather Love

Leather was definitely a hot item on the runway, and Vancouver local Kirsten Ley created some incredible pieces by molding leather into unique shapes. The accented shoulders on this jacket were definitely eye-catching, and looked especially great in the oxblood red shade.



Coveted Capes

I was pretty excited to see many capes grace the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week this season. They are always a favourite of mine for fall and winter! This one by Moskal is a new favourite. The colour is definitely unexpected for the season, which is refreshing. Overall, the styling of this cape is spot on, from the glasses to the turtleneck, whose muted purple is a perfect pairing. And we can't forget those matching pants: it's a perfect set!


[Images provided by Arun Nevader/WireImage]



Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Monday, March 20, 2017

Nordstrom Warehouse Sale with Style Democracy:What I Scored!


Well, there's a first time for everything! Today, I shopped my very first designer warehouse sale. And you know what? I can totally understand why people go nuts for these events! I was invited by Style Democracy to shop Vancouver's Nordstrom Warehouse Sale today during their VIP preview today, and pretty quickly figured out the ins and outs of shopping efficiently and successfully at this kind of sale (which is obviously very different than a trip to your local mall). Keep reading and I'll share my tips for having the best shopping experience, and I'll also show you what items I walked away with!

But first of all, the important details:

What: Nordstrom Warehouse Sale - shop your favourite Nordstrom designers and labels for up to 80% off!
When: March 21-26th, 11am-9pm on weekdays, 10am-6pm on the weekend
Where: Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre, 805 Boyd St. Westminster, BC (in the former Best Buy location)

Here are my top tips if you're planning to check out the sale this week:

1. Dress to make things easy to try on
I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of being able to try things on or not, but I was happy to see they had two large areas blocked off with curtains and mirrors inside for changing. Keep in mind though, it's still not individual change rooms, so if you're not a huge fan of getting down to your skivvies in front of other people, you may want to wearing leggings and a tank top to make it easier to try things on over top of your clothes.

2. Choose your footwear wisely
While my shopping buddy Leeanne from LegalLeeBlonde managed to power through the sale like a champ in her heels, flats definitely will be easier on your feet if you're planning top shop for a few hours. Also, wearing flats with no socks, as opposed to sneakers and socks, will make it easier to quickly try shoes on.

3. Not sure if it'll fit? Just grab it.
This kind of goes without saying. In a situation where there is a limited amount of merchandise and a whole ton of other fashionistas vying for the same things you are, you don't want to feel regret for not grabbing that pair of Badgley Mischka's. You can always put them back later if you decide they're not a winner.

4. Take photos of the pricing charts for easy calculating
Usually when I shop, I like to take a look at the price tag while I'm trying something on, so I can take the price into consideration (I'm sure most people do). Because the pricing is based on the charts hanging around the warehouse, rather than what's on the item's sticker, you'll want to take a photo of the pricing charts so you can easily check to see what your items cost. You can get a peek at the prices of some items in this Facebook Post.


Now onto the fun part: what I found! I am absolutely over the moon with what I snagged at the sale. I don't ever splurge on higher end items for myself (unless thrifting them counts), so it was really exciting to add a few special new items to my wardrobe:

Kate Spade Floral Purse: Original price - $558.00, Warehouse price - $149.99
(shop it here on Kate Spade's website)
Ted Baker London Floral Pumps: Original price - $289.95, Warehouse price - $79.99
Adelyn Rae Dress: Original price - $118.00 , Warehouse price - $59.99

As a huge fan of Kate Spade, I totally fell in love with this floral Kate Spade purse, which I found in their high end designer section. They had quite a few of them in stock; I saw a number of people getting them rung in at the cashier. You may be able to still get one for yourself! And those Ted Baker heels? O. M. G. There are little rose gold bow details on the back, rose gold on the sole, and the floral print is so gorgeous. The style reaches up the back of the ankle a little higher than your usual heels, which looks really cool! They had a lot of these heels too, spread out over the shoe sizes.

Let me know what you find at the sale if you do check it out!

PS. Don't judge the wrinkles in the dress, we shot this literally right after the sale so I could show you ASAP!








Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta




Disclaimer: Style Democracy provided me with a gift card to shop the Nordstrom Warehouse Sale. As always, all opinions are my own.

Monday, March 13, 2017

St. Patrick's Day Style


Green is one of my favourite colours to wear, so needless to say, when St. Patrick's Day rolls around, there's certainly enough in my closet to choose from! Rather than showing you a 'going out' outfit for St. Patrick's Day though, I thought I would share with you a casual yet cute look that you can wear during the day - maybe to work for casual Friday, since St. Paddy's Day falls on a Friday this year!

I thought this green sweater with elbow patches was super cute when I picked it out while thrifting at Value Village a while back. It's a nice casual way to wear some green on St. Patrick's Day, especially since it's still not that warm here. I didn't want to go overboard with the green (because I very easily could...), so the only other pop of green is my green plaid loafers from Sole Society. I thought the plaid would be quite fitting for the occasion.

This year, I'm planning on whipping together a few St. Paddy's Day treats for Friday night with my girl friends: these Lucky Charm Marshmallow Rice Krispies by The Baking Chocolatess, and these Magically Delicious Shamrock Shakes from XOXO Bella. YUM! And then we'll be heading out to celebrate somewhere nearby with beers. The fact that it falls on a Friday this year I'm sure means there are going to be a whole lot of shenanigans happening around town!

What are your plans for St. Patrick's Day?









Sweater - unknown (thrifted via Value Village) | Necklace - Nobis & Grey | Purse - Florence Leather Market | Jeans - (via Winners) | Shoes - Sole Society




Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Monday, March 6, 2017

Canadian Style: The Great Outdoors


I'm not a very outdoorsy person usually, but on occasion, I enjoy exploring what our amazing country has to offer. After all, there is an incredible amount of natural beauty at our doorstep, particularly when it comes to the Rocky Mountains. We were in Canmore, Alberta last weekend for a wedding, and took a couple of short hours to do a bit of sightseeing in Banff and Canmore while we were there. It was quite cold compared to what we're used to in Vancouver, but the sun was shining, so we didn't mind all too much.

We did a short walk down the main drag in Banff, and then took a short drive to see the beautiful view from Bow Falls. It was so great to take in the crisp, fresh air (I'm usually stuck behind a desk all day at home). You could hear the rushing water from Bow Falls, even though most of it was frozen over. It was a stunning view, with the mountains in the background. Such a quintessential Canadian experience!

I bundled up for our outing in one of my coziest cashmere turtlenecks that I thrifted a few years back, and layered one of my favourite outerwear pieces, a Cabin Fervor Poncho from Modcloth with a faux fur trim neckline. For accessories, nothing could be more fitting than my BEL Jewelry Boutique's Antique Bronze Antler necklace - I've developed a bit of an obsession with antler jewelry during the winter season. I think it looks so perfect with cozy sweaters and makes me think of winter cabin getaways. It's also very fitting with West Coast style in Canada: it's all about the great outdoors. Their jewelry is all handcrafted in Red Deer, Alberta, so I thought it was a perfect place to wear this special piece!

If you're ever in Banff, I also highly recommend grabbing a drink at the Fairmont Banff Springs. We didn't have time for a visit there on this trip, but I've been before, and it has a fantastic view of the Bow Falls below!

Have you visited Banff before?







Poncho - Modcloth (similar, similar) | Sweater - Mount Cashmere (thrifted via Salvation Army) | Necklace - BEL Jewelry Boutique | Jeans - Winners | Boots - Bearpaw (similar)



Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

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