Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Refreshing Your Wardrobe (The Affordable Way)


I don't like to break the bank when refreshing my wardrobe, so there's two main ways I avoid splurging: thrift shopping, and keeping an eye out online for great deals. One of the shops I always keep an eye out for online is Tobi. I've snagged some fantastic deals on their site in the past (they often have 50% off sales), and I'm was always impressed when they arrived in the mail. This Tobi off-the-shoulder dress, for instance, was originally $78, but is actually 50% off right now (!!), at $39! For that price, I was really impressed by the quality. And aren't those bell sleeves and the front tie tassels so fun? Quick styling tip: I recommend using some fashion tape, on the front closure, just to ensure everything stays put.

I've always been a bit iffy on white dresses - I'm not going to lie. A big reason for that is I'm basically white as a ghost myself. It just doesn't seem that exciting to pair white with white - HA! But....after getting my very first sunless tan from Vita Liberata (more on that this Friday - stay tuned!), I was feeling even better about my decision to pick this Tobi off-the-shoulder dress! This has actually become my favourite new dress for the summer, and I'll likely be wearing it for Diner en Blanc this year as well!

My sandals are thrifted from Value Village - another way that I easily refresh my wardrobe without breaking the bank. I was in need of a wedge sandal that was low enough to walk in for longer distances. This pair was just worn in enough to be suuuuper comfy, but still in great looking condition. That's another reason why I love buying thrifted items: I feel like if that item has clearly stood the test of time until now, chances are it will hold up well after I buy it. It's a bit more reassuring honestly, compared to when I buy new. And at $5.99, they were a killer deal! If you need a couple new pairs of summer shoes, it's definitely worth checking out the aisles of your local thrift store first, before hitting the mall.












Dress - c/o Tobi | Hat - Forever 21 | Necklace - c/o Nobis & Grey | Heels - thrifted via Value Village




Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

This Summer is All About the Bodysuit


While they're incredibly impractical for bathroom breaks...I can't help but get on the bodysuit bandwagon right now. They're absolutely everywhere right now, and come in literally every colour and style imaginable. Isn't this SheIn lace crochet bodysuit just the sweetest? There's a lot going on here - with the crochet, plunge front, low back, and bell sleeves, but somehow I think it all works together.

Today, I thought I'd go for some 'island vibes' with a palm leaf print skirt from SheIn, my all-time-favourite laser cut heels, and this suuuuuuuper cute flamingo clutch I just picked up from Old Navy. It was 40% off - what a steal! Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's that much on sale anymore, but it's still an affordable find. And who can say no to those adorable little flamingos? If you're in the midst of a flamingo obsession like I am right now, just a heads up, there are string lights at Dollarama right now for $4!! This whole outfit is really a steal, though. The bodysuit is $21, the skirt is only $9, and the clutch is $24: just $54 for all that!

I don't think I'll be travelling far this summer, but luckily Vancouver actually has some palm trees by the beach so I can just pretend I'm on some tropical getaway...at least for the purposes of this outfit. Are you headed anywhere hot this summer?









Bodysuit - c/o SheIn | Necklace - Stella & Dot | Skirt - c/o SheIn | Purse - Old Navy | Heels - JustFab (similar)





Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Friday, June 8, 2018

The All-In-One Product to Hydrate Your Whole Body This Summer

As soon as summertime rolls around, I'm always ready to start adding coconut to pretty much everything: from food to beauty! In fact, I had to buy new shampoo and conditioner last week, and I couldn't help but try new brand Inecto (a natural brand I found at London Drugs), which has coconut oil in it. It smells fantastic, and my hair feels great!


Well, as it turns out, just after I picked those up, a package arrived in the mail from Jouviance...with their new Coconut Melting Balm inside! And, since I can never have enough coconut, I was pretty pumped about the coconut candle they sent as well. Yum, it smells as good as the Melting Balm.

The Jouviance Coconut Melting Balm consists of 100% natural coconut oil. In fact, it's made of 50% cold pressed, non-hydrogenated, non deodorized coconut oil, and 50% coconut oil of first pressure and deodorized by steam (it's high quality - that's what I'm getting at, and organic too).

The main benefit to coconut oil is its hydrating properties as an emollient, but it's also anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial. But when it comes to dry skin, hair and face this time of year, being out in the sun more, I was definitely most interested in the hydration benefits. But here's why this Melting Balm is really so cool: it's multi-purpose! And who doesn't love that? Here's all the ways it can be used:



Body Moisturizer
All you need is a super small amount to hydrate your entire body with the Melting Balm. My tip: I like to apply my moisturizer on damp skin, after I've shaved, for maximum moisture retention.


The Coconut Melting Balm also helps with your skin's healing process, meaning it's a good bet if you've got a sun burn or other irritation. And I know I'm going to have a sunburn at some point this summer, unfortunately. At least I'll have this at the ready. Also - because it's anti-inflammatory, it works great after shaving (while skin is still damp, as I mentioned above).


Baby Butter
Now this isn't something I was able to test on (no babies in sight here), but Jouviance recommends applying it all over your baby's body by massaging gently into the skin.

Belly Balm
Again, no personal experience on this one, but you can also use the Melting Balm on your belly during pregnancy to reduce skin itching and prevent the appearance of stretch marks. Seems like it's worth a try!


Lip Moisturizer
Now I thought this is one of the coolest uses of the Melting Balm! Often, moisturizers are made for the body, and the body only. So it's great to have one that's safe to use on the lips as well. Jouviance recommends applying to your lips when they're feeling dry, especially after sun exposure. When I read that, I knew I was going to get lots of use out of this stuff! I've been riding my bike in the sun almost daily, and applying this really helps to heal and protect my lips afterwards. Applying it as a lip mask at night also works really well. It's nice and light on the lips, not at all sticky or tacky, so you honestly forget it's there. And then you wake up to perfectly hydrated lips the next morning!




Hydrating Night Mask
This is one of my favourite uses of the Melting Balm. Before bed, take a pea-sized amount, rub between your hands to warm it up, and then apply all over your face. You just leave it on overnight and wash off in the morning. It hydrates so well! Especially on the dry patches on my cheeks right now. At first, I was a bit hesitant to smear the balm all over, for fear of it feeling too oily, but it really does melt right into the skin nicely (they don't call it Melting Balm for nothing!).

Hair Serum
In the summer, my hair usually gets pretty dry and brittle from being in the sun. Especially because my hair is already so thin. You can also apply the Melting Balm to your hair to help hydrate your strands and add shine! I appreciated that they offer directions for both thick and fine hair, because my first thought was 'woah - but this is going to weigh down my hair'! For fine hair, Jouviance suggests you start with a very small amount of Melting Balm, to ensure your hair doesn't get greasy. Erring on the side of caution, I took essentially half a pea-sized amount, and that worked well to hydrate my brittle ends, without making it greasy.


You can also use the Melting Balm as a hair mask before shampooing. Just apply a small amount (I used less than the directed quarter size amount) to your dry hair, avoiding the scalp. Then, you just put your hair in a bun and leave in for half an hour. You can apparently leave it in overnight, too, but I haven't tried that yet. Then you just shampoo and rinse! I actually liked this technique better than the hair serum, as I liked having it soak in over the half hour, but then being able to rinse it out afterwards. My hair felt so soft and not at all brittle afterwards!



And that's all folks! Anyone else on a coconut kick right now? (I ask as I eat my coconut berry smoothie bowl...)


Happy Hydrating! xo

~ Britta

Friday, June 1, 2018

My Nighttime Skincare Routine


I love a good night time skincare routine. I think it's a good way to take some time for yourself each evening, not only to give your skin some TLC, but also as a ritual to wind down before bed. I've been testing a whole bunch of new beauty products lately, and have incorporated a few of them into my current night time skincare routine. Check out the video below to see the whole routine, and keep scrolling to get some more details about why I'm loving these products!






Vivier C E Peptides

Once I wash my face, I apply a couple drops of Vivier's C E Piptides (mine are from Beautysense.ca) all over my face and neck. It's a very thin solution, and dries invisible. It basically feels like a serum, and very fast-absorbing.

Apparently, the Vitamin C can cause slight tingling but I never experienced any. It's formulated using pharmaceutical grade Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid USP), Vitamin E and a patented combination of peptides. The result? It claims to help damaged skin look and feel younger. So even if you're not as concerned with anti-aging, repairing environmental damage to your skin is another added bonus!


Laboratoire Dr. Renauld Purse Overnight Youth Concentrate

We all have to face the realities of aging at some point, but some anti-aging skincare sure couldn't hurt! This luxe anti-aging overnight cream from Beautysense.ca is a great way to fight the signs of aging while you sleep, but also just smells and feels good on the skin. Besides the benefits of anti-aging, I just love how supple and refreshed my skin looks the next day!

The formula uses the power of Kronoxyl-9, which Laboratoire Dr Renauld calls an exclusive anti-aging complex, along with Hyaluronic Acid and Tasmanian Pepper Extract to smooth the skin and erase fatigue signs for younger-looking skin.

I apply a thick layer to the skin, and then wash my face to clean any excess in the morning.


Lise Watier Age Control Supreme Le Creme Subime Yeux

A good eye cream is a must in my night time skincare routine as well. I was introduced to the Lise Watier Age Control Supreme pressed serum at a London Drugs event, and have been testing it out lately. I love the metal applicator, which feels so nice and cooling on the eye as you apply the cream. I don't have a ton of wrinkles around my eyes yet, but I'm using this more as of a preventative measure.

Pressed serums are just one of the many beauty innovations from Korea, that basically combines the effectiveness of a serum with the benefits of a cream - all compressed into one formula. The formula also needs to have at least 60% or more of active ingredients to be considered a pressed serum (this pressed serum has 81% active ingredients). Basically, it's more bang for your buck.

The pressed serum is packed with Lise Watier's signature Labrador Tea Extract, which Lise Watier claims is the most powerful antioxidant (and it's cultivated in Canada's Boreal forest!). Overall, the formula claims to help erase the signs of fatigue and give you a bright-eyed look. If you have dark circles, it should be able to help with those too - reducing the blue/red and brown colour, sunken look and puffiness. I don't really get much in terms of dark circles, so I can't speak to that much. But on the days my eyes are a little puffier, this does make a difference!



Clinique Pep-Start Pout Restoring Night Mask

This is probably my favourite part of my night time routine. I always apply a good lip balm at night so that I wake up with moisturized lips, but I definitely feel like I'm upping my game with a lip mask. This Clinique Pout Restoring Night Mask feels like a thick gloss, sitting on the lips all night rather than simply absorbing in and disappearing. When I wake up, it usually feels like I just have a light balm left of my lips.




Happy Beauty Sleep! xo

~ Britta




A Romper that is Summer Date Night-Approved!


Rompers are great. They're comfy, and always more freeing than a dress. With the exception of going to the washroom while wearing one (which we all know is a royal pain in the ass), they're a great piece to have in your summer wardrobe.

The thing is, until I found this cute lace romper, most of mine were the comfy casual type...but not necessarily the most flattering. Like they were great for around the house, but I probably wouldn't wear them out for a nice dinner, or a date night. But I think this Red Bustier Lace Romper from Tobi would be a comfy yet upscale date night outfit. Oftly sexy for a romper, no? Have you seen that lace up back?? The only thing I would say is that this romper is best if you're smaller chested - I'm a little squished at the top in it, but honestly, I love the rest of it so much, I don't mind entirely. But otherwise, it definitely fits true to size - I'm wearing a Medium here. And the best part: it's on sale right now, 50% off!

Just pair it with a simple pair of black sandal heels for summery yet sophisticated look. I loved these ones from Target so much, I ended buying them in both blush and black! They're a great basic for all your summer outfits.

And then, because it still gets cool in the evenings here (and even mid-day near the water), I like to have an oversized white blazer I can throw over top. Another good basic to have in your arsenal for summer styling. After all - white will go with pretty much anything.

Now your only problem left to solve is where to go for dinner!












Blazer - Forever 21 (thrifted via Value Village) (similar) | Sunglasses - Francesca's | Romper - c/o Tobi | Clutch - thrifted via Value Village | Heels - Target




Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

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