A Slice of Paris (Angelina Paris!) at Home

 Having the chance to visit Angelina Paris was such a special experience. Maybe it's because the first time I tried to visit while in Paris several years ago with my girlfriends, it was closed and I was devastated. Fast forward another several years, and I was finally able to visit Paris once again, and of course Angelina Paris was on the top of my must-visit list. It was just as amazing as I'd hoped it would be: the most gorgeous and luxurious Parisian tea house, with ornate and charming decor, and impeccably-designed pastries. They are most well known for their signature Mont Blanc (which is made with meringue, light whipped cream, and chesnut vermicelli) and their famous hot chocolate. I'll share more about visiting their tea room another time. Today, I just want to talk about their hot chocolate!

 I picked up a tin of their hot chocolate mix while I was there, and it's been a nice way to transport myself back to Paris with just a sip. I make it with hot milk, and a tower of whipped cream on the side. Having a little dish of whipped cream on the side, to add to hot chocolate or coffee seems to be regular practice from what I could see in Paris. I pulled out my best teacups and gold spoons (from the Buckingham Palace shop on a previous trip to London) too for this occasion.

Of course, when creating your own Paris fantasy at home, it requires a Parisian outfit that is fitting of the scene! This beautiful Louis Vuitton BB Bandeau I'm wearing here was the most wonderful gift from my cousin Angela while I was visiting her in Luxembourg. It's in the quintessential Monogram Forever LV pattern, and makes such a versatile accessory. In addition to being a beautiful hair tie and handbag accessory, it looks excellent tied around the neck. It's a classic luxury piece to have in your wardrobe. As for the rest of the look, my beret is from a local hat shop here on Granville Island, my cashmere sweater was a thrifted find from Value Village, and the blazer is from H&M. And voilà, a Parisian-perfect outfit for a 'visit' to Angelina Paris. Now excusez-moi while I sip my hot chocolate while playing a french playlist on Spotify...

Have you been to Angelina Paris before? If you've been to Paris, what's your favourite cafe or tea house there? I'd love to get your recommendations for future trips!

You can shop my look here:

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Champagne, Roses & Tulle for Your Valentine's / Galentine's Plans

Your Valentine's or Galentine's Day plans call for a rose cocktail and a hot 'fit!

Roses are always a quintessential part of any Valentine's Day, so I wanted to create a quick and easy cocktail incorporating the flavour of roses. Truth be told, I love all floral flavours like rose and lavender. I know they're not everyone's favourite - some think florals taste soapy, but if you are one of those people like me that do love florals in your food or drink, I think you'll really like what I've whipped up! 

Rose champagne cocktail:

• 4oz Vranken Pommery POP Rosé Champagne (I've visited Pommery's champagne house in Reims, France, and it was an incredible experience! And I just love these mini bottles the have, which come in both blue and pink).
• Top with Fentimans Rose Lemonade.
• Add a splash of rose water, if you really love rose flavour like me! We found some at our local Persian market.
• Garnish with a rose petal, speared with a cocktail pick (I got mine here from Amazon).

I think a coupe glass is perfect for a champagne cocktail like this one. I found my gold rim coupe glasses from Indigo years ago, but here's a similar set if you're looking to add some to your bar. I also like these vintage-looking ones from Indigo as well. Pair your cocktail with some pink macarons, and you've got a nice treat to celebrate in style!

Now for the outfit. Lace is always associated with Valentine's Day, but I think sheer tulle can also be just as hot. As an example, have you seen those super-trendy Gucci tulle gloves?? They exude a classy sexiness. Well as much as I'd love to drop $800 on a pair of those luxe Gucci gloves, that just wasn't in my budget for this Valentine's Day, so instead I found this gorgeous polka dot tulle top (similar to a swiss dot look) from SheIn! The best part: it's just $10! It also comes in pink and red - how appropriate for the occasion. I've also linked some other similar tops and dresses below.

What are your Valentine's or Galentine's Plans this year? You can let me know in the comments below!

Here are some of my top affordable picks for sheer tulle polka dot tops and dresses, including the top I'm wearing! For reference, I'm wearing a size medium.

Happy Styling!

~ Britta

Scotch & Shortbread for Santa (or the Scotch Lover on Your Holiday List!)

Growing up, we always put out a glass of egg nog and homemade whipped shortbread cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. When I moved out on my own, I continued to make whipped shortbread every Christmas, and it has such a nostalgic taste now for me. That, combined with my love of wearing plaid, especially during the holidays, and it probably comes as no surprise that I've got some Scottish in me.

This year though, I thought I'd go with the Scottish theme a little more and switch out the usual egg nog, instead pairing with some scotch. Jak's, a local BC-based liquor store, has Muckle Flugga Single Malt Scotch Whiskey that is great - all the way from Speyside, Scotland, it's nice and smooth with aromas of sweet spice, blossom, pear and honey, and aged in ex-Sherry casks with over wintering in the Shetland Isles to add a touch of salinity.

I quite enjoyed sipping on this by the fire! If you have a scotch lover on your holiday list, I have a feeling they'd love this as a gift too.

Keep scrolling for a video featuring Muckle Flugga, and some holiday style inspiration!

Headband - Zara (similar), Sweater - Forever 21 (thrifted), Leggings - Zara (similar), Heels - Betsey Johnson (similar)

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A post shared by Vancouver Vogue 👠 Britta Bisig (@vancouver_vogue)

If you've got a scotch recommendation, I'd love to hear it - just drop it in the comments below!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Disclaimer: This Muckle Flugga Scotch Whiskey was provided complimentary of Jak's. All opinions are my own.

 

Halloween Costume & Makeup: Cruella

 I always love creating Halloween looks. It's such a fun creative outlet - from creating the outfit to the makeup. Some of my favourites over the years have been Harley Quinn, The Countess from American Horror Story, Maleficent, Marion Crane from Psycho, Zoya the Destroyer from GLOW, and Liv Moore from iZombie. But I've gotta say, I think this year's costume I'm the most proud of.

As I was watching the new Cruella movie, I knew right away that I wanted to do at least ONE of the many looks she rocks for Halloween. Honestly, the movie is so full of great costume ideas, but I really wanted to attempt her 'The Future' makeup look, which is what you'll see below! Let's break down the whole look here:

Cruella Makeup

Good news: this makeup look was actually easier to re-create than I'd expected! It takes some time, sure, but not super difficult. Click here to watch my Cruella makeup tutorial on Instagram. I picked up most of my makeup products below from London Drugs.

1. Put on your foundation/base as usual.
2. Use scotch tape and scissors to cut out and piece together 'The Future'. 'The should be smaller, and 'Future' bigger (as seen below).
3. Stick your 'The Future' piece of tape on your face. Just make sure you've got the letters facing the right direction so they're not backwards for those looking at your face!
4. Use a black loose eyeshadow powder and a thick eyeshadow brush to dab on the face over top of the tap (just around the eye and nose area of the face). I'm using a holiday set I have from Pixi (the Fairy Dust Favourites). 
5. Line your waterline with a black eye pencil (I use an Annabelle Kohl Duo pencil)
6. Line your lids with a cat-eye using Rimmel's waterproof Wonder Ink Eyeliner
7. Coat your eyelashes with a black mascara (I'm wearing L'Oreal's Lash Paradise)
8. Peel off the tape to reveal 'The Future' stenciled on your face!
9. Apply a sparkly red lipstick - like NYX's Glitter Goals in Cherry Quartz
10. You're done! Makeup give a spritz of a setting spray if you have one (like NYX's Matte Finish Setting Spray).
11. I found some gorgeous matte black glue-on nails by Quo at Shoppers Drug Mart that have really pretty studded black accent nails. Perfect way to finish off this look!

Cruella Costume

1. Cruella wears an awesome black cape jacket in the movie, so this SheIn jumpsuit I have was a close enough match. It's out of stock, but there are a few other options here and here on Amazon.
2. I got this great black and white wig off of Amazon, and I'm actually super impressed! It's not exactly like real hair, but it's waaaay better than any wig you're going to find at a Halloween shop. Highly recommend this one from Haircube.
3. Then I just accessorized with a few other black & white pieces, including my Gucci belt dupe, Aldo clutch, and some fabulous Zara heels I thrifted last year from Salvation Army. Anything high fashion will work (as long as it's black & white!).

Happy Halloween Styling! xo

~ Britta

Halloween Beauty: Vampire Nails

 After picking up a tasty 'blood bag' of wine from Maan Farms, I was feeling inspired to put together a vampy Halloween look (in addition to my main Halloween costume this year!) involving some fun DIY nails!

I spotted a similar 'vampire' nail design somewhere on Instagram, that looked salon quality, and thought hey, maybe I can create my own version that can be done at home without salon tools. I've become obsessed with glue-on nails this past year, so I wanted to create a version that gave me that same look (aka longer than my actual nails). I ended up finding some great Kiss nail kits at London Drugs that come with a bunch of sizes included and are all clear so you can easily paint over top of them with nail polish.

Here's what you need to create your own vampire nails:

• Kiss Full Cover Nails in Short Square
• Kiss Full Cover Nails in Long Stiletto
• Sally Hansen Insta Dry in White on Time
• Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in Cherry Delightful
• Seche Vite Top Coat

And here's my step-by-step (or check out my Instagram Reel to here!):

1. Pick out 10 nails that fit your nails (Stiletto style for the thumbs, pointer fingers and pinkies. Short Square style for the middle and ring fingers).
2. Paint all 10 nails with white nail polish. I found it helpful to use some little rolled pieces of scotch tape to keep the nails in one spot while I paint them.
3. Once dry, apply a second coat of white nail polish.
4. Check that they're dry, and if so, take the stiletto nails for your pointer finger and pinkie to apply the 'blood' drips. I used a toothpick to be able to apply the red nail polish carefully.
5. Finally, after everything is dry, apply a coat of clear top coat. Be careful not to run the brush over the blood drips multiple times, as the red colour might run into the white polish.

I love how subtle this nail look is, actually! You wouldn't really notice it from a distance as being a 'Halloween' look, which is kind of nice if you're just out and about. But when you bring attention to them, they just look so cool! 

I've also linked my other makeup products as well as my dress below, in case you're looking to re-create the rest of my vampire-inspired look!

Dress - Asos (similar from SheIn) | Lipstick - Lancome L'Absolu Rouge in 507 Dram'atic | Eyeshadow - NYX Professional Ultimate Shadow Palette in Phoenix | Eyeliner - Rimmel Wonder'Ink Ultimate Eyeliner | Mascara - L'Oreal Lash Paradise

How are you planning to celebrate Halloween this year? Do you have a look or costume in mind?

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

A Quality Summer Cocktail Dress

 Well, I wish I could say I got more use out of this dress this summer, but with COVID, there hasn't been a lot of opportunities to dress up! I had to postpone my 30th birthday in July due to rain (boo! in July??), but went out for drinks to H Tasting Lounge (one of my favourite places for a cocktail in Vancouver) that evening and had a chance to rock this dress. It really is a showstopper.

The price of a Ted Baker dress really isn't cheap, but this is one item you'll understand the price when you feel the garment. The material is so thick and luxurious! And the hardware - the zipper on the back and the straps - both are emblazoned with Ted Baker and have a feeling of quality and luxury to them. But let's be honest, I still wouldn't pay full price for a Ted Baker dress. I picked this one up at the Ted Baker Warehouse Sale for a fraction of the cost. BUT I also noticed this dress in a different print is currently on sale for half price if you're looking for a deal too! It's so nice to have a really good quality cocktail dress in your arsenal (even if you'll need to wait until next summer to wear it!). 

This dress was giving me major 50/60's vibes, hence the fun cat-eye sunglasses and white pumps. I've also become a big flamingo-obsessed since last summer, and love, love, love this flamingo clutch I found at Old Navy! It's out of stock, but I linked up one I found on Poshmark below. All I can say is there will be lots more flamingo stuff to come in my wardrobe! Give me all the Palm Springs vibes!!!

Dress - Ted Baker (from the Ted Baker Warehouse Sale) | Sunglasses - Target | Purse - Old Navy (here's one on Poshmark!) | Lipstick - NYX Liquid Suede in Pink Lust (from London Drugs) | Heels - H&M (thrifted via Value Village)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta