A Taste of Summer in the City

Today was another gorgeous day, we have been so lucky with the weather! So Janine and I decided to be such rebels and go downtown shopping instead of going to school. (Just kidding we had the day off, we're angels.) We took the turtle-paced hunk of metal Toronto calls the subway to the heart of the city where some of the best shopping in Canada is.

I wore this 'Mondaze' (because its Monday, get it?)  t-shirt from Club Monaco with jean shorts, orange boat shoes, aviators and my yellow Rebecca Minkoff cross-body.

So I didn't buy tooooo much today but I'm still very happy with my purchases :)

Needed more graphic tanks....

Los Angeles Top from Brandy Melville

I've been obsessing over this dress forever, I couldn't stop thinking about it and finally caved! Really liking the cutout trend.

Gray Bethan Dress from Brandy Melville (Front)

Gray Bethan Dress (Back)

Mother's Day gift for mom, but I may occasionally 'borrow' it.
Hey, you can't blame me, look at it, it's beautiful!

Blue scarf from Zara

I am a lipstick junkie. Well really any lip product other than lip gloss (can't stand the stickiness). And this season everyone has been raving about coral lipstick and it took me forever to find this! I'm obsessed! 

FACE Stockholm for J. Crew 

Perfect name for it!

How pretty?!

 I've checked out FACE Stockholm and it seems pretty nice. There aren't any stores or boutiques that sell it in Canada though :( But if you live in USA or the UK you should check it out! I'm sure if you live in Sweden you've heard of this brand... haha

Hope you all had a great day enjoying the weather or if the weather is kinda crappy where you live, hope you enjoyed your time inside!
xoxo.

New York City: Day 1

A week ago, my parents and I woke up dark and early at 4 a.m. to make the 10 hour trip down to New York City!

Armed with a good book and good music, I survived the long journey to the city.

Currently in the process of finishing this book, pretty good so far!
(Mint headphones from PINK)

Some people may call us crazy for doing this but after the 10 hour trip, we didn't go straight to our hotel, no, we went straight to shopping in one of New York's best shopping areas, Soho. We couldn't check in until 4 pm anyway and we got into the city around 3.

Here's my purchases on the first day:

Sweaters, both from Brandy Melville. I've been lusting after that Union Jack one forever! 

Stila In the Light Eyeshadow Palette
(Sorry I can't figure out how to rotate it.... )

After shopping, my parents and I walked about 5 minutes to a ramen restaurant we heard was really good. Last time I was in New York, we tried to come but the line was over an hour long. We went super early this time since we were hungry from the road trip.  

Super cool decor inside! 

Deep fried chicken wings with black pepper sauce. Yum!

BBQ eel wrapped in cucumber (my favourite)

After a very long day, we drove what was supposed to be a 6 minute drive from Soho to our hotel on 39th and 6th in the Garment District, took us almost 20 minutes! That crazy New York City traffic is very real. 

Our hotel is the blue dot and Times Square the red one lol.

Finally all checked in and settled in, I opened the window to see this beautiful view of the city that never sleeps.

A tiring day, but well worth it!

Maybelline Does It Right

My eyes are the part of my face that is the hardest to apply makeup to, because I have a monolid (where the eye lid folds over on itself) which basically hides most of my eyeliner and eyeshadow. Another major problem is a my short, stick-straight eyelashes. I thought nothing on earth could make them visible. The cons of being Asian.... haha. In my long hunt for the perfect mascara(s) I've found two that really make a difference. And both are by Maybelline, so thank you scientists over at the Maybelline labs, I am forever in your debt. 

#1 Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes

I think the brush really does make a difference, the small tip can get into the corners of my eyes easily without getting mascara everywhere, and the fatter side can help with some volume. 

#2 Maybelline the Falsies Volum' Express Waterproof

Again, I love the brush on this one, I think it helps, curving like my eye, and I need all the help I can get.... 

In my regular lash routine, I layer these two. First by curling my eyelashes, next by applying Great Lash, which is a great for lengthening and then by swiping on a few coats of Falsies. It combs out some clumps, builds volume and seals in my mascara since its waterproof. I need all the waterproof, smudgeproof, bulletproof I can get. 

For all my fellow ladies with these problems as well, go for these two mascaras! They will not disappoint! I've tried all kinds of mascara, from Sephora to Walmart and these two are definitely the best and some of the cheapest! A win-win situation!  

L'Occitane

This past Christmas I got a lot of stuff from L'Occitane and I absolutely love them!

What a pretty box! 

These little solid perfumes and hand cream fits perfectly in my purse so I can carry my favourite scent with me everywhere! 

L'Occitane's products are simply amazing. All their products work just as the description says they do, and they smell diviiiiine. As you can tell from the photo above, my favourite scent of theirs is Rose. It smells very sweet and floral (duh, it's a flower) and just altogether quite chic and feminin. 

(I also have L'Occitane soaps and body butters and creams but those are all half used and none too pretty to photograph. But I do highly recommend their shea butter products, works amazingly well!)

L'Occitane is on the pricy side but if you're looking for something that works just as good as it smells then an investment in their products will not go wrong! Check out all their lines, scents, products and more here.

Lusting...

I have this list you see, and it is a big problem. There are too many things in this world that I want such as, a Céline bag, some red-sole stunners, an Oscar de la Renta gown that I have no business wearing, an imaginary passport/flying card thingy that will let me fly wherever I want whenever I want, and a beautiful boy with a beautiful (British) accent. I've realized that these things are pretty much impossible so I've narrowed it down to a few (more than a few) things that are a bit more attainable. These are things that I desperately, sort of, kind of, not necessarily, need, and make up my 'Lust List'. 

I keep it on my iPhone so once I see something new that I 'ohmygoditsbeautiful' at, I can quickly add it to my list.

Each of these lists could be entire posts in itself... expect some awesome  movies and even awesomer books. 

Here it is:

Number 1: Scout & Catalogue clutch

Even though the scarf isn't officially on my list, I added it in because it's just as pretty.

"Scout & Catalogue is heavily influenced by the bohemian beach culture of Mexico. We strive to make pieces that remind you of afternoons at secret beaches, sun kissed skin, and all day siestas." 

Love, love, love their whole beachy-meets-city vibe! Their stuff is hand-crafted so each scarf and bag is truly unique!  

Number 2: Nasty Gal Dahlia Red Tote Bag

I honestly just love this bag. I don't know why. It's so simple, but its red. (Recently, I've been having a mild obsession with the colour red.) I don't think I would like it as much if it was black or white, but because it's red, it's a whole other story. The bag is quite plain but the red just makes it pop, and the fold-over flap is just the cutest. It's quite big, so it's perfect for vacations where I need to store my wallet, phone, ipod, passport, camera, etc. I literally imagine myself walking through New York City with this bag. I'd own that city with this bag, it could be my Carrie Bradshaw bag. 

Number 3: Nasty Gal Day Tripper Crochet Knit 

It was love at first sight with this sweater, I am a bit of a sweater fanatic, so I was head-over-heels for this one. I was imagining me rocking this sweater with the red bag above walking through New York City (I wasn't joking about that fantasy), so casual but cool at the same time, ah, it's perfect! Sadly... it's out of stock. I know. I cried.

Number 4: Brandy Melville tops (Aylin, Marion Floral Kimono, Samantha Ballerina)

 

Aylin and Samantha are just nice, casual pieces that I could wear in so many ways. The Marion kimono would be a lovely addition to my collection of baggy cardigans.

Number 5: Chloé Perfume 

I've been lusting over this perfume for the longest time. And it has to be the eau de parfum none of that watered down, eau de toilette stuff, the real stuff. (If I'm paying this much already I might as well throw in a few extra bucks to get the one that will last me all day!) Originally I thought it'd be cool to have a perfume with my name on it but I actually really like the scent! I have this little sample from Sephora that I cherish, I only wear it for special occasions. 

Number 6: Motel Rocks Jet Plunge Playsuit 

This one deserved six photos, gotta see it from all angles!

I think this playsuit/romper could be the perfect versatile piece I could have in my closet. I could easily dress this up for dinner or down for a casual hang-out. Now, I just need to decide on the colour, black: goes with anything, can wear it pretty much anywhere; red: it's bright, it pops, it's red, it needs no explanation. 

Well, there you have it, my 'Lust List'! The list will probably get longer, but for now this is what I'm dreaming and lusting after, hopefully I can check some of them off the list... Valentine's Day is coming up... where's a boyfriend when I need him?