My Fall Must Haves

Now that the weather has finally cooled down here in Kelowna, it is time to pack up my summer wardrobe and invest in a few key pieces to update my fall/winter wardrobe. Here are some of the items I am currently obsessing over:


Stacked Heel Boots - Etienne Aigner: Winston Boots - $149.95 USD at DSW
These boots are a modern/girly twist on the classic riding boot, and I love the metal detail!

Corduroy Skinny Pants - The Gap - $69.95
As comfy as jeans, yet work appropriate (if you work in a casual-dress office). These versatile cords can be dressed up or down, and worn with flats, heels, and boots!

Textured A-Line Mini-Skirt
Club Monaco: Stephanie Skirt (Top) - $159.50
Jacob (Bottom) - $59.95
I love this style of skirt because it reminds me of the skirts I wore in high school. I used to have a dark grey velvet mini-skirt, which I am now kicking myself for getting rid of! I especially love the look of these skirts with thick leggings and boots.

Opaque Tights - American Apparel: Super Opaque Tight - $28.00
American Apparel makes the best tights, hands down. They are much more durable, less likely to snag or run. Plus, this super opaque version is extra warm for the cold months!

Knee-High Socks - American Apparel - $14.00
This over the knee sock is perfect for wearing under tall boots (with just a bit showing over the top) or can be scrunched down and worn with shoes.

Gold Accessories - Drift Line Designs Jewelry: Gold Feather Bracelet - $22.00
This adorable gold feather bracelet goes with everything, and is a perfect complement to the warm colours of fall.

Love Your Body

Yesterday I went into to Body Shop to pick up a few products, and to my surprise I got my entire purchase (face mask, lip liner and lip exfoliator) FREE!

I have the Love Your Body Rewards Card, and I had reached eight points, so I had a $25 credit on my account! Plus this credit was combined with The Body Shop's current promotion of "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" and my 10% off discount with the card.

This is why I LOVE The Body Shop. Their promotions can be combined. And with the Love Your Body Card, I am always combining discounts and getting amazing deals. One time I was even able to score $100 of products for only $25!!

The Love Your Body Card is $10 (or free if you sign up during your birthday month) and gets you 10% off all purchases, as well as a $15 credit once you reach four points (1 point per $25 spent) and a $25 credit and free renewal when you hit eight points. You also get a $10 credit on your birthday every year. So if you are a product junkie like myself, and have no problem spending $200 a year at The Body Shop, you will receive $50 in free products each year and free renewals. Plus 10% off all purchases. All of which can be combined with in-store offers.

All the more reason to keep shopping:)

Coral Corral

This summer's "it" colour is coral: from soft light and peachy to bright vibrant red and pink hues. It is best to wear coral as an accent colour by pairing it with neutrals to allow the colour to really pop! Or layer different shares of coral together for an ombre style. However you decide to wear this colour, it is super flattering and right on trend this season! 

Gold & Coral Necklace - Made by Sam (Etsy) - $41.98

Leather Belt - Wilfred (Aritzia) - $50.00

Silk Crepe Blouse - Wilfred (Aritzia) - $115.00

Lace Shorts - Free People - $84.19

Faux Silk Skirt - American Apparel - $26.00

Sandals - Ecote (Urban Outfitters) - $39.00

Get Nailed

I am a nail polish addict. I change my polish at least twice a week, sometimes more. I love neutral nails, bright nails, sparkly nails, patterned nails, everything.

I was really excited when I first saw Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips, but it took me quite a while to actually try them out due to the cost (about $11 for one box at drugstores).

However, once I finally bought the leopard print nail polish strips (on sale of course), I was very impressed! They were very easy to apply. They are basically thin strips of nail polish sandwiched between two sheets of plastic. You remove the plastic from one side, apply the strip, then peel off the second piece of plastic once the nail polish is in place. Because I have short nails, I was able to cut the strips in half before using them so that the box did my nails twice! Sally Hansen claims that the Salon Effects nail polish strips will last up to ten days, and they were absolutely right. I applied a clear coat over my nails every 2-3 days and the polish lasted two weeks before starting to chip.

With a wide range of colours and patterns. these nail polish strips are fashionable, affordable, and long lasting!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects - $8.00 - $12.00 per box at drugstores

The Mullet, Re-Invented

Lately we have seen a surge of asymmetrical hemlines, especially the high-low (or "mullet") skirt. For an everyday style choose a skirt in a neural or pastel colour, and pair it with a basic t-shirt or tank and some heels. I prefer a more subtle slant to the skirt as well. No more then about a foot difference in length from front to back. For a more daring look choose a brightly coloured or patterned skirt!

Skirt - Forever 21 - $19.80

Skirt - Zara - $59.90

Skirt - EveAndEnoch (on Etsy) - $97.00

Pin-Up Girl!

High waisted bikinis. They are back in style, and if you are anything like me you adore them but are unsure of whether or not you can pull off the retro pin-up look!

This look is actually super flattering on almost any body. If you don't have much in the way of hips and booty (like me) this look accentuates what you do have and creates the illusion of curves. If you are lucky enough to have curves, this style of bikini flatters while disguising trouble spots at the same time.

The only thing to watch out for, is if your ribs stick out at all you will want to choose a style that is not too high-waisted, because if only a tiny strip of skin is showing it can highlight the ribs. Choosing a style that comes just past the belly-button will show more skin and not draw as much attention to the ribs.

So go ahead and channel your inner pin-up girl this summer!

Bikini - H&M

 Bikini - Vintage Suits by Mary (Etsy) - $85.00

Bikini - Tallow (Urban Outfitters) - Top: $60.00 & Bottom: $60.00

Bikini - American Apparel - Top: $18.00  & Bottom: $29.00

Exceptional Eyelashes

I am a bit of a product junkie, so I would like to just spend a few minutes talking about one of my favourite products ever! Blinc's Kiss Me Mascara actually encases your eyelashes in tiny water-resistant tubes instead of  painting them. It is not only water-proof, but also rub-proof, and will not clump of flake off. It goes on the same as regular mascara, but it much gentler and longer lasting. To remove it, you use lots of warm soapy water, and then gently pull the tubes off (easier than it sounds). It also has a much longer shelf life than regular mascara; I have had my tube for six months now and it is still as smooth and easy to apply as when I first purchased it. Kiss Me is a truly unique product, and after trying it I will never go back to traditional mascara!

Blinc Kiss Me Mascara - $26.00 at Sephora