Lady in Red

December is finally here and I’m ready for all things Christmas!

*If you follow my Instastories you know I’ve been drinking all of the Starbucks holiday drinks since they came out.

Not only is it time for delicious Starbucks drinks but it's PARTY TIME!

This year I have 3 work holiday parties! That’s right 3 parties which, require 3 different outfits that will get me through the work day to the work party. I’ll be showcasing 3 different work-safe holiday looks over the coming weeks. This week, I’m sharing Lady in Red.

I love a monochromatic look and had been looking for the perfect moment to pull this off.

Why do I love this look for a work holiday party? Other than the shoes (which I love!), You’re wearing dress pants and a dress shirt, which are comfortable work clothes. The pants and top aren’t the same shade of red which I feel softens the overall effect. Another great thing about this look is, you can throw on a black blazer throughout the day for meetings. Shoe wise, you can wear flats during the day and change into your heels for the party or, stay in the heels the whole day to get the full effect of this killer look!  

Lastly and most importantly - this look works for everyone!

I would definitely suggest you look through your closet and see if you have pieces in the same colour scheme and match them up. Luckily for me all of these pieces were already in my closet.

See what I did there? I shopped my closet, like the “responsible” adult I am (and you are too ;) ).

*If you’re in the holiday spending mood click on images below to recreate the look:

Happy Work Partying!

How to have a perfect matte lip

I am a lover of lipstick especially a good matte formula. The key to having a perfect matte lip is 95% lip care and 5% product. 

A small investment in lip care = a perfect matte lip

The main issue is with dry lips is, if your lips are dry when you apply a lipstick or gloss it goes on patchy which ruins the look. There are two solutions to this dilemma - 1. drink more water and stay hydrated and 2. exfoliate.

I do both and here are my 3 favourite lip care products for exfoliation and moisture:

1. Island joy Cuban lemon lip scrub - Certified organic, this products smells delicious and tastes good (if you accidentally ingest it -wink wink). Its also made in Toronto! This scrub makes my lips baby soft and smells good enough to eat (but don’t eat it).

Island Joy Cuban Lemon lip scrub $20 CAD

2. Sephora Collection lip scrub - Do you find that your lips are in dire of exfoliation but you’ve already left the house on your way to work/travel/visit bae? This Sephora Collection lips scrub is packaged as your regular lip balm! You apply it like you would a lip balm and rub your lips together and VOILA! Smooth lips for your matte lippy, lipgloss, and kissing your bae.

Sephora Collection Honey lip Scrub $8 CAD

3. Vaseline jelly - Good old fashion Vaseline jelly, what I love about vaseline is that you can buy it anywhere. In a pinch you can use it to moisturize your whole body but I mainly use it a lip moisturizer when it gets cold. I slather this stuff all over my lips at night and I even have a jar at my desk. Its cheap and does the job what else can you ask for?

Vaseline Jelly $1.99 CAD

Houndstooth fit for fall

One reason that I absolutely love houndstooth is that it never goes out of style. For as long as I can remember it’s always been popular.

*A little side note - the same day I wore this skirt to work another manager was wearing her “old” (that’s how she referred to it) houndstooth blazer and it matched my skirt perfectly*

My goal when it comes to dressing for work is style that is a no-brainer. This iteration of a stylish no-brainer is my favourite red silk blouse from Équipement (I’ve had this blouse for a while) and this midi length houndstooth skirt I recently bought from Zara.

My 3 favourite things about this skirt :

1. The timeless pattern

2. The length - For work, I prefer skirts to be knee length or midi. In a professional setting shorter hemlines are always risky and not worth the embarrassment of someone commenting on the length of your skirt.

3. It’s easy to style with various tops to get you through the fall/winter

*And it’s only $79.99 at Zara (a steal in my opinion)

For some extra style points add some cute shades and a leather jacket to this look and you’ll be feeling like a BOSS!

Shop my look below:

Parisian attitude and a look

​I’m so excited it’s finally Fall! I won’t lie I was over the summer humidity but not sunshine and being able to go outside with wet hair and flip flops. Now that Fall is finally here we get to have Fall fashion - lots of layering, cozy sweaters, and tights.

To kick off the new season, I’ve put together the cutest outfit that is perfect for work and after hours.

I’m giving you Parisian swag and european lewks (half of this outfit was bought in Europe - but can easily be replicated without a eurotrip price tag).

I bought this lovely V-neck Wool dress with a ruffled hem in London at Oliver and Bonas. I knew as soon as I saw it that I needed to add to my wardrobe. The dress is a great length, an a-line cut, and it’s sleeveless so it’s great for layering. 

The dress shirt is from Pink Tartan a Canadian brand. This is one of my favourite shirts - it was a splurge purchase from a couple years  ago but totally worth it. The cut and fit are perfect and it has some really nice details like the grosgrain trim around the cuffs and collar, and the pink stitching in the buttonhole on the cuffs. The yellow belt was a pop of colour that I bought from Uniqlo - if thrifting is up your alley then you could definitely thrift a colourful belt.

“Raspberry Beret,the kind you buy at a second hand store” - lyric by Prince. This beret isn’t raspberry but a lovely mustard I picked up at the Notting Hill market for £8. It’s super cute but also something you can buy anywhere. It was my first purchase on my London trip this fall so it’s a special mustard beret.

I’m also wearing tights which I have a love and hate relationship with. Either I’m super irritated or slightly annoyed while wearing them. Last year I bought Wolford tights in 20 denier and honestly they are the most comfortable tights I’ve ever had. My shoes are super old as I don’t remember where or when I bought them but the best thing about this outfit is you can wear whatever shoes you like; flats, oxfords, heels, booties etc.  

Finally, I got my yellow coat on my first Euro trip in 2015. Boo (my husband) and I left warm Barcelona for cool and wet Amsterdam. With the change in temperature I got a cold and didn’t have a coat. I spent the next day searching for a coat and stumbled upon a random boutique downtown and when I saw the colour and the lining I was sold!

Me in Delft, Netherlands

What do you think? I’m pretty sure anyone can pull off this look. I think the hardest part about pulling this look together is finding the dress for layering so, I’ve found 3 alternative options below to the Oliver Bonas dress I bought.

Happy Layering!

Bye-who? Byredo fragrances to die for..

La Selection Nomade 

As per my usual routine, I was mid-email listening to The Naked Beauty Podcast, when the host  Brooke Devard, mentioned this fragrance Witch Hazel by Byredo. I had never heard of the brand, it obviously sounded pretty bougie but the host described the scent and sounded delicious. Off to Saks I went later that week and I can say that while Witch Hazel is what brought me to the store I left with a different trio that is just heavenly. 

*Disclaimer - no matter who much I love a perfume, I always buy the travel size or rollerball if its available. I like being able to bring the scent with me but I like to change up my scents somewhat frequently. 

The trio includes the 3 fragrances at 12ml each for $110. I LOVE THIS TRIO! They smell delicious and each one has a unique scent. Bal D'Afrique smells like a wildflowers with a hint of musk, Blanche smells like fresh laundry, and Gypsy Water is a light floral smell.  I've listed out the breakdown for each fragrance below but I think my description is more succinct.

Bal D'Afrique, Top: African Marigold, Bergamot, Bucchu, Lemon, Neroli - Heart: Cyclamen, Jasmine Petals, Violet - Base: Black Amber, Moroccan Cedarwood, Musk, Vetiver  

Blanche, Top: Aldehyde, Pink Pepper, White Rose - Heart: Neroli Peony, Violet - Base: Woods, Musk, Sandalwood

Gypsy Water, Top: Bergamot, Juniper Barries, Lemon, Pepper - Heart: Incense, ORris, Pine Needle - Base: Amber, Sandlewood, Vanilla 

This definitely falls into the category of "Things I've bought from a Podcast".

Looking for a dress for yet another Wedding? Try Renting

      Most of us love dressing up once in awhile, but there are several constraints that have developed in our lives that has made this a little bit more of a challenge - social media. Social media has made it almost impossible to wear the same outfit twice. Now that isn’t to say that  you can’t put your styling skills to use but if you’re like me who likes to buy things that are bright and colourful maybe you’ll get two wears out of that fabulous dress you bought. Cost is another factor that has been a stumbling block from time immemorial, can I just say that the prices for clothing have gone up across the board. Zara, H&M, Aritzia, Club Monaco they have lovely things but it's getting to the point that buying certain items for one wear isn’t cost effective. Also the time old situation of someone showing up to the same event wearing the same dress (and looking better than you *shock and horror*)

    In comes dress rentals. I have heard about renting clothes before but didn’t really know if it was something that I could access. A lot of dress rental websites are based in the US and as a Canadian that is really annoying for obvious reasons - shipping and duties. Enter Fitzroy Boutique, I have been a loyal follower of their store for the last couple of years. They’ve always sold some amazing clothes and accessories so when they decided to start dress rentals I was excited. I recently had need for an outfit as I have a wedding I’m attending last November. It was a great experience!  

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     How does it work? Well you have two options you can check out their website and order your outfit on their or go in store. I use the website to check out if there were any outfits that I was intrigued to try on. I headed to their boutique 1227 Dundas Street West, 2nd Floor, no appointment is necessary. They carry numerous outfits in XS - L and some plus sizes, you can go through the racks organized by size and grab whatever you like and head to the change rooms. Can I say that I loved their change rooms! They are bright and well lit thanks to some large windows and the lighting fixtures in the space. They have heels that you can use while trying on clothes and you can buy some accessories as well. You get to play dress up, if you find a outfit you’d like to rent the rental price is on the tag attached to the outfit. You can rent items for 4 or 8 days. The time for rental includes the day you pick up and return the dress. In this case I needed the jumpsuit for Saturday November 18th, so I picked up the dress on Friday and returned it on Monday.  I believe there is a $20/day late fee for every day the dress is late. As well there is a $5 insurance fee that you can choose to pay for. This covers any reasonable damage that may occur on the outfit. I got the insurance because I would rather not worry about it. They dry-clean all of the outfits before and after use. If you have any questions please call the boutique Julie was a great help to me while there trying on clothes and getting me through the process.

    My verdict, I have another wedding to attend this July and I’ll definitely be heading back to the boutique to find an outfit. While you could be spending up to $100 on a rental in my mind it's still a great deal, you get a new outfit and you don't have to worry about it gathering dust in your closet when you realize you can’t wear it again for whatever reason. Another plus is you can spend your time on buying some cute accessories (shoes, bag, jewellery, etc.)

Update: They now have bag rentals, so you can find a matching clutch as well! 

*Reposted from November last fall

ISSA headwrap

Growing up in a Ghanaian household one thing that was ever present was the headwrap. It’s a cultural mainstay for everyday or for when we dress up in our traditional clothes for various events such as weddings, funerals, and all holidays. This isn’t unique to Ghanaian people as our fellow Africans do it too. Recently it’s become really popular I think with the rise of the natural hair movement and also African people embracing and celebrating our culture. I’m not going to lie it’s also so convenient when I’m feeling lazy to do my hair. Luckily for me I just know how to tie a headwrap based on my upbringing but if you’re looking for some tips check out this video from OkayAfrica

Having trouble styling your headwrap? Okay Africa has a great tutorial:

The ladies of OkayAfrica show us 7 ways to tie a headwrap. Producer: Chika Okoli Video Editor: Paul Notice Song: Only Girl Artist: Adekunle Gold Download here: smarturl.it/Only.Girl

My skin is thirsty

Toronto weather has really thrown us for a loop this year it felt like January for 3 months. Of course the weather change means that my body lotion/crème needs to be changed too. I'm currently using Aesop  Rejuvenate Intensive Body Balm as well as their Breathless Body Oil to keep me hydrated in this in-between weather situation (not hot but not cold enough to bust out the shea butter)...are they any body butters/lotions/crèmes that y’all are using?

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*key tip - when applying body oil or lotion make sure you do it right after the shower with your skin slightly wet, do not completely dry off. This way the product really locks in moisture and doesn't just sit on top of your skin.

Blue Double-Breasted Blazer and a not so ordinary pencil skirt

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 If I catch you in the hall during announcements you’re late for class… I’m out here channelling my inner teacher. Double Breasted blazers scream POWER and NO-NONSENSE, which is what you want to exude on a Monday to get your week rolling right.

   I’ve professed my love for blazers and this picture just reinforces my love for them. Without the blazer you have a classic work outfit - pressed white collared shirt and pencil skirt with a mini twist. Anyone can wear this outfit and look great but throwing the blazer on top in my mind really takes this outfit from uniform to personalized. The shade of blue is vibrant and works for all skin tones and hair colours (I would love to have pink hair again). Also you get another another wear out of your uniform because the blazer completely changes the look of it.

    One of thing I’ll be trying to show is that styling and interesting pieces will help you get the more wear out of your clothing. Does this mean that I never buy new things? Of course not but the key is to figure out what clothing you actually like to wear and get rid of the things you bought because they were cute, or on trend, and you only wore for that one night and never wore again. By figuring this out you’ll be able to pare down your closet and have a cohesive look - whatever you look is.

I love pleated skirts - JCrew outfit

I love pleated skirts and with my recent closet clean out I only have 2 left which sucks! 3 things I love about this skirt are the length, the lining, and the style of the pleat. It's also perfect to wear in the fall without tights, which is always a win. The colour of the skirt is a dusty rose, paired with a green tiger patterned silk shirt, and a navy blue blazer. All three pieces are from J.Crew with the most recent purchase being the silk shirt (this summer), the skirt 2 years ago, and the blazer from 4 years ago. The shoes are courtesy of Zara. This outfit is comfortable and great for the office or heading to brunch/lunch/dinner.

DIY Body Oil for winter time

I am a huge fan of body oils in the summertime as they are lightweight and hydrating without you feeling oily. This summer and fall I used 3 types of body oil, plain Almond Oil , Mint Apothecary Shimmer + Glow Body oil (which gives you an amber shimmer) and Aesop Body Oil.  The idea of using an oil in the winter was a little perplexing. To make it worst I haven’t been able to find a body cream that hydrates me and doesn’t sit on top of my skin. 

While listening to one of my favourite beauty podcasts - The Naked Beauty Podcast the host Brooke Devard suggested using a DIY body oil for the winter as well as a cream if you’re still feeling dry. I decided to give it a try and it has been amazing!

My DIY body oil is:

●      ¼  Castor oil

●      ¼  Vegetable Glycerin

●      ½  Almond Oil

●      10 drops of grapefruit oil for scent

How I use my DIY Body Oil?

●      After showering do not towel dry!

●      I rub my DIY body oil all over my body and lightly towel off any excess water.

●      Then I use a body cream (I’m currently using the shea butter cream from The Body Shop) on my extra dry spots - elbows and feet.

Once I’m finished I throw on my robe and start on my face routine, makeup, hair, etc.By the time I’m ready to put on my clothes the body oil has been soaked into my skin and my body is ready to brave the winter :)

Winter Skincare Routine

January is turning out to be the coldest start to 2018 and with that keeping my skin from cracking is the number one priority for the rest of the winter. For me like clothing, layering my face products is what keeps my face hydrated throughout the day. In the morning my face routine start in the shower. I just rinse my face as the prior evening I would have already exfoliated and cleansed.  Once I’m out of the shower (after I’ve moisturized my body) my routine looks like this:

Step 1. I start with The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2%  (hydration support) + B5 serum on my clean face and let it soak into my skin

Step 2. Once dried I use The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% (multifunctional brightening Formula cream all over my face (just enough for a thin layer)

{this is when I brush my teeth}

Step 3. Then, I use The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA (surface hydration formula) cream in the areas of my face that tend to dry the most. My driest sports are my forehead, nose, and around my nose/mouth area

Step 4. Once I finish the above I spritz my face with some rose water, let that dry and finally I use an oldie but a goodie Pond’s Dry Skin cream. This formula is thick but not oily and keeps my face moisturized.

Step 5. If I decided to wear makeup I will normally go with my Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (oil free) in the winter time. I use primer even if I’m not using foundation but concealer or tinted moisturizer.

I started this routine back in november and it has kept my skin hydrated and soft. Also most of my dark spots are fading too.

Happy Wintering <3

3 Great face lotions for the winter

So it’s -30 degrees celsius here in Toronto and if you’re panicking about how dry your skin is feeling here are three face creams at different price points that will get you through:

1. Pond’s Dry Skin Cream - Not only is this face cream affordable it is thick without being oily and keeps you hydrated. Sometimes you can get a double pack for $7. Pond’s has been around since 1846 so you know you’re getting the real deal in this face cream. Cost: $5.97 at 190mL
2.  Mario Badescu Buttermilk Moisturizer - This face cream is creamy but lightweight. This cream is great for someone who has combination skin. You’ll feel hydrated without feeling like you’re wearing yogurt on your face. Cost: $20 at 59mL
3. Sunday Riley C.E.O. C + E antiOXIDANT Protect + Repair Moisturizer - This is a thick ass cream that feels heavenly. I had a sample of this and felt like I just left the spa and it enabled me to use on less layer to my morning skincare routine.  If you’re feeling fancy I would buy this cream. Cost: $28 at 15mL

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This was originally posted on January 3, 2018