Mila Kunis: LA Times Magazine

My obsession with Mila Kunis has officially begun. Her cover, along with her spread in LA Times Magazine is stunning. I love all of the shots, especially the first one of her in the vintage Christian Dior dress.

Love!

Oscar Blandi: Dry Shampoo

 

I was travelling a few months ago with a friend and I mentioned that I find it annoying how fast my hair gets greasy and I find myself having to wash my hair almost ever day. I know you're only supposed to wash it three or four times, but this seems impossible to me. This friend suggested that I try a dry shampoo, specifically the Oscar Blandi one so a couple weeks ago I found it in a drugstore.
 
At first I was kind of skeptical because I didn't really understand how you could get rid of the grease and oil without actually washing it with water. I used it on my "second day" straight hair and I was really happy with it. I have to say, the first thing I noticed was how good it smelled! It also added some volume to my hair which is a major plus since it's usually pretty flat when I straighten it. In terms of the grease, it didn't get rid of it completely but overall my hair felt a lot cleaner.

If you're annoyed with having to shower more often than you should because of grease, you should definitely try this product. I feel like it would work differently on different hair types but it's worth a shot. The only warning I would give, is if you have darker hair, to be careful with how much you spray. It comes out as a white powder so be sure to comb through with your fingers after.

SAG Awards

Kim Kardashian in Marchesa
A lot of people are either loving or hating Kim K's dress. I think it's because they aren't used to seeing her in something that drapes and flows instead of something tight. Personally I thought she looked fabulous and I really liked seeing her in something different. Also, who couldn't love that beautiful purple colour?

Mila Kunis in Alexander McQueen

Another favourite!! This silhouette was extremely flattering on her and the red was perfect with her colouring. I loved her wavy locks and the lighter highlighted pieces near her face. She had dramatic eye makeup which complimented the rest of her look. A beautiful gown and a beautiful girl. 

RANDOM

Ahh January has been such a busy month, just like it is every year. SO much has already changed coming into 2011 and I feel like I'm going to be such a different person by the end of this year. Since I've been so busy, I've had a tough time writing on this blog. I always start a post but I either get bored of it or I don't find the time to finish it. I tweeted a couple days ago that I might just write completely random posts where I mention things that have been coming to my mind the past few days so here we go!

I really need to go to Sephora. I got a bunch of gift cards for Christmas but I haven't been ONCE. It's actually a big deal for me because I usually go at least three times a month. I'm trying to make a list of things that I need but I'm having trouble narrowing it down. I'm thinking about finding some new lipsticks. I used to absolutely hate lipstick but I think it's because I would wear it when I would do skating competitions when I was like 10.... They were my mom's so they were old and really gross. I think I should try again and attempt to break down my hatred for lipstick. Also, I really want to get the Michael Kors, Hollywood perfume because it smells delicious!!! I'll be honest I was kind of turned off when I first sniffed it from the bottle but I sprayed it on my wrist and it smells completely different. I'm holding back on buying it only because I just got my new Kate Spade perfume for Christmas... I might have to wait until March and make it a birthday present from myself, to myself - the best kind of course!

Something else that's been on my mind lately is fitness! Last year I would only work out once a week doing either yoga, boxing, or working out with a trainer. I really liked it but starting 2011, I decided I'd work out twice a week. Now I do boxing on Saturdays and then I work out with a trainer every Wednesday. After a month of doing both, I've already noticed such a huge difference. Not just in terms of weight but overall I feel so strong! The boxing is more of a cardio workout but it focuses especially on all of the muscles in my arms. My Wednesday workouts incorporate a lot of strength training. I do tons of different workouts but each focuses on a different muscle group. We usually do two sets of twenty for each exercise and almost all of them use eight pound weights.

I'm already so surprised about how much of a difference these workouts have made. They're both EXTREMELY tough. Let me tell you, I come home dripping in sweat and I have to run to the shower... Awkwardly enough, after my boxing class on Saturday I ran into one of my ex-boyfriends. I was just thrilled to see him. Anyways, yes I've lost some weight but it's not about the weight loss that's made me feel better. After each exercise I feel so much less stressed and there's automatically that sense of accomplishment. If you have the chance to go out even just for a twenty minute walk, do it! It gives you a chance to clear your mind and your body will thank you for it!

So this was my first (of many I'm sure) completely random post. I hope it wasn't too boring but I figured it's better to write something instead of nothing at all!

xoxo

Trend Report

Recently I've been hearing so much about velvet become the new "it fabric." A lot of people think it's something pre-historic or that it belongs in the medieval times. In my opinion, it's definitely not something that you can wear every day, but you could wear it for a fun night out. Here are some easy ways that you could wear velvet:

1) Blazer
The other day I saw this beautiful velvet blazer but sadly it didn't fit my shoulders in the right way. I could imagine it looking so good with a colourful satin tank, skinny jeans, and booties. This look could be worn during the day or at night depending on the colours and accessories.

2) Leggings
American Apparel sells velvet stirrup leggings in black, navy, green, and burgundy. This would be a riskier way to try this trend but I can definitely see it working with a longer silk button down top and possibly belted. It's not something that would be for everyone but it could be a lot of fun if you found something that worked with it!

3) Dress
I actually just bought a black strapless velvet dress yesterday for an event I have coming up! A really popular dress I've seen is the American Apparel long sleeve mini dress. This is really simple so you could have a lot of fun with bigger and bolder accessories!

Overall I would suggest to start off with a neutral colour item such as black, grey, or navy. These colours are easy to pair with jeans and other tops. Also, if you aren't too fond of going crazy with the velvet then stick with a cute clutch or possibly a headband! I think this is a trend that you could have fun with once and a while instead of making it an every day staple.

Let me know if you're pro-velvet or anti-velvet!

Fresh - Sugar Lip Treatment

For years and years and years, I have been trying to find a lip balm that with fix my problem of dry lips. In the wintertime my lips get gross and cracked. I've tried Nivea, Softlips, Burt's Bees, and more but no brand worked.

Just recently I tried the Sugar Lip Treatment by Fresh and I'm so pleased. I guess I'm super picky with my lip balms, but I really like the texture of this one. It goes on smooth and it works right away! I have the clear one which comes in the brown case but my mom has the rose tinted one which comes in the light pink case. The tinted ones are really pretty if you want a light colour but the clear one is great for every day.

It has SPF 15 in it which is super important because your lips are one of the first things to be burnt by UV rays. If you suffer from weak lips syndrome like I do then I highly suggest you try it!

Update: I'm almost done and need to buy another one!!

Michael Kors Purse FINAL

I am delighted to announce, that I am finally the proud owner of my first Michael Kors handbag! As I write this post, I am looking adoringly at my lovely purse hanging on my door handle across from me. You might ask, "finally, what took her so long!" and now I will do my best to explain.

My mother was asked by a friend to join her to drive down to Buffalo this past weekend just for a day. My mom of course accepted the offer but didn't have any needs of her own. I mentioned to her before she left, to look for the Michael Kors uptown astor purse and to call me if she found it. At 5 o'clock yesterday, I got the call.

She called me to let me know that she found the purse! But there was one problem... It was in the tan colour, not black that I had been hoping for. I asked her to send me pictures of it (even though I had seen it before online) and I knew I still loved the bag. It's a beautiful purse and I haven't found one I like nearly as much. So in the end my lovely mother picked it up for me and brought it home last night and I'm so glad. I think the tan leather is something that works all year round and it's definitely a "me" bag. I've already used it so much!

I think I forgot to mention the best part... You might recall that this bag was originally $550. It was $225 at the outlet mall!!!!! Less than half the price! Thank god for the outlet malls in Buffalo... What would us Canadians do without them?

Golden Globes Fashion

I love award show season!! Of course the actual awards are fun, but who are we kidding? We only watch to see the beautiful gowns! Last night I spent a lot of time tweeting about my favourites but I decided to write a whole post on my thoughts from the show.

Eva Longoria is stunning to begin with, but last night she looked fantastic in her black Zac Posen dress. It flattered her curves in all the right places and definitely showed off her newly single cleavage! If I were Tony Parker, I'd be feeling pretty silly!

Anne Hathaway wore a beautiful Armani Privé dress and she looked amazing. Her brunette waves went perfectly with the golden dress. It looked like a fairly conservative dress until you see the back - VERY low cut! I loved the whole thing!

I loved Claire Danes in her classic pink Calvin Klein dress. The high neckline and the updo showed off her slim arms and shoulders. I loved the colour of the and how it looked sophisticated against her skin tone. This is definitely not an easy dress to pull off but she looked simply elegant!

Megan Fox did not surprise as she looked absolutely gorgeous in a Giorgio Armani Privé dress. There's not much to say other than she did everything right. The style of the dress, the colour of the dress, the hair, and the makeup were all flawless. Am I the only one that gets annoyed of her perfection...?

But my favourite of the night was...

Olivia Wilde! She wore my two favourites - a Marchesa gown and sparkles! She complimented the dress with simple hair and makeup. I can't help but think that she looked like a princess! In my opinion everything about her was perfect.

Favourite Beauty Products of 2010 (part 2)

For the second part of my favourite beauty products, I'm focusing on a few items that I loved using for my eye makeup in 2010. I don't mention too many different products but the ones that I do mention I used almost every day and I still do!

1) Mascara
I've done a blog post on my favourite mascara's before and I mentioned Benefit's BADgal Lash Mascara. It was hard to choose only one favourite but I've decided that I used this product the most in 2010. I used to only like smaller wands but this one is huge! It really does make your lashes look a lot more volumized and I find that my eyes look brighter altogether.

2) Eye Liner
I'll be honest, but I only started using this eyeliner in November of last year so I can't really say that I used it for all of 2010... BUT L'oreal's Telescopic Liner is the best liquid eye liner I have ever used. It's waterproof so it doesn't smudge at all and stays put all day. This is a drug store product so it's inexpensive but still really good quality. I get compliments every time I use it!

3) Eyeshadow
I don't usually experiment too much with different eyeshadows. When I find a colour I like, I tend to use it over and over again. This makes it hard to say which eyeshadow was my favourite for 2010 but I think the ones I used the most were by Urban Decay. My favourite colours were Sin and Sidecar. I love how shimmery they are and how the pigment shows on my skin. The single eyeshadows can become expensive when you buy more than one so I would highly recommend trying one of their palettes. My favourite is their Naked palette because it has neutral colours that can look good on absolutely any skin tone. 

Bliss Super Minty Soap'n Scrub

For Christmas my mom got me this body exfoliator by Bliss that she put in my stocking. I've never tried any other Bliss products but I decided to do a review on this one. I have really dry skin on my arms and legs but I find that when I exfoliate and then moisturize it makes a huge difference.

The first time I used this product I was actually so surprised. This exfoliator smells like mint, but when I say mint I want you to think of the strongest peppermint smell you can possibly think of. IT'S SO STRONG. I guess I should warn anyone who doesn't like mint scents to never buy this... 

Anyways, I tried it and exfoliated everything. I guess I used too much or left it on for a long time because when I washed it off I got such an extreme chill and it felt so weird. It felt the same as when you step out of a hot tub into cold weather.... I feel like that doesn't make sense but that's exactly what I thought of. 

When I got out of the shower I moisturized and I instantly noticed how much softer my skin felt. I get small bumps on the back of my arms from how dry they are but they were almost completely gone. I would recommend this exfoliator but only if you like the smell of peppermint. Personally, I like the feel of the warm water and the cool mint on my skin. In terms of the actual exfoliating it works just as well as any other product I have used! If you've tried it before you probably know what I'm saying, but if not I probably sound ridiculous.... 

Michael Kors Purse cont'd

Get ready for me to vent my frustration!

Today I went to the mall after school today because I finally made the decision to commit to the MK purse since it was on sale after all. Anyways, I go into the store and I see my bag right away. I go up to it, stroke the leather, put it on, then I look for the price tag. I couldn't find it in the bag so I asked the sales lady. She tells me it's $550. PARDON? I calmly tell her that I looked at it about two weeks ago and it was on sale. "That bag was never on sale." Now I'm getting annoyed. I had specifically asked another sales woman who told me it was $399 when I was in the store last. I clarified this with her and she apologized and said that it was always this price. The other saleswoman was probably incorrect but I wish I had just bought the bag then (hoping she wouldn't have noticed) instead of waiting until now.

My dreams of having this lovely purse were torn apart in an instant. Personally, $150 is too big of a difference so I think I'm going to wait a little bit longer until I either a) find another purse or b) win the lottery.

New Years Resolutions

This is super late and delayed and it probably looks really random but I figured it's better to do it now than not to do it at all. Here's a quick post about what I want to accomplish in this next year. Let's make 2011 the best year of our lives!

1) Stop losing things
 - aka be more organized with my stuff... I think I say this every year though

2) Exercise
 - this isn't to lose weight but just because I want to feel strong! I've already started working out with a personal trainer and doing a boxing class once a week!

3) Be more patient

 - I tend to get angry quickly with my younger sister...

4) Go to bed earlier
 - I was recently diagnosed with "chronic sleep deprivation" and my doctor said I need to get ten and a half hours of sleep a night!

5) Don't be quick to judge
 - I know this is horrible but sometimes I feel like I know people right away and don't really take the time to get to know them... I really want to change this about myself

These were my 5 basic goals for the new year! What are your new year's resolutions?

Favourite Beauty Products of 2010 (Part 1)

Today I saw juicystar07's youtube video about her favourite products from the past year which gave me the idea to write about my own. I thought that this might be an extremely long post (similar to my "About Me" post) so I'm going to do it in several different sections with this one starting with the products I use for my face.

1) Facial Moisturizer
I'm a huge fan of Aveeno's products and I've tried almost all of their facial moisturizers. My favourite out of all of them would be the Positively Radiant daily moisturizer with SPF 15. I really like the texture of the actual cream and it does make my face feel smooth and it evens out my skin tone. Also, it's really important to use a moisturizer that has SPF in it because wearing sunscreen every day can make your skin look completely different by the time you're 30.

2) Concealer 
I've used Cargo's OneBase concealer ever since I started wearing makeup. I use it almost every day under my eyes, around my nose, and on any other blemish areas. It's really useful if I don't feel like putting on a full face of tinted moisturizer or foundation. This product stays on all day and blends perfectly with my skin.

3) Tinted Moisturizer 
The tinted moisturizer I used the most in the past year would have to be Smashbox's Sheer Focus. I know I've mentioned this product before but it was my favourite of 2010. I tend to have oily skin but this product helps reduce the shine and keeps my face looking smooth. I wear the "luminous" shade (the lightest one...) and I find it's lightweight but also provides just enough coverage.

4) Pressed Powder
I received Cargo's blu_ray Pressed Powder a gift a couple months ago and it's something that I've used almost every day since. It's a product that I put on after I've used concealer or tinted moisturizer/foundation. I find that it evens and blends everything together to make your skin look flawless.

5) Blush

I am obsessed with Nars blushes. My favourites are Deep Throat, Sex Appeal, and Angelika. I love how pigmented these products are and how the seem to look good on everyone! I use Deep Throat the most because I love the peachy colour on my skin tone. I'm sure many of you have tried these blushes but if not they are a must have to any makeup collection!

People's Choice Awards

I'm sure many of you either heard about or watched the PCA's that were on last night and I hope you agree when I say that so many celebs looks amazing last night! In my opinion the awards show isn't the most entertaining but I like seeing who wore what and how they looked :)

I somehow saw this photo of the Kardashian sisters and I was in love with how good they all looked. Kourtney wore a Gert-Johan Coetzee dress and had bouncy waves with a side part. I loved her sparkling earrings that looked like fireworks! Khloe wore a stunning full length gown by Alexander McQueen and had relaxed auburn hair. Out of all the girls, her dress was my favourite. It was relatively simple but at the same time, elegant. Kim had to be my favourite look of the entire night. She had a glamourous updo and wore a Malandrino dress. She's already stunning to begin with, but I loved how her makeup was done! The eyes were dramatic but not too harsh, her skin glowed with some rosy blush, and it was finished off with the perfect pale lip. Kim was the winner for me!!

So I can't write a post about the show without mentioning Zac Efron. Call me typical and unoriginal but I thought he looked amazing last night! Zac stepped out with his buzzed head in a very dapper Burberry suit and best of all, his face was clean and shaven! Definitely approve of this look for Mr Efron.

About Me

I was doing a quick scan over my blog the other day and I noticed that I've never actually said a lot about myself and what I'm interested in. At first I thought, "no one cares who's writing the blog, it's the actual posts that matter." Than I thought that I could be wrong... Maybe people are interested in who I am how that would affect my personal opinion on things. Anyways, if this is not interesting to you at all, I completely understand and give you full permission to just ignore this whole thing. The purpose of it is to make this blog seem more personable and hopefully you will be able to relate more to me.

Okay so enough of my rambling.... let's move on.

First off, I'm a teenager in high school that lives in Toronto and is passionate about clothes, makeup, shoes, jewelry and everything else that's related. For almost all of my life my style has been sophisticated and classic. I am sometimes reminded that I am a teenager and I don't need to dress older than I am so I should try to take more risks.

I would say people would describe me as being sarcastic, spontaneous, and a perfectionist. I always make stupid jokes that no one thinks are funny... except for me of course. I love the thrill of spontaneity and the sense of excitement from adventure. I would say I'm a perfectionist because I'm always trying to impress. I'm always asking for suggestions and I worry about being perfect. This is something that I'm trying to work on, especially in the new year. I'm trying to focus on doing my personal best instead of being the best overall.

Something that's really important to me is traveling. This is how I fulfill my sense of adventure and my desire to discover. I believe that school will only get you so far, and even though it's important, the best way to learn is by seeing different parts of the world. This past summer I was lucky enough to go to Africa on a service trip. I came back a completely different person with such an appreciation for life. A dream of mine is someday to go to Thailand and work at an elephant reserve... Random, I know.

My background is really strange. My mom was born in Egypt which makes me half Egyptian and my dad is this crazy European mutt. It's hard to know really where he comes from but we're guessing the majority of it is Spanish, British, and Danish. So my Ethnicity would have to be half Egyptian and half "confused." Even though I have middle eastern blood, you would never guess by looking at me. I have blonde curly hair, blue eyes and relatively pale skin. I wish I had the gorgeous darker olive skin tone that most Egyptians have but nope, I look purely white.

If someone were to ask me what my biggest obsession were to be, I would have to say makeup. Anyone who knows me, knows I would choose makeup over food. This probably sounds like I'm a makeup freak and I don't leave the house without makeup... That's not the case. I see makeup as more of an art form and a way of expression which is always inspiring to me. I'm amazed with the new products that are coming out by different companies and I want to try them all! I also love comparing different brands and finding the absolute best fit for me.

In terms of my future? My biggest dream would be to start my own makeup company from the ground up. I love the business and creative aspect of it. I'm somewhat afraid because I know being an entrepreneur is extremely risky and I know it's a lot of work but it's something that my heart is set upon. Although this is something I am determined to do, my heart is always changing and who knows where I'll be in ten years.

The reason I decided to start this blog is to share my point of view and learn along the way. I'm always open to change so I'm sure it will always be transforming. I know I've said this before, but I love talking to people and hearing their opinion so please let me know what you think! I will always be open to suggestions.

Hopefully I answered some of your questions and you get a sense of who I am. If this was terribly boring, I sincerely apologize :)

xoxo,

Nicole

P.S. This post looks like an essay! I'm so sorry for all the writing!

What I'm Loving... Moroccan Oil

I haven't mentioned this before but I have really curly, blonde hair. I tend to be really lazy so I only flat iron it every couple weeks. In the summer a bunch of my friends told me they were loving all of the Moroccan Oil products. I went out and bought the oil treatment, the curl control cream, and the repair conditioner. I had a lot of fun testing out all of the products but I was amazed to discover how good it smells... If any of you have tried their stuff you will know what I mean.

For the oil treatment I have to say, I'm not a huge fan. I feel like it makes my hair feel too oily but I think it's because I have relatively thin hair. This would be a good products if you have thicker hair and wanted to make your hair shiny.

The curl control cream is amazing!! I put it in when my hair is damp and it helps to tame the curl so I don't have pieces going everywhere. It's a thicker cream and again it smells delicious! The only negative comment would be that I dropped it and the pump broke so it makes it difficult to get the cream out of the bottle. The bottle is quite large so it lasts you a really long time.

This conditioner is the best I have tried out of every brand. I noticed after the first wash that my hair felt so much silkier and stronger. My mom tried it too (she has much thicker hair than me) and she can't stop using it either! As you can tell I highly recommend this conditioner and it's probably my favourite product from Moroccan Oil.

Michael Kors Handbag

I wrote a post previously about the Marc by Marc Jacobs Q Hillier Hobo that I was lusting after but it turns out I was wrong. Soon after I visited a department store and saw a different bag by the same designer. I fell in love with the Francesca handbag by Marc by Marc Jacobs. The downside? This handbag is almost $150 more expensive than the other one. I knew there was no way I could spend that much on a purse so I soon put both of the bags out of my mind. 

Recently I was in a Michael Kors getting my watch sized. While my mom and I were waiting we looked at the purses and I noticed a new bag. It's the Uptown Astor Tote in Lapis (the picture below is the purse in black)... of course it was for sale! It was $100 cheaper than it's original price. 

Now I'm debating!!! Should I save for Marc Jacobs? Or just buy the Michael Kors bag now?

HELP!

Thoughts On... Lady GaGa

Lady Gaga is definitely one of the most powerful and influential people that exist at the moment. She's not afraid to express herself and stand up for what she believes in. Many people are intrigued with her creativity but many also criticize her for some of her more risque statements. 

I personally have nothing but respect for her. If I could think of one person who is the definition of breaking the mold, it would be Lady Gaga. Can we just talk about her style choices? My favourite look of hers would be the Alexander Mcqueen gown she wore at the 2010 VMA's. Of course I am also obsessed with her adorable signature hair bow! Her style is the true meaning of originality. She makes taking risks her career, which is something I find inspiring. Whether it be her makeup, hair, clothing, or music, no one does it better than her.

 One of her risk taking looks include the famous meat dress she also wore to the VMA's that year. Honestly, this was something I wasn't a fan of. The meaning of the dress was Gaga's attempt to express that she is not a piece of meat. Although I thought it was an interesting message to convey, I didn't think the best way to do that was covering your body dead animal meat. 

At the end of the day, everything Lady Gaga does is fascinating and only leaves you wanting more. She has nailed down the fine art of entertaining and I can't wait to see what she has for us next!

What I'm Loving... HauteLook

Hello everyone! I feel like I haven't blogged in forever! I've been out of town for a couple of days so I've definitely been slacking on new posts... 

I'm writing today to mention a website that I've recently become obsessed with. It's called hautelook.com and it's amazing. 

This website lets you shop with discounts of 50 to 70 percent off brand names. These sales last 48 hours but they have new sales almost every day! All you have to do is sign up for a free membership and the website will send you emails on future sales. 

If you've heard of giltgroupe.com it's very similar except for hautelook.com also ships to Canada! Both websites are really good but I tend to shop from HauteLook since I live in Canada...

So check it out and let me know if you have any luck! 

New Year!

Happy new year to all! I can't wait to see what 2011 brings us!!

Since it's the new year I've decided to make some changes and I added new ways for you guys to get in touch with me

new name of the blog: it's now "My Fashion Fix" instead of "My Style, My Life"

new tumblr link: myfashionfix101.tumblr.com

new email: fashionfix@live.ca

new twitter: http://twitter.com/myfashionfix101

I would love it if you guys could give me feedback on everything so feel free to tweet me, send me an email, or ask me a question on tumblr!

xoxo,
Nicole