A Little Bit About Me.....................

I was just looking over some of my past posts, when I came across a post I did about answering a few questions about myself. It's been almost two years since that post, so I decided to answer the questions again - I hope that you enjoy this little break from my makeup posts and I hope that it gives you a better glimpse into who I am as a person!!!! Ok - Here it goes..................................... 1. What time did you get up this morning? 5:15 am - yes, I'm a morning person. I love my morning routine and taking my time to get ready. I know 5:15 sounds crazy early, but it works for me! 2. How do you like your steak? When it comes to steak, 'Medium' although I like Medium-Rare on ocassion. Steak is a 'treat' for me - I prefer eating fish and chicken (in moderation). 3. What was the last film you saw at the movies? Big Eyes - starting Amy Adams 4. What is your favorite TV show? Vikings - although I also like Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Yolanda is my favourite Character - I love her European Flair) 5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? This is a tough one, I'd love to live in Paris, but in all honestly, I'd love to really live on a rustic farm or in the mountains, eating everything organic, waking up to fresh air, living a very simple and natural life. It sounds so surreal and almost escapist, but I'd love to live on a Montana Farm or live on a Tuscan Farm 6. What did you have for breakfast? Starbucks Soy Chai Latte and a Croissant (not the healthiest breakfast I know) 7. What is your favorite type of food (i.e. cuisine)? Rustic-Orangic Cooking - I love rustic pasta dishes or organic meat/seafood dishes. Lately, I've been craving Shrimp, lots of chopped veggie salads. I love Italian and French cookings, but I'd love to learn to make Spanish Tapas too. I have many vegan friends too and I love many vegan dishes, esp the soups and organic salads! 8. What foods do you dislike? I dislike fake, cardboard taking foods. Going to Paris made me a bit of a food snob - so anything less than 'awesome food' just doesn't cut it for me! 9. Favorite place to eat? I love French Bistro's and Authentic Italian Rustic Restaurants. Currently, I'm loving Merlot restaurant in Toronto. Also, I love trying new vegetarian places too, 'Live' in Toronto is one of my faovurite places! I love their soups. When I'm pressed for time, Panera breads is great - I love the rustic inspired sandwiches, soups and pastas!!! 11. What’s your favourite car? I'd have to say that even after many years, Jaguars are still uber classy for me! 12. What are your favorite clothes? Something that is Classy yet Chic - for everyday, I like clothes that have a preppy edge, yet still chic. For evening, I like a little bohemian flair. I would say, I love 3/4 shirts, cardigan sweaters, scarves, scarves and More Scarves. I like basic, simple clothes amped up with simply, preppy and chic accesssories! 13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? I'd visit a remote area of China or Tibet. I've also found the landscape beautiful there. I love the idea of visiting a small village vs a huge city! I feel that you learn more about life talking to locals in remote, rustic villages! 14. Is your cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? ALways 1/2 full 15. Where would you want to retire? I'd love to retire to a small cottage type home somewhere in the mountains, maybe in British Columbia or Montana somewhere! I love the idea of a simple. yet very happy, fulfilling life! 16. Favorite time of day? Morning - I've very much a morning person!!! 17. Where were you born? Toronto, Ontario, Canada 18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Soccer and Hockey 19. Are you a morning person or a night person? Morning - 110% 20. Do you have any pets? Yes, I'm completely in love with my beautiful cat Duchess - I love her to bits! She is so smart, affectionate and such a great companion on days when I'm all alone! 21. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Yes I have exciting news, but no, I'm not ready to share it - I will as soon as I'm able!!! All is well!!! 22. What did you want to be when you were little? I've always wanted to be creative, be it an artist, author or 'cowboy' lol, yes, at one point I've wanted to be a cowboy!!! :) 23. What is your best childhood memory? Spending time at my grandparents house, esp when I would stay over for a weekend - I loved watching classic movies with my grandmother, watch her cook and listen to her stories. I love and miss my grandmother very much!!! 24. Are you a cat or dog person? Definitely a Cat person!!! I like dogs too, but cats speak my language lol 25. Do you ever want to get married? It depends - I've honestly very happy right now in my life. If the right person comes along, then for sure, but I'm actually having the time of my life being single right now. I'd rather see life evolve as a journey! 26. Any pet peeves? Of course, I wouldn't be human if I didn't have a pet peeve - my pet peeve is ignorance and seeing someone bully another person - we need to stop putting others down in order to raise our own self esteem. 27. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Olives, garlic and feta cheese! 28. Favorite Flower? Roses - classic, yet eternally beautiful! 29. Favorite ice cream? Strawberry or Mocha 30. Favorite fast food restaurant? Subway! 31. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Probably Holt Renfrew 32. Do anything spontaneous lately? Yes, I acted on an impulse based on my intuition and it worked out to my advantage!!! Sometimes acting on spontanety is listen to God's wisdom combined with being open to your intuition! 33. Like your school/job? Currently yes - But I feel change is good too!!! 34. What was your last vacation? Chicago 35. Last person you went out to dinner with? My friend Amy (tonight) 36. What music are you listening to right now? 70's - I love my XM radio and Stingray 70's music chanel - my faovurite is 70's folk! 37. What is your favorite color? GREEN 38. What are your favourite hobbies? Painting, writing, cooking, working with clay and other artistic mediums and Makeup of course! 39. Coffee or tea drinker or other? I love teas - Pu'erh, Oolong, white/green tea and herbal tea!!!

Fully Embrace Your Colour Palette!!!

Fully embracing a colour palette and stepping into a season is different than just experiementing with different seasons. There is a certain level of commitment that comes with fully embracing a new look persona. In welcoming back the warm/true autumn palette, I decided that I wanted to celebrate this new 'colour commitment' with a hair colour change. My hair has always had a subtle warm/slightly golden undertone, but I wanted to step into the copper/copper-blonde and uber-warm brunette shades. The stylist I went to see had such a great eye for colour and she literally read my mind. She knew I wanted something warm, rich, but leaning towards the copper family. She and I discussed a new base and we went with a medium toned copper-brown base. The highlights she did were in the copper-blonde family and she mentioned that they would morph into a warm pure light copper shade. The photo here is day after I got the colour done, so the highlights appear slightly lighter then how they will eventually look. I can't help but ask myself why I waited so long to do this? Embracing the wamrth of my palette and truly bringing it to every aspect of my style persona has been the missing peice of the puzzle. WHen all the emelents come together in colour harmony/unity, you really get to see the full effect of colour analysis. Its about wearing your colours in your clothes and accessories choices, finding a harmonious makeup look in your colours and embracing a hair cut/style and colour that brings everything together. Adding elements of personal style to your colour persona helps this harmony fuse together so perfectly. If you know your colour season and already have some clothes/accessories/makeup put together, don't stop there - embrace a hair colour that will compliment your palette, literally bring your palette to life head to toe - you will see the effects of truly embracing your season!!!

Chanel Captivante Lipstick - A Lost Treasure!!!!

Today started off being a very interesting day - Toronto was in the midst of a snowstorm - the schools in my area were closed and being that I'm a teacher, I got a 'snow day' :) - It was the perfect morning and afternoon - I made pancakes, stayed in my pyjamas all day - watched a marathon of movies! I also went though my makeup case and rediscovered some shades I had forgotten I even had. One of these shades was Chanel Captivante. It was a lipstick I wore to one event, then it somehow got 'lost' in the jumble of my other lipsticks. When I took a close look at the shade, it 'wowed' me - its honestly the most perfect rose-copper-neutral shade. It's quite a stunning shade to say the least. Upon further examination, it seemed to harmonize with my other makeup shades - I realized, Captivante was held 'Captive' Wayyyy too long!!! This lipstick is going to be worn - its getting its 'get out of jail free' card! I actually really look forward to building a few more looks around this shade. In this photo (I'll call it my 'snowed in' look) - I used a mix of MAC shadows: soba and amber lights on the lid into the crease, Marcelle dark brown liner smudged with MAC saddle and black-brown mascara. I used a blend of MAC Gingerly blush and Chanel 'Candy' (another stunning shade I rediscovered)! I finished off the look with Captivante!!! Sometimes you need a snowday to remind you of the jewels that are hidden - the diamond in the ruff!!! I'm almost starting to think that there is something very metaphorical and symbolic about this find!!! :)

The STRUGGLE for a Season.........................

Finding my best colour season, playing around with makeup and discovering which colours work the best for me has always been a life-long mission from the first time I ever discovered 'makeup'. For me, its been about a process of discovery, learning something new about myself every time I find a colour works. I've also been on a quest to find a signature look - something that is unique to me. In the process of trying to put myself in a category or find one ultimate look, I've found time and time again that I just don't fit into a tiny labelled box. I've noticed that my journey through this blog has been interesting and I'm sure to some 'Anonymous' people (who don't understand the process of self-discovery), my posts of re-evaluating my season/look/style can seem confusing, even annoying. However, one thing that I know for sure, this process, or this 'Struggle' to keep searching, isn't a struggle at all - its more of an unveiling or un-layering of all the things that no longer work. Each time I discover or re-discover or continue to discover something for the first, second, third or even fourth time - it's just another moment that I confirm the truth of my journey. Confirmation of where I am along my personal colour/life journey is not an ultimate truth - its an evolution. I've tested and experiemented with almost every single season. I've claimed various seasons as my home season (possibly even more than once or twice). I've concluded at this point that Autumn has and always will be my best season and True Autumn is my current home. I'm sure that as I continue to learn about my colours more and more, my journey will evolve yet again. And at some point, I'll yearn to wear an off-season colour and that's okay too - I think that we struggle to fit in because we never really 'fit in' - we like to put ourselves into a category - because it does give us a sense of belonging to the 'tribe' - in this case, I'm an Autumn Tribesman, hunting and gathering for my season. However, every heroes journey is about 'leaving' the tribe, going on a quest and finally returning to the tribe with more wisdom and strength. My critics will say that I 'struggle for an identity' - I actually laugh at this type of commentary because its not about 'identity' for me - its about 'Discovery' - its about the journey, not the destination. For every person out there that's 'struggling for a season' or trying to find their best colours, keep searching, enjoy the process, love the journey - its such a beautiful journey because with every experiement gone wrong, you've actually done something that will move you to a more beautiful road in your journey. Everytime you hear a critic, ask yourself - whose journey is this? whose opinion really matters? Its YOUR personal colour journey, so embrace it and love it no matter what road you're currently taking - remember in the end, you'll return to your true tribe with more widsom than you ever thought possible!!! Embrace YOUR own personal self-discovery journey!!! Each and every step is precious!!!

Smashbox Cognac Lipgloss

The best weekends for me are the ones that are casual, carefree and relaxing. I look forward to running my routine errands, then coming home to make a nice dinner and watch a feel good movie. I find that during the weekend, I prefer to wear a low-key look - something still polished, but no-fuss. I've never been much of a gloss girl, but I do like the idea of just swiping on a colour that is sheer. I think that I was turned off of glosses years ago when they were all super-sticky. I'm finding that the glosses today are much more luxurious, sheer and go on smooth. I can get used to these types of glosses. My most recent gloss purchase was from Smashbox - I loved the name and look of the colour 'Cognac'. It feels great on the lips and I love the warm brown shade for my autumn colouring! For my 'weekend casual' look, I paired this gloss with brownish-rust neutral eye look and a sheer application of my favourite blush - Gingerly by MAC. For the eye makeup I used a mix of Soba and Saddle on the lid into the crease, Urban Decay Bourbon liner (smudged with MAC Saddle) and a touch of Saddle on my brows as well. I finished off the look with a black-brown mascara from Loreal! I look forward to discovering some new gloss shades and playing around with various glosses. I'm still a lipstick girl at heart, but for those lazy weekends, a nice gloss is the perfect companion!!! :)