Pink Vibrations // Lip Review

Back in early February I received a lot of comments on the bright pink lipstick I showed you (this post). Many of you were curious to see what the applied colour looked like in a closer up version; et voila - here it is! To make things a little more interesting I'll also do a short review of the new lip products I used in addition to the lip colour.

The 4 products I used

1. Bite Lip Exfoliant in Whipped Cherry - With beyond dry lips during the winter months I grudgingly figured I should put aside my lipstick collection until summer & stick with neutral glosses or stains. Either way I needed to inject a little lot more moisture, so after reading reviews on various lip exfoliants I decided to go with this one. I wasn't disappointed. It makes my lips softer than any other product I've previously tried. It's also naturally flavoured, with the perfect amount of sweetness; so it both smells & tastes delicious. Despite the small container size, you only need a tiny amount of this so it will go a long way. It was $21 CAD ($18 USD on website) at Sephora. Will definitely be repurchasing this product.

2. NYX Lip Liner (835 Pinky) - Not too much to say about this one; a simple drugstore brand in the closest colour to the lipstick. I've read that you should use a neutral lip liner regardless of the top lip colour you'll be using; but currently lacking such a shade, this is what I went with. Usually with lip liner I find the application tedious & the texture chalk-like, despite putting on lip balm beforehand. This time however, I was pretty much amazed at how easily it slid on after the lip exfoliant. Done in about 5 seconds. 

3. Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer - This stuff is magical. Seriously. Looks like a tube of lip gloss, works like extra-strength glue (though glides on very smoothly). It does exactly what it says it will (prevents feathering, fading, [& to an extent] transferring). In the past I've found wearing lipstick a bit of a nightmare, as it tends to bleed & become unattractively & unevenly faded, within 15 to 30 minutes. I've always felt extremely self-conscious about this happening & generally check my mirror every 5 minutes. Never will I feel that way again. This lip primer keeps it looking fresh & perfect hours later. It doesn't dry out your lips at all, although I did add a layer of lipgloss about 3 hours after application to reintroduce the shine. This little wonder costs $24 CAD at Sephora ($19 USD on website).

4. Elizabeth Arden lipstick (49 Pink Vibrations) - I bought this lipstick last Spring & it's still my favourite lip colour. I sometimes worry that bright colours like this don't suit me, but it's so much fun I wear it regardless. I also really adore Elizabeth Arden lipsticks in general, as they provide more moisture than many other lines I've tried; & are well pigmented for great punches of colour. Colours from this line, "Exceptional Lipstick", price at $25 CAD.

Floral blouse from Zara

And that is that! I'm currently on the lookout for the perfect orange & red lipsticks; which I'm sure you'll see in future posts. As for outfit posts - I was excited to get one done today with a photographer friend of mine, but alas the weather put a quick end to that. It's quite the snow storm here currently, so I'll just be staying cosy inside, catching up on the scary amount of blog posts that have piled up in my Bloglovin' (if I follow you, expect an overwhelming amount of comments on your past 2 weeks of posts; just a warning ;)

Have a lovely week! <3

Jennyfleur Loves on the East Coast

Presenting my first 'look of the day' shot here in Newfoundland! Despite the generally picturesque surroundings, it's unbelievably complicated to find a good place to take photos. Snowbanks which are storeys high block the view; the roads themselves are muddy. On top of that it's been swinging between -10 & - 26; needless to say I wasn't as picky with photos as I normally would be. Dear Mom was obliging enough to take these; she's just begun a photography course & seems enthusiastic to have me as her guinea pig ;) 

Now, more about the outfit! Recall this post from January, when I visited the fabulous Jennyfleur Loves boutique in Vancouver? Well the three lovely items I purchased that day are the basic components of this outfit (shorts, blouse, sunnies). Simple & comfortable, with a pop of polka dot print, & my favourite vibrant red shorts. The sunnies, albeit tortoise mismatching,  were absolutely necessary - the snow makes things incredibly bright & hard on the eyes. A pair of black Prada Baroque sunnies are definitely a must on my current 'wish list'. The bag is quite the oldie, a purchase from Calgary in 2006 (the perks of returning home to a second closet).

My mind is lusting for Spring & missing the warmth of Vancouver. Perhaps I subconsciously chose this outfit of primarily Vancouver-bought pieces? Either way, I shan't be on the East Coast for that much longer, so I'll make the best of it! I'll show you some gorgeous Newfoundland scenery in the next day of two, as soon as a get a chance to do some exploring around :)

I was wearing:

Red pleated shorts + belt - Dolce Vita (Jennyfleur Loves)
Cut-out shoulder polkadot blouse - Moon Collection (Jennyfleur Loves)
Number Six Round Sunnies - Karen Walker (Jennyfleur Loves)
Black Paloma Wedges - Dolce Vita
Collar Necklace - F21
Bag - Lammle's Western Wear (Calgary)

Spring Things

Floral pussybow blouse, Zara

In a winter world you have to get your Spring fix somewhere. For me, it's these lovely bright & pastel pieces, purchased on my last day in Vancouver.

A pastel yellow mini satchel, H&M 

Multi-colour statement necklace, Zara

Pastel purple trousers from H&M which I love to pieces! Skinny bottoms with zipper detail too :) 

And this straight-cut pocket detail which I adore as well!

There was another item bought with this set, a pretty cream & gold bangle from H&M. It's currently missing in action sadly. I figured it might simply be lost in the depths of my multiple suitcases, but I was rather disheartened after today's unpacking marathon. I've still a couple cases to go through, so fingers crossed it shows up. 

So those are my lovely new Spring items! Now my only challenge is to incorporate these pretty pastels & florals into a winter appropriate look which also keeps me warm. As long as the gorgeous sunshine continues to cooperate I'll be getting in a photo shoot tomorrow, so stay tuned :)

***One last camera-related note: Many of you have asked me about the camera I generally use. Prior to my last post (aka Vancouver time) all my photos have been taken with a Nikon D7000 (which I love to pieces). For the next couple of months I'll be borrowing my Mom's Canon Rebel T2i. Admittedly I'm a Nikon girl & I have a bit of an aversion to this new Canon; however I do have a tonne of lenses to play with, so it should be a great learning experience none the less! 

True Winter & Notions of 'Home'

First of all - my apologies for the terribly rushed last post! It was written at the airport so speedily that I instantly forgot what I wrote & worried over poor content & the possibility of grammar mistakes my entire flight. As far as I can tell I merely missed out on telling you half of what I wanted to, & used the word 'amazing' far too many times haha. 

But that was days ago. Today I'm settling in, unpacking things at a glacial pace & taking everything in. The snow, the familiar people & places, the prospect of this big change in general. Despite all efforts to stay positive, my second thoughts kicked in the minute I hit Toronto. The plane arrived in Newfoundland to a balmy - 24ºC.... how delightful! I've been in some state of freezing ever since, combating the cold with layering on as much clothing as possible (key example above). Kitten lita's unfortunately aren't the best of snow gear (key example below). Today was gorgeously sunny however, so my highly enthusiastic mom & I decided to drive about looking for photo op's. Unfortunately the roads were so bad & the snow banks so high that we didn't exactly get what we were looking for. Perhaps another day! 

I've been thinking a lot about the concept of 'home' recently. The city pictured above is the place I first called 'home' but I hesitate to apply that term to it now. It's been 5 years since I lived here permanently & 'home' has been between Nova Scotia, Ireland, & Vancouver; wherever I was living at the time. I've always considered myself a bit of a nomad & don't think I've found the perfect place quite yet. Maybe it doesn't even exist. The 'home' that's on my mind mostly is a quaint flat in London or Vienna. Hopefully it'll materialize sooner rather than later ;) 

For now I'm substituting the snow of NL for the rain of Vancouver; the winter scenery for the shopping; the basic foods for the organic ones. I'm missing the incredible people I left behind in Vancouver most of all. Hopefully I shall see them all again soon! Until then I'm taking comfort in a constantly filled fridge, my big cosy bed with fleece sheets, & a chauffeur + magically gas-refilling car ;) Last night I had a fabulous catch-up with an old friend over dinner & wine, & surprised my grandparents with a visit. Today I was treated to a dance performance by my favourite 3 year old & revelled in the adorable antics of my much-missed kitty. Things could be much worse! Tonight I intend to bake a delicious casserole, then curl up & watch the third season of Californication in bed. Hopefully tomorrow the jetlag will be over & I can get focused on my German coursework! I sense some serious productivity coming my way. After all what else is there to do on a glacial day?

Questioning my sanity for being outside in such cold! I layered my black military style coat with my faux fur vest (both from Zara) & paired it with my kitten lita's (my winter-worthy footwear being pretty limited... will definitely be investing in some new shoes asap!) & Karen Walker sunnies. Thick winter pants are also lacking in my wardrobe currently; so I settled on these ancient bellbottom pants. Hopefully this cold snap will end soon so I can brave the outside sans coat for photos!

Tomorrow I'll share my lovely new Spring purchases with you! 

Expect some serious contrast from the wintery photos above ;)

On Airports & Goodbyes

I'm writing to you lovelies from YVR Airport... boarding in about 15 minutes. I just wanted to quickly share a few photos with you of my last few days here in Vancouver.

Had a lovely last day with Kris yesterday. We shopped, we ate, we talked non-stop. I'll show you my new purchases as soon as I get things unpacked in NL (so excited about each new piece! Think Spring + Pastels ;) We stopped by Mucho Burrito on Davie to say goodbye to one of the nicest guys in the world (I frequent the place tri-weekly) & get one last amazing Shawna-approved burrito. And just when we thought the day was over, we ended up talking for 2 hours straight over tea. It was perfect :)

The amazing Kris! One of the nicest, most amazing girls I've ever been lucky enough to meet - I am going to miss you so much! And something I'm dying to mention: Kris actually just began her own fashion blog Back Alleys & Boulevards which I would love for you all to check out! :)

A delightful goodbye present from Kris - a bag of vegan chocolate goodies from Karmavore :)

Tea with Miss Sabrina! We completely lost track of time & talked non-stop for hours. You're amazing girl - can't wait to see you again!

The most amazing dessert ever. Vegan apple crisp with Tofulatti icecream on top. So good I went back two nights in a row for it.... I kid you not. 

And last but not least, a new clutch which just arrived from ASOS! It's cute & fun & I adore the colours. Excited to see what I can pair it with. Thoughts?

Okay, boarding has begun & I'm in a huge rush. Will post tomorrow when I've settled! Hope you're all having an amazing week & thank you for reading! :)