I was scrolling through Fidelity Denim’s fall 2012 lookbok and the solitary pair of coloured denim jumped out at me. The Vox are a mid rise skinny jean with ave a slick finish and are a gorgeous purple burgundy colour. image: fidelitydenim.com
I’ve been lucky with getting illustrations of myself made. At Textstyle’s 4th anniversary party, Toronto based illustration Wendy Ding sketched me unbeknownst to me. I’m wearing a Mara Hoffman dress from Rac Boutique and a Nine West handbag.
OPI is the collaboration kings in the nail world. I think OPI Man with a Golden Gun will be the very best. That’s right, OPI and James Bond. OPI is celebrating James Bond’s Golden Anniversary with this special polish and a whole collection based on Skyfall, the latest Bond movie due out this year. Man with a Golden Gun is a top coat that contains 18 karat gold and comes in a limited edition gold coloured bottle. It will be released in October and will retail for $37.50. I need to get my hands on this badly. image: OPI Facebook
I blogged about one of my latest nail polish interests, The Dickensian Volume by strangebeautiful. I ordered the set from the States and decided to share some photos of some of the colours. Jane Schub (strangebeautiful) has drawn inspiration from the dark side of Dickensian times. Referencing the Brothers Grimm, Dickens, Edward Gorey’s The Loathsome Couple and dark earth elements such as coal and shale. The moody and mysterious polishes come in ten metallic shades. The packaging for the Dickensian Volume is really pretty lovely. The forumla on the nail polish is thicker than most I use but it dries extremely smooth and perfect. I found the brush a bit difficult to work with. While I love the packaging to death but a shorter brush would be perfect for this polish. None of the polishes have names or numbers so it’s a bit hard to tell the difference from photos. Some of the blacks have hints of red, blue or green and there are a number of different shades of grey.
I rarely pay attention to new beauty ads but this one involves Janelle Monae. She’s now the latest Covergirl and has a huge advertising spread in the September issue of Vogue. “I believe it’s time that women truly owned their superpowers and used their beauty and strength to change the world around them,†said Monáe. “One of my core values is to help redefine what it means to be a strong and beautiful woman in the music and fashion worlds and to empower the wonderful things that make us unique. Becoming a COVERGIRL is truly an honor and a gift: it opens up a new platform for me to inspire women to feel stronger, braver and more beautiful inside and out.†“Ever since Janelle made her electrifying arrival on the music scene, she has captured our imaginations, stirred our souls, and made us all move our feet,†said Esi Eggleston Bracey, VP and General Manager, COVERGIRL Cosmetics. “Janelle is a true force of energy and a beautiful spirit who truly delights in her creative journey, …
Monica Smiley of Eighty Seventh ST. creates hand illustrated fashion inspired paper products. Monica is a Toronto based illustrator with a degree from Ryerson’s School of Fashion. eighty seventh ST is a chic brand of hand illustrated paper products with a high fashion edge. A whimsical collaboration of art and design, eighty seventh ST offers unique gift ideas from greeting cards, to art prints, and custom design projects that go beyond design borders. Our products are 100% designed and produced in Canada, and all products can be 100% recycled. In collaboration with eLuxe they produced the best event swag item ever: personalized, illustrated greeting cards. For every attendee to eLuxe’s open house there was a set of greeting cards with our own personal Monica Smiley illustration. Completely amazing!
Backpacks are such a huge trend right now and I’ve been overloaded with backpack pitches. Now I’m interested in backpacks. I have an MEC pack that’s very good but not stylish in any way. It’s also too big. I’m currently enjoying a Nella Bella backpack from the Fall Winter 2012 collection but I could use one a bit smaller. Baggu creates simple cotton handbags in vibrant colours. I love the simplicity of these packs and the colour schemes. The Duck Bags are really cute too. Baggu bags can be found at Magic Pony in Toronto and The Drake General Store. images: magic-pony.com
My friend Eric from Whistler always emails me the most adorable things. This video is an example.
Ever since reading Overdressed, I’ve been thinking about spending my money with a bit more caution when it comes to fashion. High on my priorities are well made, wearability and country of origin. I’ve decided that less is more and I want to stop those random H&M or Zara purchases and save for a couple of big ticket purchases a season. The fall, I want a Maryam Keyhani necklace. Maryam’s work is as stunningly beautiful as she is. I really feel like these necklaces portrays her aesthetic perfectly. And who doesn’t want a part of that. Maryam’s necklaces feature folded silks, structured metal and strands of pearls. Maryam Keyhani is available at Holt Renfrew in Toronto. images: torontolife.com
It’s not every day you have Olympic themed cocktails created just for you in cleared out bar. This terrific experience at Suits in the Trump Tower was thanks to Raj Nagra, Bombay Sapphire Master Mixologist. I filled out a questionnaire about my food tastes a week before the event and Raj came ready with three Olympic cocktails for me. He was so bang on with every drink, they were a delight. I’ve included the I want – I got x Bombay Sapphire Cocktails so you can try them at home. You want to, believe me. BRONZE – Macchiato Martini 1 part (30 mL) Bombay Sapphire 1 part (30 mL) Tia Maria 1 part (30 mL) Espresso Pinch Sichuan pepper Method: Shake with ice and fine strain Glass: Cocktail Garnish: Milk froth and nutmeg SILVER – Cucumber & Dill Smash 2 parts (60 mL) Bombay Sapphire 2/3 part (20 mL) Agave nectar 6 chunks Skinned cucumber 1 thumbnail Deseeded jalapeño 1 Large sprig of dill ½ Fresh lime Pinch salt Method: Muddle cucumber & agave nectar …
