Collective Winter Fashion Haul! (H&M, River Island, Monsoon, Zara, etc)

     I have collected a lottt of clothes between Christmas, going to Ireland and some gift card purchases I made when I got back. This is just a peak at what I got, as it would take entirely too long to take pictures and to post all of them. If I ever get into YouTube I will do more thorough hauls, but for now, I hope you enjoy the photos!

This is the Blue Stripe Panel Slouchy V Neck Jumper from River Island, which  has quickly become one of my new favourite sweaters. I got this while I was in Ireland, and I believe it was €46.00 (about $67.00). Definitely not the cheapest, but the material's really nice and warm. This is a high low sweater, which I always prefer to the standard style.

This long woolly cardigan was purchased at the Blarney Woollen Mills, which is also in Ireland. I received a gift certificate from my boyfriend's parents for Christmas, and I'm so glad I did as I wouldn't have thought to go to this store on my own. They actually ship worldwide and have a flat rate shipping price of $15, so go check out their website! This is an all Irish store based in Cork, and they sell some really amazing things. This gorgeous cardigan was on sale for €39.00 ($58). The quality is fantastic and the wool is surprisingly not itchy at all.

I purchased this long sleeved light sweater from Penney's, which is one of my new favourite stores price-wise in Ireland! I didn't own anything this colour, so it's really nice to have in my wardrobe now. I also love the leather trim! I believe this was €12.00 (about $18), so not a bad deal.

Onto the floral! Although none of these patterns compliment each other, I figured I'd just put them all in one photo. These are all beautiful individually. On the left is the floral blouse I got from Monsoon, which is a really nice store that is attached to Accessorize in Ireland. This blouse is so pretty, and really good quality. It was on sale for about  €35.00 ($52). The quality of the Floral Print Shirt With Pocket on the right is unfortunately not as good, but I absolutely love it. This was originally $39.90 but is now on sale for $25.99 on Zara's website. I love the Printed Stretch Trousers in the middle as well, but again I was disappointed with the quality. Zara needs to step up their game lately when it comes to quality. These were originally $25.90 but are now on sale for $15.99.

I bought this Superman Over-Sized Top because I wanted to change up my style a bit, and because it gave me some much needed courage when I put it on! Excuse the wrinkles, as I had just taken it out of the bag. This was $17.95 from H&M. Another reason I love this t-shirt is because it's more narrow at the bottom, so it doesn't just hang on you. 

Here's an Instagram of a sweatshirt that I purchased at H&M at the same time. This is again a little different for me, but it was super cozy and on sale for $7! Seeing as it was originally $39, this was a really good deal. It's loose, comfy and has little slits at the sides.

This is another (cheetah or leopard print?) sweatshirt that I got for Christmas, and I believe it was purchased at Target. It's by the brand Merona, and it's really nice quality and super soft. I can't find it on the Target website anymore, but they do have other Merona items on there, which I would recommend as a super affordable and really nicely made brand. 

This is such a cute hat! I haven't worn it yet but I definitely intend to. This koala hat was a Christmas gift, and I believe it is from Urban Outfitters. It's so cute and soft, I think I can definitely find a way to pull it off.

Last but not least, the C'est La Vie Sweatshirt from Urban Outfitters! I got this as a Christmas gift as well, but it retails for $39.00. This sweatshirt is extremely soft and cozy on the inside, and I love the floral print with the black. 

And that is all I will show you for now! I may make a separate post purely for accessories, as I did not include the majority of my new accessories in this haul. However, I will definitely not be making any more fashion purchases in the near future!

xx

Irish Beauty/Skin Care/Hair Care Haul!

              As most of you know, I recently returned from my 10 day vacation in Ireland and it was absolutely amazing! The shopping there is quite different than in Canada in some ways, including the selection of beauty, skin and hair products. Some brands are significantly cheaper than in Canada, and some are more expensive. Here is what I picked up while I was there!

Ooh La La Paris Makeup Bag: I have come to LOVE Penney's (or Primark) for affordable, inexpensive shopping! Ir reminds me of Forever 21, but with better deals in my opinion. Primark is actually an Irish retail chain, but has hundreds of locations all over Europe. This bag is the perfect travel bag for your toiletries and/or makeup, as it fits a ridiculous amount of products inside. I actually only paid €4.00 for this bag, which works out to just under $6.00. 

Soap and Glory's The Greatest Scrub of All: Soap and Glory is considerably cheaper in Ireland than in Canada! I would say it's about half the price, if not more. I bought this in Boots, which is by far my favourite drug store over any in Canada. They constantly have offers such as buy 2 get one free (or 3 for 2). Although this scrub can feel a little drying (it does have salicylic acid in it) it works really well, and leaves your face smooth and clear. It can be used for any skin type, as it works for dry patches and for acne. I paid €7.00 for this, which works out to just over $10.00!

Lee Stafford Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past a Certain Length: I have heard so many good things about this treatment, and having never seen it anywhere in Canada, I picked it up in Boots as soon as I saw it. Since I've only used it twice, I can't say if it's helping my hair grow, but it makes your hair feel absolutely amazing. This is a between shampoo and conditioner product, so you leave it on for a minimum of 5 minutes after you've shampooed your hair, and then follow up with a conditioner. This is not a cheap product as it worked out to about $20.00, but I believe it was worth it.

Bourjois Liner Pinceau Eyeliner: I am.....so disappointed with this eyeliner. I thought it was amazing when I first put it on, as it was super intense, shiny, and didn't budge. However, this first time I did notice a bit of a burning sensation, but I ignored it. I used it the next day and experienced the same burning sensation, but it went away after it dried. The next day when I woke up, my eyes were very swollen and sore where I applied the eyeliner, so I had to stop using it right away. So bummed out! Here's an instagram shot of what one of my eyes looked like:

Excuse the eyebrows!

L'Oreal Super Liner Eyeliner Blackbuster: I bought this eyeliner even though it was more expensive in Ireland than it would have been in Canada. However, after my eyes started breaking out like that, I stuck with a brand that I have had more experience with in terms of eye products. Although this eyeliner doesn't blow me away, it doesn't budge and is easy to apply. Most importantly, I am not allergic to it!

Provoke A Touch of Silver Twice a Week Brightening Shampoo: I had high hopes for this product, and to be honest I don't think it does much of anything! It's a nice shampoo, but I wouldn't repurchase it.

Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day Cream SPF 15: Looking at this day cream, it hits all the marks: natural ingredients, sun protection, brightening, hydrating, not tested on animals, under $5.00. Unfortunately, this cream turned out to be a little too light for me right now, so I'll revisit it when it's not as cold outside!

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Daily Moisturizer: This turned out to be one of my favourite finds, and I just picked it up at random! I don't think this is available in Canada, so I'll have to order some when I run out. This cream really does perfect your skin. It's targeted towards women in their 20's and 30's, to combat any irregularities in your skin. It makes your skin feel extremely soft, and diminishes your pores significantly.

Trevor Sorbie Colour Enhance Oil: I've only used this once so far, so I can't say for sure if it enhances my colour. However, this product does help moisturize your hair and smells really nice! It's enriched with avocado and argan oil as well.

Kadus Professional Coil Up Curl Cream: My boyfriend's sister actually gave me this, and I love it! It makes my waves incredibly soft and helps define them. Having used this on both wet and dry hair, I definitely prefer it on dry. An all around great product though!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick: Last but not least, my new favourite lipsticks! These are both perfect colours for me, in 02 Beige Touch and 03 Peche Cosy. These are half the price in Ireland than they are in Canada, as I purchased each of these for just over $13.00. These lipsticks are incredibly moisturizing, shiny, and are unique, beautiful colours. They are meant to protect your lips for up to 10 hours as well, which is perfect for the winter months. These will definitely be my go to lipsticks throughout the winter season. 

That's it! Hope you enjoyed! xx

Mini Drugstore Haul: Skin Care and Lipstick

       Now that I've gotten my skin used to more expensive face wash, I've come to slightly dread the time where I'll need to buy one again! I have seen a big difference in my skin since I've invested a little bit more, so I'm not too willing to go back to the products I used to use. However, I decided to try a new face wash this time, and picked up a few other little things from Shoppers Drug Mart that I needed while I was there.

I decided to stop purchasing full face wipes, as they're not the greatest for your skin, so I chose these instead. These are the Quo Mini Eye Make-Up Remover Pads. I find that it works just fine if I take my eye makeup off with a remover pad or eye makeup remover lotion, and use a washcloth for the rest of my face before going in with my cleanser. Quo is a Canadian brand exclusive to Shopper's Drug Mart, and I generally like their products. These come with 30 in a pack for $5.00, so it wasn't a bad deal. Hopefully these don't sting my eyes, as I've been having quite a problem with that lately!

I didn't go with my usual Biotherm this time, and picked up the RoC Multi-Action Makeup Remover Milk instead. I have never tried this brand, and don't know much about it besides the fact that it originates in France. It has everything I'm looking for in a cleanser for the winter months. As much as I like Biotherm, it always made my skin feel tight afterwards, and I'd have to apply a heavy moisturizer. This 3 in 1 cleanser is meant to remove face and eye makeup, tones and refreshes your skin, and moisturizes your skin for 24 hours. I will likely do a review on this once I've tried it out a few times. It's for all skin types, which is fine for me right now. This cleanser was about $17.00, $2.00 less than my Biotherm one.

Possibly a little TMI coming your way, but I've been having some skin related issues lately. I really needed something that would cleanse as well as soothe and calm my skin. I was originally going to go for the Avene Thermal Spring Water, which I'd tried before and liked, but they didn't have any available in the smaller size. So, I picked up the 1.69 fl oz size of the Vichy Thermal Spa Water for about $7.50. People buy these products for all kinds of reasons, normally to spray on their face in the summer time. I decided to use this for other reasons, as the Vichy Thermal Spa Water has 15 rare minerals, is 100% natural and soothes and protects your skin. I used this when I got home, and right away experienced some relief. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is experiencing sore, irritated skin. 

Finally, I picked up Rimmel's Lasting Finish Lipstick in Airy Fairy. I actually wanted to try this colour, because it's the colour Anna Saccone Joly aka the Style Diet wears all the time, and it looks fantastic on her! This colour is so pretty when swatched, so I'm really looking forward to wearing it. It feels creamy and moisturizing, which I need right now, so let's hope it works out. I'm tired of searching for the perfect lipstick!

That's it for my little haul, hopefully some good reviews coming soon!

xx

Mini Drugstore Haul!

        It's official.....fall is here, and winter is creeping up right around the corner. And both my skin and hair know it. This is the time of year where the products I use during the spring and summer officially stop working, and I need to put them aside and double up on moisture. I've witnessed the first dry patches of the season on my face, and I am not happy. It was definitely time for a trip to the drugstore.

I've actually never tried any of these products before, and they range from somewhat high end to the very cheapest you can get. 

I am really looking forward to trying the Biosource Hydra-Mineral Cleanser Toning Mousse I purchased from Biotherm, because I've never tried a product like it. This one is for normal to combination skin and has 150 ml of product. It's supposed to have a 70 mineral complex and balances your skin with zinc. It says that it will tone without drying out your skin, and that within 7 days your skin will radiate with a healthy glow. I nearly bought the same cleanser in the pink tube instead, which is the dry skin version. However, the sales girl told me that even though I'm getting dry skin now, it doesn't mean I have a dry skin type, and should stick to the cleanser for combination skin. I hope she's right, as I really need hydration right now! It seems to come out almost like a light clay mask, which is interesting for a cleanser. It spreads smoothly and feels nice on the skin.

Next, I needed to pick up something heavier than my Neutrogena Natural's Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Moisturizer, as I'm currently not using any sort of a night cream. So instead of picking up the corresponding night cream, I chose the L'Oreal Paris Ideal Moisture Radiant Tone Day/Night Cream for all skin types. I'm a little concerned that this one may not be heavy enough for my skin right now. However, I decided to try it because it's meant to smooth the texture of your skin and reduce imperfections. Texture is something that I seem to have an issue with, especially on my forehead and around my nose where my pores are large. I also don't like the feeling of anything too heavy on my face, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to go for a full on night cream. So, we'll see if this works for me. I think I only like the smell of L'Oreal's face creams because they remind me of my mom. Otherwise, they don't do much for me! Anyway, it was on sale, so let's try it out and see if I like it!

There are SO many bloggers who go on and on about Wet and Wild, and how amazing it is for the price. There have actually been quite a few comparisons to brands like Urban Decay in terms of eyes shadows. I decided to just pick up a new top coat, so I got the Wet and Wild Wild Shine Clear Nail Protector for under $2.00. What I was most excited to see, was the collection that Wet and Wild created with Fergie, called Fergie Nail Colour. I've heard good things about it, so I chose the colour Gold Album. I've been wanting a gold nail polish for a while as I don't have any. Even though I love my Butter London, I don't necessarily think the more expensive the nail polish, the better it is. It would be great for me price-wise if I could get into these!

Lastly, I purchased Bed Head's Self Absorbed Mega Nutrient Conditioner. Lately I've only been buying products that are specifically for colour treated hair, but on the back it does mention that it's great for out of shape, chemically treated hair. My hair isn't as out of shape as it used to be, but it still definitely needs the extra hydration. It's meant to add body and shine, as well as work out tangles and feed dry ends. You can use this as a regular conditioner, or as a treatment that you leave on for about 3-5 minutes. I've only ever seen this conditioner in this size (250 ml) so hopefully a little goes a long way. It has a refreshing, citrus-like scent to it. I have high hopes for this product!

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT! xx

Collective Autumn Haul (Urban Outfitters, Zara, H&M, Value Village)

           Fall is definitely my favourite time to buy new clothes and accessories, mainly because I always seem to need them the most this time of year! Here is what I have picked up so far this season. Please excuse some of the wrinkles in the clothes, as a certain someone wanted to lie on my clothes as I was getting them ready! Thanks Kenya!

I would have to say that I buy the majority of my clothes from Urban Outfitters and Zara these days, but this season I've picked up items from Forever 21, the Gap, H&M and Value Village as well.

I purchased all of these items with the exception of the Animal Slipper Socks from Urban Outfitter's website. There is nothing here that I wouldn't recommend. The Sparkle & Fade Cross-Back Sweater in Burgundy is SO comfortable and warm for the fall, even with the open back. It's perfect for going to school, running errands and then snuggling up on the couch after a long day.

I LOVE these shoes! These are the Ecote Hidden Wedge High-Top Sneakers in taupe. I never thought I would want a pair of high tops, but these look amazing and are super comfortable. If you're used to constantly wearing flat shoes like I am, they can take a bit of getting used to, but your feet adjust quickly. Such a great buy and a great deal. Get them before they sell out! 

Other items featured here: BDG Cigarette High-Rise Jean in Grapeleaf, BDG Destroyed Slim Slouch Camp Jean, Deena & Ozzy Embroidered Animal iPad case.

The next few items I purchased were from Zara. I have never been unhappy with the quality of anything I've purchased at Zara. The Soft Bowling Bag in Black was the first bag I have ever bought from there, and it's working out fantastically as an everyday school bag. 

This super cute Short Sweatshirt with Zip at the Back in Print-1 is not so much for the colder days of autumn, but works well for days when the sun is out, or with a light jacket over top. 

I have 2 pairs of the Classic Skinny Jeans by Trafaluc, and they are my favourite fit out of any pants or jeans I own. They look great, are great quality and are a reasonable price. These are the burgundy ones here. Although I can't find them anywhere online, they should still be in stores. The only thing I don't like with these pants is that they tend to stretch a little too much in the waist band over time, so I always end up needing to wear a belt with them.

This Cheetah Jacquard Hoodie from the Gap is SO warm and cozy, the quality is unbelievable. When I first tried it on in store, I liked it a lot but wasn't willing to pay $70.00 for it. However, I went home that night and checked the website, and they were having a 30% off everything in their online store! I absolutely love it, and it will definitely last me a long time.

This vintage leather Cornell purse was my favourite find of the season, and cost me less than any other item! I paid $12.99 from Value Village for this purse, and it actually looks like one of the most expensive things I own. I was never a big thrift store buyer, but I have found some items that I absolutely love at Value Village that I wouldn't have been able to find anywhere else. I am absolutely in love with this bag, and it will definitely be carrying me through the fall and winter.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! xx