Binky's Made in Chelsea Lip

After watching an episode of "Made in Chelsea", I started to notice that all of the girls, or at least Binky and Millie, seemed to favour a very specific lip colour. And naturally I became obsessed :)

Thankfully, I have a very similar colour lipstick from Lancome, but it's not as close as I would like it to be. It doesn't look as natural.

So, thanks to Binky's video I found on Pinterest, I now know that she uses Stila's Stay All Day Lipstick in the colour "Dolce". I found a travel size of this product on ebay, and I'm hoping to have it in my hands sometime soon (if my bid wins).

Millie Mackintosh's guide to...Flawless Glowing Skin

Over the last year or so I have heard about the show called "Made in Chelsea", an English "reality" show that follows the lives of young men and women living in London's borough of Chelsea.

Naturally, loving all things England - especially their approach to style (no ice-cube sized engagement rings) - I finally decided that I needed to watch this show!

So I have seen one episode, but plan to continue because I was hooked! I love their accents, their clothes and just their lives in general! Four friends meeting on the Fulham Road in the middle of the day - how neat is that?!

Needless to say I have since tracked down some of the "stars" of the show, Binky and Millie (quintessential upper-class English names). Both shoot videos that instruct on the applying makeup and achieving certain looks.

One look that I love is Millie's skin. Here is the video to get her look:




Here are all of the products that Millie uses to achieve her glowing skin:

Here is the link to that specific page: http://www.feelunique.com/beauty-all-access/millie-mackintosh-flawless-glowing-skin/

Getting Active: Following in the Footsteps of Kate and Pippa

I have always been athletic, and I've always enjoyed playing certain sports and being outdoors being active. However, with my school days long behind me, it's harder finding athletic outlets.

I've been inspired by both Kate and Pippa recently, because they are both so keen to stay fit and they are naturally athletic. They also seem to enjoy being active out of doors as well
 - it's nothing forced and I appreciate and admire that.

In my pursuit of following in their footsteps I've both stepped up my activity level somewhat (trying to exercise regularly) and I've been eating a lot better. I'm happy to report I've even lost 5 pounds!

I was also able to get outdoors this summer and burn some calories while having fun at the same time. I went kayaking on the Humber River in Toronto with a friend of mine, and we had a blast! It was very tiring - we were out for a good 2 hours - but it was great to feel like I'd done some good hard work and had fun doing it! I want to experience that feeling again, and on a more regular basis. So my next goal is to find something relatively inexpensive to do on a semi-regular basis to keep me active and to have fun and possibly learn a new skill.

I'm thinking of tennis, badminton (my family plays the latter game, so this is probably my best bet), boxing, and rowing. Money will definitely be a deciding factor, as well as the location of the activity. I'll probably end up going with Badminton though, just because my Dad plays regularly, I have access to rackets and a facility that's relatively inexpensive. It seems as though I've just made up my mind... And although I have played badminton almost all of my life, I can hone the skill and get better.

Playing on a regular basis should also hopefully help me reach my goal of losing some more weight - a win, win situation if you ask me :)

Pippa for the Telegraph

Pippa Middleton is not writing for the Telegraph. I don't know how old this news is, but I just found out. Her articles will be published on the weekends and every few weeks.

Here is the article I read by her in the Telegraph, she writes about her new foray into the world of boxing: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/10307012/Pippa-Middleton-Boxing-is-a-pure-but-pleasing-agony.html

Read the Daily Mail's take on the article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2421575/Pippa-Middleton-reveals-boxing-helps-banish-bingo-wings-booze-blubber.html

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Attend The Tusk Foundation Gala

The moment has arrived! At long last we see Will and Kate out for an official event in London today, for the Tusk Foundation Gala.

First of all I would like to say that it seems that Kate has dyed her hair (finally) and gotten rid of that orangey colour she's had in it for a while. I supposed she could have stopped dying her hair in the months leading up the the birth of Prince George, and the colour started fading and got washed out - giving it that orangey cast. Kate's hair was looking particularly bad when we saw her last out in Wales, and even on her pit-stop this week at a McDonald's. I also hope that the pictures are doing her "new" colour justice, and that she really has embraced her natural darker hair colour. Sure she's always been brunette, but her natural colour is quite dark, and she kept it that way up until and for a while after the wedding. But since about the winter, her hair took on a much lighter tone - getting even lighter approaching the summer. So here's to hoping that Kate stays her natural dark brunette colour, and doesn't lighten it up again! :)

You can see Kate's dye growing out very well here. I love her natural colour, you can see it at her roots. 

Here is Kate's hair now. You can see where the new dye has covered the old colour I think...But lets hope she keeps her colour this dark. I much preferred her natural colour!

Now, onto Kate's dress! I have to say that I am underwhelmed. Kate didn't seem to glitter as much as she used to, despite wearing all of those sequins on her gown. She seemed a bit self-conscious, and maybe that came through just enough to diminish that natural radiance that she usually exudes. I suppose she could have been body-conscious. But I think she looks amazing! And I don't think keeping a bit more meat on her bones would do her any harm. I think it could only increase her popularity among the public who watch her.

All that to say, I really didn't love this dress. I liked it well enough from the front, but from the side and the back, not so much. I didn't think it did her justice. I think she could have worn something much more flattering. It almost made her seem, dare I say it, a bit dumpy from the side and rear view. And her chest didn't seem that well supported either. Which wouldn't help.

I also think that if she had kept her hair away from her face it would have made her look better too - we could have seen the angles of her face better. But perhaps, again, it was subconsciously like that to hide any insecurities that she might have been experiencing.

Read the full article in by the Daily Mail here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2418979/Kate-Middleton-Duchess-Cambridge-glitters-floor-length-silver-sequins-Jenny-Packham-attends-red-carpet-event-birth-Prince-George.html

Sharing a Closet with a Duchess (I Wish!)

I came across this picture of Kate and Pippa on Pinterest today,wearing the same Katherine Hooker coat. I've seen this photo before, but I had never closely examined it before. And I always assumed that Kate and Pippa just had the same coat.

However, on closer examination, I think that this coat must belong to one of the two girls, which one I'm not 100% sure - but my guess would be it's Kate's, because of how it fits her (where the hem hits her on the leg and where the pockets hit her waist). The picture below also shows that the coat has been altered, so it must have been altered for, Kate because of how it fits her most recently. Hopefully that all makes sense... :)

How neat to be able to share clothes with a Duchess! Lucky Pippa!

Operation "Tops": Success

Although I didn't get any of the tops that I had posted about recently (most weren't stocked at the stores nearest me, and others I just gave up on), I did find some good pieces at Winners! I thought I had struck out, but I ended up scoring big time today, after a few days in search of tops that would help me expand my wardrobe a bit and fill a niche that I've just realized I hadn't cornered yet.

It's always hard transitioning between seasons, and it's even harder when the weather yo-yo's unpredictably. Thankfully the tops that I found are effortless, flexible (regarding the weather roller coasters we can often experience at these times of the year) and most of all, they are somewhat trendy :)

I love my cardigans, sweaters and hoodies (the latter I wear mostly at home or when running errands), but I needed something different - something more Pippa and Kate-esque, so to speak. I also needed more tops that were "stand-alone", pieces that didn't have to be worn under an open cardigan because they were sleeveless. That's another go-to look I have.

So I'm really happy with my finds! I also ended up getting a pair of "cargo" pants in "Tuscan Olive" from J Crew. They are a great addition (and change) to my wardrobe. Now I have something other to wear than denim. And I also have my black jeans, which I look forward to wearing, they will also help to diversify my usual outfits. I feel like I can tackle any occasion now, and that makes me feel great! Sad, but true :)

P.S. I also found a really cute DKNY bag at Winners as well! It's brown/tan in colour :) I can't wait to pair it with these pants, and all my other "fall" outfits - not to mention my winter ones, because now I'm going to follow the "anything goes" rule that Pippa and Kate seem to abide by. I just hope it doesn't backfire for me, when I wear black boots and a brown/tan bag in the middle of winter... :)