OOTD - Country Music Festival

Hello lovelies!
So this past Sunday night I went to see Lady Antebellum at Bluesfest with some friends, and they were absolutely amazing!  I've been having so much fun dressing up for all the different concerts this past week, so I thought I'd share the country-inspired outfit that I wore that night with you all.   

Shop: dress // boots (old) similar

Since it was a night filled with country music, I wanted to bring some cowgirl inspiration into my outfit.  It was way too hot for plaid and jeans, so I chose to wear this little blue floral-patterned sundress from Garage and paired it with some cowboy ankle booties.

I decided to go for some T-Swift circa 2006 hair, because nothing says country more than big, messy curls.  To create the look, I used my 1-inch Conair Infinity curling wand, taking one inch-wide sections, wrapping them away from my face, and holding each piece for about 10 seconds.  Once my whole head was curled, I gently shook out the curls by finger-combing them a bit to make them more voluminous and less Shirley Temple.  

Shop: vest

I also threw on my denim vest to complete this country-insprired look.

There are tens of thousands of people each night at Bluesfest, so it's pretty difficult to get a good view of the stage.  Luckily for us, we got there pretty early and managed to get a really good spot.  I was so excited because for once I could actually see the performers' faces without having to watch from the big screens at the back of the crowd!  Country concerts are usually pretty mellow, but Lady Antebellum brought such amazing energy and really put on a show that night.  I've always been a fan of their music, and after seeing them perform live I just love them so much more.  They even gave us a sneak peak of a song from their new album coming out this fall, which I'll definitely be buying!

Have you been to any fun concerts or music festivals this summer?

June Favourites

I can't believe it's already July.  I know every beauty blogger on the planet says that when it comes time for their monthly favourites, but June seriously just flew by for me!  I feel like summer just started but it's already almost half over; and while I do love the fall, I'd really like for summer to drag on as long as possible.  Keep the late nights and lazy afternoons filled with sunshine and sangria coming please!

Anywho, I'm super excited to be doing my first monthly favourites post.  I didn't try out too many new products this month but I did find a couple that I love, along with a few oldies that I found myself reaching for often throughout June.

My first favourite beauty product would be my Naked 3 palette.  I got this baby back in December, but didn't find myself reaching for it much until the past month or so. The shades are all golden and rose-hued so I find they perfectly compliment a summery-bronzed makeup look! And like all the Urban Decay eye shadows, they are super pigmented and long-wearing, which is perfect to last through those hot summer nights!

I have been using The Body Shop's Strawberry Body Butter to death this month.  I like to use it on my legs after shaving right after I get out of the shower to keep them super smooth and hydrated.  My skin tends to be super dry all year long so I prefer using body butters as oppose to regular lotion.  Plus this scent is so sweet and fruity, it's perfect for summer! 

I recently fell back in love with Maybelline The Falsies waterproof mascara.  This was my go-to mascara when it first came out, and I have no idea why I ever stopped using it because I LOVE IT!  I often have trouble with the curl of my lashes falling throughout the day, but this one keeps them looking perfect into the night! It gives my eyes a look of full, defined lashes that aren't clumped together so it's definitely once again become my holy grail mascara. 

 Another favourite eye product of mine this month has been the Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner.  I typically just stick to mascara during the day, but if I'm going out to dinner or downtown with friends at night then I love to rock a subtle winged eye-look.  This liner has been my favourite lately because its almost marker-like applicator makes it super easy to create a variety of different looks.  The formula is really long-lasting too, it hasn't smudged or faded on me even after a night out.

 My nail polish pick of the month is hands down Essie's 'Bikini So Teeny'. I've honestly just been reapplying this all month because I don't want to take it off! The bright purple-blue colour of this polish makes the perfect summer nail in my opinion.

 Because it's hot and I'm too lazy to spend the time to blow-dry and curl my hair everyday, I've been sticking to a more natural, wavy look in June.  After washing my hair in the morning, I let it air dry about 50%, apply a texturizing product, and sweep it to the side in a loose braid.  I've been loving my Marc Anthony Dream Waves Amplifying Lotion to help define the natural wave in my hair, and give it more of a beachy look.  I love this because it doesn't make my hair crunchy like a mouse would, plus it smells like coconuts.  Once my hair is dry after a couple of hours, I shake out the braid and I'm left with pretty beachy hair that's super simple and effortless!

The Revlon Photoready Concealer was a new favourite product of mine in June.  It covers redness perfectly and stays put throughout the day.  I find that it's a perfect dupe for my usual Benefit 'Boing' concealer, but at less than half the price!

One of my favourite accessories of the month has been my rose-gold wristlet from Michael Kors.  It's essentially a wallet but also has a slot for my phone and enough space for my keys, so I've been using this on the daily as oppose to carrying around a big purse.  The rose-gold matches beautifully with almost everything as well!

 Finally, I've been absolutely loving my Mossimo Avery sandals from Target.  I first bought these in white and I just loved them so much I went back recently to buy a second pair in black!  They're so comfortable, and I find that the gold detailing is so pretty and makes them look much more expensive than $19.99!

Let me know in the comments what you've been loving this past month.  I always love trying new products!

Festival Wish List

Today is the first day of  Bluesfest, which is the big annual summer music festival in my city.  Despite the fact that I've lived here in Ottawa my whole life, it's actually my first time going so I'm super excited! This year has an amazing line-up with artists from Lady Gaga to Snoop Dogg, and tons of country performers like Blake Shelton and The Band Perry, which I'm especially excited about!

Ever since seeing all the fabulous outfits from my favourite beauty bloggers at Coachella and Bonnaroo, I've seriously been lusting over festival fashion.  This week I'm looking forward to get to experiment with some of these unique styles myself and bring out my inner bohemian-babe!  So here's some of the pieces that I'll be looking out for when shopping for festival-inspired wear:

1.  The first thing that comes to mind when I think of summer festival style is crop tops! This crochet one from H&M is so cute and perfect for creating a bohemian-inspired look.  I also love this flirty, tropical crop from Topshop because it's a little bit unexpected and adds a pop of colour against earthy-toned accessories.

2. High-waisted denim shorts are a must for pairing with cute crop tops.  The light wash and slightly destroyed texture of this pair from H&M is super versatile and will go with pretty much everything.

3. Flowy, care-free dresses are also a staple for my festival wardrobe. This daisy-printed swing dress is so cute and effortless and will keep you cool in the summer heat.

4. Of course, fringe anything is a must to achieve that care-free bohemian/hippie vibe.  I love this white fringe bucket bag with gold detailing from Daily Look.

5.  If you're going to be at the festival location all day long, a backpack is ideal for storing all the necessities you might need while there (water bottles, snacks, sunscreen, camera, etc.) This brown leather one from Free People with it's sublet aztec print and worn-in look will go with pretty much any outfit!





6.  Pairing ankle booties with dresses or denim shorts is a great way to make an outfit look more laid-back and effortlessly chic. These ones from Sole Society perfect for pairing with summer dresses.  The cut-outs along the sides make them really unique, but will also help keep your feet from sweltering in a closed-toe shoe!

7. Caged gladiator-style sandals are a classic piece for summer festival style. These ones from Forever 21 are super inexpensive and the cognac colour faux-leather is really versatile as well.

8. This simple straw fedora from Sole Society is the perfect accessory to complete any festival-look and essential for protecting your pretty face from the sun.

9. Obviously, a flower crown is a necessity for any summer music festival!  Yes, they may be silly and a bit overdone but I think they're fun and they look so pretty in photos. I like this one from H&M because it's subtle and almost dainty with the small cream flowers.

10. Finally, a Polaroid camera is the ultimate summer music festival accessory for snapping pics - plus it just looks so cool! I love the pale blue colour of this one from Fujifilm.

Let me know what pieces are on your summer festival wish list! Also, be on the lookout for some more festival-inspired posts coming soon!

Stocking Up for Summer

I had about twenty minutes left of my lunch break to kill the other day, so naturally, I went into Target.  That place will probably be the death me (or my bank account).  Everything they have is so cute and inexpensive, it's pretty much impossible for me to leave empty-handed.  On this recent trip, I was sucked into the huge selection of women's bathing suits with all the unique, brightly coloured styles they have in stock this season.  I honestly felt overwhelmed with all the choices - I ended up with five pieces but I know that if I hadn't had a time limit, I would have easily took home at least five more! Each piece ranges from only $14.99 to $19.99, so you can see my dilema with forcing myself to not buy them all!

shop: top // bottoms

I was immediately drawn to this first set because a) the underwire bandeau cut of the top is super flattering and definitely my favourite style and b) I absolutely loved the colour of it - neon coral just screams summer to me!  Although it's a colour that's best suited with a tan, I still found it to be flattering against my skin tone despite the fact that I'm maybe two shades darker than albino.

shop: top // bottoms

This mint bikini top with a crochet overlay is by far my favourite of the pieces i picked up, and definitely my favourite top in my swimsuit collection at the moment. If something has lace or crochet over it, I'm 99% likely to buy it.  I couldn't even tell you how many lace dresses I have hanging in my closet right now. The fact that this bikini combines lace and the colour mint makes it a solid 10 in my books, and I'm honestly so excited to wear it.  Someone needs to invite me over to their pool like asap so i can break 'er in!

shop: top

 This third top matched so perfectly with the two bottoms I picked up so I just couldn't resist.  I love all the colours and the little frilly trim around the cups.

I also picked up a couple new summer polishes so I could rock some bright nails with my new bikinis.  I don't splurge on Essie polishes too often but lucky for me, they were on sale so I picked up two colours I've been lusting over for ages: 'Tart Deco' (left) and 'Bikini so Teeny' (right). Fun, bright nail polishes like these are a definite must-have for me in the summer months; they just brighten my mood every time I catch a glimpse of my nails especially on days where I'm stuck inside working instead of enjoying the beautiful sun outside!

This little summer haul has gotten me so excited to get to actually begin my summer.  I've technically been on 'summer break' for over a month now but I've pretty much done nothing but work so it hasn't exactly felt like a holiday.  I do have a few exciting trips and events coming up soon though,  so I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks!