Happy Throwback Thursday!!!
Who loves a good flashback? I know I sure do!
Every Christmas I love to pull out these amazing photos that my old roomie from college and I did a few years back (we’re talking 2011 Jenn who rocked bangs all day ‘errday). I’m a sucker for a beautiful ugly Christmas sweater and even more so for an awkward photo. I wanted to share with you some of my favourite photos from this Christmas and enjoy with me the pure awkwardness of Amy and I.
Enjoy!!! xx
Starting of #blogmas with something I’ve been asked a lot lately- my go to skin care routine. I’ve been super lucky (aka, blessed) to have reasonably unproblematic skin. I think the biggest factor to that being the amount of water I drink. I try to drink at least a litre of water a day to try and stay hydrated. I also love to moisturize like crazy. But, I also try to be diligent with my skin care and actually wash it.
So, with that being said, here are my current skin care picks:
Cleanser: My ride or die for skin cleansers is normally the REN cleansing milk… but lately I’ve been trying out the Saje Zen Cleanse. I started working at a local Saje store and figured it might be a good idea to try out their skin care products. And I must admit, the Zen cleanse is a pretty close second to my trusty REN cleansing milk. It’s super gentle on the face. It’s 100% natural. It’s made with avocado… and I love it.
Toner: Rose Mist by Saje has been my new favourite find. It’s only made with water and rose oil. Rose is SO good for your face. It’s incredibly hydrating and what I love about this product is that I can use it as a final “toner” after I’ve finished my skin care routine AND I can also use it on top of my make up to bring a bit of extra hydration. Win-Win.
Moisturizer: My skin is like the sahara desert in the winter time. I have flaky dry patches around my nose and along my scalp. I think most of it is due to my own health issues (yay bad thyroid… not), but I think it’s also because of the weather change. I’ve been using a BioDerma Hydrabio Moisturizing Serum. I love it. It’s not your typical serum meaning it’s not liquid-y. It’s thick and leaving my skin feeling extra moisturized. I love to use this under my makeup too and I’ve noticed that it lasts a lot longer with it on. It’s also great if you have super dehydrated skin like myself.
Eye Cream: Kiels Midnight Recovery eye cream has been my current find in terms of eye treatment. I never really know what the eye cream is doing to my skin, but I have noticed that my concealer has been applying better since using an eye cream. So – I’ll take it!
Night Cream: LiftActiv Supreme Night by Vichy was gifted to me by my mom after she realized it wasn’t doing much for her own skin. I have found it to be wonderful for myself. I love night creams and I wake up the next day with soft skin – so.. obviously that means I love the product more.
These are my current go to winter skin care products. I’m curious to hear what some of yours are?
J. xx
It’s hard to believe that November is coming to an end. With December right around the corner, that means we’re closer to Christmas. If you know me, you know I’m big on Christmas. I love love love the holidays! But something I noticed is that every year I come up with a mental list of things of I want to do (with friends, family, or by myself) and never follow through with it.
SO! This year, I decided to write them all out, throw in out into the web-iverse, and actually accomplish some.
2017 Christmassy Goals…
What are some of your Christmas goals?
J. xx
I’m OBSESSED with this jean jacket. I bought it from ASOS over the summer and have been wearing it non stop now that it’s colder. What I love about it is how easy it is to throw on over any outfit. Being super casual? Throw on a jean jacket. Wearing a dress? Throw on a jean jacket. Going to the pumpkin patch? Throw on a jean jacket!!! The best part is that it’s crazy comfortable and I’m all about comfort.
Whatever the occasion may be, a jean jacket is totes okay. Even in November (especially in November – ummm, layers?!) I’m a big fan of layers. I’m the kind of girl that get’s really warm and would rather layer with a sweater, jacket, and scarf.
So pull on your favourite pair of skinny jeans (black or blue – Canadian tuxedos are cool, k?), a comfy sweater, sneakers and your favourite jean jacket and you’ve got yourself a comfortable, yet stylish, autumnal outfit.
I’m still on the hunt for a cute jean jacket with a (faux) fur lining. If you know of any good ones, definitely let me know!
OUTFIT DETAILS:
Jean Jacket – ASOS CURVE
Jeans – OLD NAVY (You heard me! They have the comfiest jeggings)
Sweater – EVER NEW MELBOURN (Last season, but here‘s one that is similar)
Shoes – Converse (I forgot how much I love the original black converse)
How do you like to style jean jackets?
J.xx
*Disclaimer: There are items that have been provided by PinkBlush since I am an ambassador, but all opinions are of my own. As well, I have not been sponsored by Hotwire nor have I been sponsored by the Hyatt. These are my own opinions.
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This past week I had taken off work because it was, well, my birthday week! And I’m the kind of lady that likes to take at least my birthday off. But luckily this year, with the way that my schedule had been, I was able to take the following week off too. This meant a little fun Staycation with one of my besties. Staycations are fantastic! Honestly, everyone should take some time to enjoy their own city. I’m super blessed to be able to call Vancouver my home and very rarely do I get to enjoy the city.
With the help of Hotwire – a travel website where you can save money when booking (up to 70% off), we were able to book the Hyatt Regency. One thing to note when booking a hotel, you don’t know the name of the hotel which you are booking until after your payment is made. The only info you’re given is in what district/city it’s in, the number of stars it’s been rated, and the discounted price. I love the anticipation that’s built up before you book a hotel and the little surprise you get once you find out where you’re staying!
Review – The Hyatt itself is a great hotel – the rooms are super clean, the staff are friendly, and they even have an outdoor pool and hot tub! Plus with it being in the heart of downtown, we were walking distance to great shops and restaurants.
What to Pack – When packing for a staycation, my biggest piece of advice is to pack light. I stuck to the essentials – travel makeup, toiletries, pajamas, and an outfit to change into the next day. I kept it simple with only packing a change of shirt (I wore black jeans the day before) and my favourite shoes.
My favourite piece of clothing that I brought is this GORGEOUS kimono from PinkBlush. It’s thick enough to keep me decently warm at night when we went out, and its light enough to throw on over any outfit. The best part is the gorgeous colour which brightens up any dull, simple outfit (Like the one I wore – black skinny jeans from Topshop and a black tank top from Forever21 Plus)…and I finished it up with a pair of loafers (that I’m obsessed with at the moment!).
Last but not least, when having a Staycation, enjoy yourself! Look up restaurants that you have never ate at before. Wear the hotel robes. Order room service. Open a bottle of champagne with some of your friends and pamper yourself. Whatever you do, be sure to have fun! That’s the most important part of any staycation.
Tell me – what’s your favourite thing to do on a Staycation?
J.xx
Over the last few months, I’ve been getting THE WORST migraines. They’ve been especially bad during May. I didn’t want to rely on taking Advil or Tylenol, so I started looking into more natural remedies.
Being the curious girl that I am, I asked around seeing what my friends have been doing… And the majority of them raved about the peppermint halo stick from Saje Natural Wellness. Quickly, I jumped in the car and made my way over to a nearby Saje store and looked into it. I ended up leaving with the whole headache kit… and let me tell you, I’m obsessed. I even managed to convince my grandma to try it.
The headache kit includes: the peppermint halo roll on, the peppermint halo pen, and a stress relief spray.
This is how I use it: I take the roll on and place it behind both ears and at my right and left temple. Then, I use the pen and place it on the exact problem areas on my head. I won’t lie, I kinda go a little overboard with the pen but I can’t help it… I love the refreshing feeling it gives! When I’m done, I basically smell like a peppermint stick, but hey – I’m not complaining!
The stress relief spray is lavender base, and is recommended for people with anxiety. Being a girl that does struggle with awful anxiety, I’ve been substituting the spray for my perfume. It fades after a while, but it does initially calm me down.
KEY INGREDIENTS: Peppermint, Lavender, and Rosemary. It’s also plant based, with no synthetics or animal testing, and vegan.
If you have bad headaches/migraines, I definitely recommend looking into it!
*This is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.
A question that I get asked a lot is how I keep my dyed hair nice and healthy. Simple: little to no heat and really ace hair products.
Here’s the breakdown:
– Wash –
Shampoo: Joico Colour Endure Violet … I bought the biggest salon size about two years ago and it’s lasted me since this month. I love a good purple shampoo! It keeps my hair from going gross and brassy. Major note – I don’t (or very rarely) use drugstore shampoo. I find that it’s chalk full of sulphates which is no bueno for hair. The higher quality the shampoo the better!
Conditioner: Axis Salon Ree-hab Conditioner (Customized) … My hair stylist (who happens to be one of my BFF’s) is the genius behind my purple hair. She works for Axis Salon in Vancouver and customized my purple conditioner. I LOVE IT! My biggest pro? It smells like mint and leaves a tingly fresh feeling. It also moisturizes my hair like a dream.
– Styling –
Leave-In Conditioner: Living Proof No Frizz Leave-In Conditioner … Because my hair has lost a lot of it’s moisture due to the constant dying, I like to put as much moisture back into it as possible. This is my go to leave-in conditioner ( you can buy it at Sephora). It’s a small bottle but has lasted me a year. I only use a quarter size amount and run it through my hair while it’s still damp and brushed through.
Heat Protectant: Bumble and Bumble Prep … I spray this evenly over my hair before blow drying or if I want to curl my hair. I don’t always put heat to my hair, but if I do, this is my number one hair protectant.
Primer: R + Co Twister Curl Primer … Super lightweight with super cute packaging. If I have some extra time, I’ll take a quarter amount and twist the little waves in my hair. Plus, I got it for free from a hair salon contest so – win win all around!
Masque: Ouai Hair Masque … Talked about this before. Still love it.
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Okie – Those are my holy grail of products! What are some hair products you can’t get enough of?
J. xx
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* Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
Shout out to my friend Simeon for the portrait shots!
Before I start, can I just say how sorry I am for being super MIA over the last month? I genuinely don’t know where June went (and clearly forgot how to write a blog post..)! So I’m back with a super cute pre-prom photo shoot I did in June with a group of girls from a local secondary school.
I was first approached by one of the girls (Mariah – she’s the one giving super Morticia Addams vibes in her black dress and classy red lip. GORGE!) who happened to be one of my old youth (and now intern at the church I work at). She asked if I’d be free to photograph a group of her friends before they danced the night away at prom. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity because if you know me, you know how much I love proms. The dresses, the laughs, the freedom in their eyes knowing high school is OVER. It’s one of my favourite things to photograph.
Even though I’m pretty sure this was the hottest day in June (to the point where it was hard to tell if it was highlight on my cheeks or sweat), that didn’t matter. We found some shady spots and even braved the hills in their high heels. They had me laughing and awe-ing the whole time!
PS. If you are a grade 12 student (in the lower mainland) and already planning your prom for next year, I would LOVE to talk senior photos or pre-prom photographs. Feel free to shoot me a message!
OK! That’s all for me.
Enjoy!
Jenn x
When I started planning out what direction I wanted my blog to go, I knew I wanted to talk more about fashion (especially fashion for short, plus size ladies like myself)! SO!! I knew I wanted to start a fashion series called: Let’s Style. I will be choosing some of my FAVE pieces in my wardrobe and show you how I love to style it.
OK! Let’s get started with this GORGEOUS (seriously, look how pretty these flowers are) tunic from Pinkblush Materinity (Plus size line). If you’re not pregnant, don’t fret (neither am I)- because it’s not just for mama’s or soon to be mamas. They also carry straight and plus sizes.
What I love about this tunic is how flowy and light it is. Since my height falls under the 5’3 spectrum, it turned out to be more of a dress on me. I paired it with some chambray shorts (underneath the tunic) since it’s still a LITTLE bit short to be considered a dress. The quality of the tunic is wonderful. It is definitely good quality! It does run on the bigger size (even for plus), so I would probably size down. This little outfit I think is perfect for the spring-summer months and would look SUPER cute at a wedding.
For accessories, I kept it simple. I didn’t want to take away from the gorge floral pattern. For shoes I wore these Payless brown cut out, open toe sandals. They have a short, block heel so they’re super comfortable. I then wore gold stud earrings that I bought at a local boutique. The shorts (that are underneath) are from Ever New Melbourne last season.
I will definitely be wearing this outfit loads this summer!
(Ps. How CUTE is my dog Bailey??)
Now for the exciting part…
GIVEAWAY TIME!!
PinkBlush were absolute dolls and have teamed up with me to give one lucky lady a $50 Gift Card. Head on over to my instagram post to learn more!
*Affiliated Links
When Mikasa Beauty reached out to me about their products, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try them. I love testing out new makeup and new makeup brushes! With spring here comes spring cleaning – out with the old and in with the new. If your makeup brushes have seen it’s last face, then it may be time to rid yourself of them and invest in some new, high quality (and affordable) brushes.
What I love about these brushes is their look and feel. I’m a sucker for a minimalistic black and white product. I’m also a sucker for Mac brushes, and these look the same as a Mac brush. My holy grail of eye brushes is the Mac 217 (which retails for $25 CAD). Mikasa has a tapered blending brush that retails for $12 (Half the price!) that works just as well. That’s a dupe if I ever did see one.
Another thing I love about these brushes is the feel. They are SO soft – and who doesn’t love a soft brush! It feels FAB on the skin and blends my makeup in lovely. Their site offers makeup sets that can go up to $90-$100.
Overall, I’d say Mikasa brushes are a worthy investment. If you would like to learn more about the brushes and cosmetics that they offer, click here.
ALSO! Mikasa was so lovely that they even provided a 25% DISCOUNT CODE. UM, YES PLEASE! I do love a good discount sale and if I can provide that to you, even better! At the end of your purchase, enter: JENNHILDEBRAND25 to receive 25% off.
Happy Shopping!
J.x
(Instagram: jenn.hildebrand)