Fall/Winter Lippies!

Hello everyone! Today I will be writing about my favourite fall lipsticks (so far!) that will also last me into the winter. I have never ventured too far away from a nude/pink lip before, so my dark lipstick choices of the season are very much an experimentation and so far I'm loving it! I thought with my pale skin I could never pull off a dark lip, but with some searching, I have managed to find quite a few lipsticks that work well with my skin tone! Now, onto the products!

The first two products I'm going to feature are Mac products. This one was my first Mac lipstick purchase and therefore holds a special place in my heart. Kittenish is a PatentPolish Lip Pencil, and is very similar to all of the various lip pencils out there at the moment. It is a Mauve-ish blue toned pink colour, with a glossy finish and feels really nice on the lips. It's not quite a nude, but not quite a bold lip either, so is good for when I want to go for a casual lip with a bit of pop. 

This lipstick was my first Mac bullet lip product, and I had specifically been looking for a pinky nude colour, that was my-lip-colour-but-better. This very nearly matches my exact lip colour, but gives me lips a pop that just a clear gloss or lip balm doesn't give. The product is lustre formula "Shy Shine". I haven't really heard about this particular colour at all in the beauty blogging world, but I quite like it. It is very glossy as it is a lustre, and doesn't dry my lips out at all, and can often go on without a balm underneath. Definitely a must have year round for me.

My last four products are all Rimmel London, and I'm sorry for the little variety, but really, Mac is my staple high end brand for lip products, and Rimmel London makes my favourite lipsticks, and is definitely a penny saver. This first Rimmel London lippy is a Kate Moss edition lipstick which is just simply "01". It is a very basic bold red lip colour that looks very flattering on my lips. I have quite a hard time finding reds that work with my skin tone, so I was very happy to find this one!

This second Rimmel London lipstick is currently one of my favourite colour schemes. Sort of alone the lines with Mac Kittenish, it's a deep mauve-ish blue toned pink. For whatever reason this and the lipstick I'll be discussing next just look absolutely gorgeous and complementary with my skin tone, and putting this on just makes my morning feel complete and makes me feel like I can take on the world. This colour is "136 Ballistic" and I definitely recommend this, I will be wearing it so much this fall and winter!

This Rimmel London lipstick "123 True Vintage" is my abosolute favourite holy grail lipstick. It is yet another blue toned deep mauve-y pink lipstick but with less red tones than the last. This is just the perfect colour for my skin tone and just makes me feel so happy to wear.

My final lipstick that I'm loving for fall is this Rimmel London lipstick in "124 Bordeaux". This is a dark vampy red lipstick that is a staple in any girls fall makeup collection. I had seen Arden Rose on YouTube posting photos of herself wearing a very similar colour on Instagram, and knew I had to find my perfect dark red lipstick, and this is my chosen one.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this post and please let me know in the comments if you've tried any of these lipsticks and what your favourites are this far! I'm loving experimenting with darker, bolder lips, so if you have any recommendation please leave them down below! :)

For a little something extra, here's what I've been jamming to while writing this post. :)
http://8tracks.com/acoliver99/run

xoxox
Ally

Fall 2014 Wishlist: H&M

Hello Everyone! Today I thought I would write a post on what I am currently lusting after at H&M this season. As fall is rolling in, and as I am realizing that quite a bit of my clothes no longer fit as I have lost some weight over the past year, I have been spending a lot of time at the mall trying to re-stock my wardrobe. I have already done quite a bit of shopping and hope to post a few hauls soon (I get home too late to have natural sunlight for photos, so I'm waiting on a good photo taking day), but for now, here is what I am lusting after from H&M!

1. H&M Black Combat Boots $39.95; 2. H&M Hooded Sweater in Black $24.95; 3. H&M Plaid Cotton Shirt $29.95; 4. H&M Long Sleeve Jersey Top $14.95.

 

 

1. Since fall of last year, I have been trying to find the perfect pair of combat boots that if purchased, wouldn't drain my bank account. And I believe I have found just that. When I went into H&M a couple weeks back, I instantly fell in love with this pair, and when I looked at the price tag, I fell even more in love. Combat boots are the perfect fall boot, and will keep my feet and ankles warm in the cool Canadian fall air, and will last me into the beginning of winter, before the 4-5 foot snow banks arrive. They are trendy, can go with about any outfit, and the price tag is perfect for those of us who can't afford a pair of Doc Martens.

 

2. This is a pretty basic and rather boring item, but I need a simple black hoodie. There are so many times when I put on an outfit and wish I had a black hoodie to throw over top. Immediately I wish I could run to American Apparel and grab all of their unisex hoodies off the shelf, but that would only result in an empty bank account. These look almost identical to the AA ones, but the price tag is much more reasonable. I am specifically lusting over a black one, but will probably grab a few in other colours as well while I'm there.

 

3. Plaid shirts are all the rave right now for fall, and when I saw this in store, I fell in love. It feels absolutely cozy as can be, and I love the colour. It would be perfect to throw on over a plain white tee with a pair of American Eagle sky high jeggings (this pair that I own would look perfect in this ensemble) or to tie around my waist. I don't own very much plaid, and don't wear it very often, but I am totally in love with this shirt.

 

4. As much as I love sweaters, sometimes I get bored of wearing the same sweaters over and over during the fall & winter, and in Canada, you won't catch me dead in fall or winter in just a tee shirt. Therefore, I have been looking for the perfect loose long sleeve tee, and have had my eyes set on these basic long sleeve jersey shirts. I could pair these with a simple necklace and a pair of light wash skinnies or boyfriend jeans for a casual, everyday look, or pair them with a pair of leather leggings and a statement necklace for a night out.

 

Well, that's all for what I'm currently lusting after at H&M and let me know if you would like me to do more fashion/style related posts, as I haven't delved into that area much as of yet, and love shopping as much as the next girl!

 

Hoping you are all having a fabulous day, and let me know in the comments what you're currently lusting after for fall!

 

Ally

xoxox









Instagram Life Update

Hello everyone! Since I have been terrible with my blog, I thought I would share an Instagram life update to let you know what's been going on in my life lately! I'm not sure about you, but I love being nosey into other people lives and living vicariously through them, and not only that, but I love how the internet is bringing us much closer to each other, and you can feel like your best friends with the people you admire. So, if you were interested, here is a sneak peak into my life! And in case you want to follow me you can find me @allymariecatherine on IG!


1 - 2. I currently work full time as a receptionist (and am obviously SO busy in that at work selfie!). To be honest, it's definitely a great learning experience not only for the skills that I am building but for the fact that I am being thrown into the adult world and having to figure out how to live in it. However! I have been accepted into school! If you didn't know I just graduated in June'14 from a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology from University, but have decided to go to College for Practical Nursing. I'm at a point in my life where I want to start a career, and I think with my Psychology and Nursing degree I can hopefully work with patients with mental health issues and I think I will really enjoy it! I will be going back to school in January 2015 and so look forward to back to school posts coming mid-way through everyone else's school year!

3 - 4. I've currently been exploring my city, which is not only excellent exercise, but I love exploring the beauty where I live, and I haven't really noticed how many beautiful corners there are in my city until recently! Going for an hour or two walk gives me time to think, I get in some exercise on my rest days, and I just get this calming and relaxing feeling exploring and appreciating the beauty around me, because I really am one of those people who focuses a little bit too much on my internal world rather than the world around me. It just opens my eyes and gives me and really helps me focus my energy outside of the mess of our human minds.

5. My boyfriend and I celebrated our two-year anniversary in August. For my first relationship, I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty ecstatic that we've made it two years. We have our ups and downs, but I've come to love video games and fitness, and I feel I've really grown and learned things that I never would without him. He is currently up North about a 16 hour drive away, and although it's tough being in a long distance relationship, it's only six months and then we'll be going to school together in January! Here we're enjoying some extra delicious burgers before going out for a few drinks. He comes home the last weekend of the month and I'm so excited for cuddles!

6 - 7. I've been into fitness for a few years now, but recently I've taken the bull by the horns and fitness has become one of my number one goals. Going to the gym and getting enough protein have become priorities, and I'm in love with who I'm becoming. I'm becoming healthier, leaner, fitter, and going to the gym and squatting some heavy *ss weights is really just an amazing feeling. I hope to include more fitness and lifestyle tidbits into my blog because it was really intended to be more than a beauty blog when I started it, so let me know if you are interested! Posts will be coming your way in the near future :)

8. Speaking of fitness and protein, I have started to love smoothies, and here I have one that I had on my last cheat day and it tasted exactly like Reese's peanut butter ice cream. I will definitely be posting this recipe and sharing a some other food and tips related to eating to get fit. I am not a clean eater - go ahead and shame - but my goals are different from what clean eating will do for me. That being said, I do go by an 80-20 rule for healthy/"unhealthy" foods, and my main goals are to lose fat and build muscle so I eat according to my goals. I will have to give a lot of credit (about 75%) to my boyfriend for everything I've learned about fitness and nutrition, and maybe I will get him to do a guest post sometime! Let me know if you would be interested! I'm sure he would love to write a post and answer any questions you may have!

9. It is officially fall in Canada, and in some places like Calgary already winter, and therefore it's time for skinny jeans and sweaters! To be honest, I have never been a fan of any other season other than summer. I am allergic to the cold ;) But! I'm excited for jeans, and comfy sweaters, and sweatpants, the smell of the crisp air in the morning, pumpkin and other fall scented candles, and dark nail polish and lipstick!

Anyways, that's all for my update, I hope you enjoyed getting the inside scoop on my life, and let me know.. are you excited about fall/autumn? What's your favourite part of fall?

xoxox
Ally

PS: accidentally pressed publish while trying to save! *facepalm* sorry for the awkward "insert photo" draft post!