Newest Addiction

Because of the 13 hour flight I was able to convince myself (not that it was hard) that I needed to get a Nintendo 3DS. Why did I need a 3DS when I have a perfectly good DSlite sitting at home? Because I wanted to play Harvest Moon: A New Beginning of course!
I think this game is so cute and I absolutely love playing it. Though I am having a hard time choosing who to date...

Travel: how I pack

As you can see from the photo above  I'm a bit OCD about my packing. I come from a family of over packers and struggle not to let them influence me when I go away. One of the ways I do this is to lay everything out about a week before hand and ruthlessly edit throughout the week. By laying everything out I can see what I have, what can pair with what, if I have a colour scheme (which apparently I do! The Black, Blue, and Red theme was only noticed after I lay everything out).

If something only goes with one outfit than I tend to edit it out. I want my tops to go with more than one bottom. For this trip I'm actually working so I have a more 'professional' clothing than I normally do. Despite the fact that Japan will be super hot this time of year, I'm packing a lightweight cardigan to throw over dresses so that I'm not revealing too much.

Jersey dresses are a mainstay of my wardrobe and even more so when I travel. They pack up small, don't wrinkle, look great, and don't require washing while away. I also love belts because they don't take up much room but can change the look of an outfit with minimal effort.

I also label where everything goes so that I can see if I'm missing anything. It's always terrible to forget an essential item (I forgot my razor last summer when I went to Italy) so I find that by keeping like items together and laying it out I can spot gaps much easier.

I'll go in depth into what I pack for my makeup bag in another post. Hope this helps you get organized for future trips!

Insta Update

Lately on Instagram: book haul, smoked salmon and dill dip, subway stations, reading outdoors, packing and collar details.

Music!

Ok this was supposed to be a monthly favorites post. But I ran out of time with packing and battling my bank to get my currency (the day before I leave too, stress that was not needed). So instead sit back and enjoy this song by one of my favorite bands Capital Cities. I saw them live in May and it was amazing. We got to dance after the show with one of the singers and the guitarists and they were so nice and friendly.

Off to Japan!

I fly out tomorrow. The blog will (hopefully) still be updated (I've scheduled posts anyways) two times a week. I won't have the best internet access while over there but expect lots of photos when I get back!

Review: Stila Convertible Colour in Petunia

I picked up this blush from Stila recently to try out cream blushes. I had a hard time choosing which colour to get but my friend Christine from Starry Eyed Beauty recommended Petunia. Petunia is a pretty medium pink toned blush/lip colour that shows up nicely on my (very fair) skin.

I've tried applying this with my fingers, brushes, and my beauty blender and I have to say I like to apply it with a combination of my fingers (dotting it on) and then blending it out with my beauty blender. This gives me a very natural look. Using a brush with this doesn't seem to blend it in evenly.

While I do like this colour, I'm not 100% sold on cream blushes. I still need to play around with this before I invest in any others.

Review: Disney Collection A Whole New World Roller Ball

From Sephora's website:
Enchanting as magic itself, this alluring blend of exotic flowers and rich, warm woods is fit for a diamond in the rough. Empowering and seductive, this tempting fragrance will allow you to be the master of your own destiny. So go ahead, make your own magic. 
Notes: Carnation, Orange Blossom, Mandarin, Gardenia, Mimosa, Musky Accord, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Amber, Benzoin.

I picked this scent up on a whim one day while I was at Sephora. I've been trying not to buy new fragrances until I use up some of the ones I already have but I make exceptions for roller balls because they're perfect for traveling and tend to be under the $30 mark.  I'm not normally a floral scent person but this one intrigued me. This is the only item from the Disney collections that I have bought, they just haven't piqued my interest.

The bottle is pretty; fuchsia gradient with gold details and the words make your own magic embossed on the side. I like that sentiment, the idea of being in charge of your own destiny and not leaving it up to chance.

For the most part I don't like floral fragrances because the tend to be too big. They overpower the person wearing them. This could be largely because people tend to spray floral fragrances liberally which therefore results in a headache whenever I'm around them. Because this is in a roller ball version it stays close to the skin which I much prefer to being a walking talking garden that assaults people with scent. The sandalwood and vanilla mellow out the floral notes and bring them down to a pleasant (to my nose at least) level. 

This is going into my bag to come with me to Japan. I'm not sure what other fragrances I'll bring with me but I'll be sure to keep you updated!