Eyelash Extension Do's and Don'ts

     My name is Elizabeth and I am a mascara-holic. It began in the 90's when I first started wearing Voluminous by l'oreal. I was hooked on the stuff. And not just one coat, either. Coat after coat after coat, until I had thick spider's legs hanging off my eyelids. It has been 17 years since then and frankly, while the brands have changed, the amount of mascara I put on has not. Bad, bad, bad! One cannot be a polished woman with thick gobs of goo clustered on her lashes. I had to make a change. But I liked the lush full lash look. I entertained the thought of falsies, but every time I tried, I nearly look out my eye. They would come out crooked, or too disco. I needed a professional. I needed a lash extension expert. 

     Because we are talking about my eyes...the very things that I see out of, I wanted to do research. And plenty of it. I used Yelp and word of mouth. Anyone who had them, I pumped for information. Are they comfortable? How is your field of vision? Who is good in the business? Who is bad?

This is what I found out:

1) DO NOT get them done at a Nail Salon. They don't have the training and they might just seriously mess things up. 

                      - Lady who had her eyelids glued shut at a nail salon and they used a strong solvent to                     

                        pry them apart. 

2) DO NOT go to a place that will do them for $45.00. That is much too cheap and you will get a bad job done.

                    - Lady who looked like a Drag Queen after her treatment

3) DO NOT have them done in a dirty studio. 

                 -Count Von Obvious

4) DO use Yelp as a resource. What is Yelp, you ask? "The Best way to find local businesses" they state. It helps one whittle out the crap when looking for a new dentist, restaurant to try or a lash place as it may be. 

5) DO ask your friends and colleagues and facebook chums about their experiences. 

6) DO follow your gut. If the technician looks sketchy, then turn tail and run!

7) DO ask the technician questions galore. How long have they been doing this for? What kind of lashes and glue do they use? Do they have Cats? If so, how many? What are their names?

8) DO talk to the technician about any sensitivities you may have. Perhaps the glue or the synthetic lashes will be too much for your eyes. A good technician will recognize the signs, or at least remedy the situation in the days that follow, quickly. 

     I went to The Studio By Mika Does Makeup. It is easily my favorite place in the city for any sort of aesthetics. They know hair, waxing, makeup, nails, facials, and lash extensions. I did my research and learned that Joanna is the best in the West. We chatted about what sort of look I was going for and what   my lashes could realistically handle. We decided on dramatic, which I love. I am a big girl, so I like big lashes, bags, jewellery, et al. to balance me out. 

     Joanna taped down my bottom lids to make sure that no glueing of my lids together would happen and she went to work. We chatted about all sorts of things and before I knew it, an hour and a half had flown by and I was done and ready for a peek! Wow! I looked so good! I knew that my spider's legs days were over. Joanna also let me know that anything oil based would loosen the lash glue and to avoid it. She also cautioned against water contact for 24-48 hours. That meant baths and water based eyeliner. It has been 5 days and I have only lost 1 lash. However, I only sleep on my back, now. They are supposed to last for 4 weeks, with fills recommended every 2-3 weeks. It cost $70.00 not including tip or tax. The fills are $40.00. Quite reasonable. 

    I find the lashes to be pretty comfortable. I am used to wearing a lot of product around my eyes, so this is par for the course. Thankfully, I have not had a reaction to the glue or the lashes. They are not for everyone, but they are for me! I can now just put on a little liner, fill in my browns, put on some gloss and blush and I am DONE! Wooot!

Here are the before and after pics!

Give them a shot! But only if you do not have sensitive eyes.

Have a great day!

 

                

Fit and Flare and Looking Fabulous!

     You know what I love about "fit and flare" dresses? Everything. I love how they evoke the femininity of the mid century silhouettes. I love how they nip in my waist and drape over my round middle. I love how they are universally one of the most flattering cuts you can come up with. I also love how they are "on trend" and cropping up all over the darn place.

     Pretty well any body issue you have can be overcome with a "fit and flare."

"My boobs are too big" <----Balance them out visually with a full skirt.

"I have a big tummy" <-----A full skirt will smooth it out.

"I don't like my thighs"<----A fit and flare does not cling to thighs.

"I have a big bum" <----A fit and flare gives one ample room in the posterior.  

"I have Cat hair all over my clothes" <---Join the club!

    You will have nothing left to be but proud of your figure and how smashing it looks on you!

Let's get to the fashion!

I have selected dresses for all sorts of occasions!

1) The dress on the far left is by Cherry Velvet Plus. I am really in love with Cherry Velvet, for of many reasons. However, top on my list is amazing fit, high quality fabric and made in Canada. How awesome is that? Wear this dress on a weekend in the country with a lemon yellow cardigan and a crisp white belt. Cherry Velvet Plus, $165.00

2) Looking for a Ladies Night Out dress? Look no further. Imagine you are on the town sipping cocktails with your friends, showing off some leg and catching some lingering eyes. If you want to play down the hemline, slip on some black polka dot patterned tights. It is a small dot that adds visual interest and whimsy, and not camp. This Bianca Nygard dress can be found at Lucy for $99.00. Lucy has free shipping across Canada from now until May 11th. 

3) Do you have a Spring Wedding coming up? This dress is perfect. It is a flattering colour on pretty well everyone and will have you turning heads. Wear with a sock bun, pearls and coral coloured blush for a polished look. It is from Eshakti and is $139.95. It is $10.00 off until April 23rd. 

4) Paired with a blazer, this dress is ready to work! Running errands around the city instead? Slip on a denim jacket. This pretty pink dress is versatile and being a knit, it is easy to wash and wear. Find it at Addition-Elle for $89.99. 

Have a great week!

EDIT by Jeanne Beker launch

Me and Jeanne Beker. Me! And Jeanne Beker!

When I opened my inbox some time ago, and saw that I was invited to the launch of Jeanne Bekers EDIT line at AdditionElle, I was, shall we say... jazzed.
I did a little cursory research, and saw that the line was in some great soft sorbet colors, and had very high hopes.

Before I get into the Jeanne Beker line, I have to say, I am not sure if its the location, or the event or what it is, but shopping at the Yonge street AdditionElle is more like a party than a shopping trip. And shopping trips ARE a party, if you ask me. The ladies that work there are so friendly, and outgoing, and its really just fun as shit.

How fun is shit you ask?

Well, it can't be empirically measured, but its damn fun.

Word to the wise though, if I wasn't the world's biggest cynic, I might walk out of there erroneously thinking that I was the prettiest, most stylish fat chick that ever walked the planet. They are all exceedingly complimentary.

The Great Bra Shoot!

     Yesterday was filled with all sorts of adventures. It started many weeks ago when I submitted a photo of myself wearing an ill fitting bra to local lingerie store, Forever Yours, that features 6000 square feet of glorious plus size options. I didn't just send them this pic on a whim, it was a contest! A bad fitting bra contest that asked women to submit images of themselves wearing their worst to win a free bra and a photoshoot in both an ill fitting and a well fitting bra! Last week, I was thrilled to learn that I was one of the winners. With winning came the pressure to remember to shave my armpits for the shoot. *Spoiler Alert: I did!* 

     Here is how the morning started!

 

Springtime Lace

I realised two things while looking through the shots for this post... a) for someone who hated fuchsia, there's a lot of it in my closet, and b) I wear skinny jeans almost every damn day.

If I may take a brief aside, speaking of skinny jeans, we just posted a guest post from a good friend of mine (who will also appear in my post about the EDIT by Jeanne Beker event I recently attended). She posted about how she is a skinny jean convert. This post certainly resonated with me, since I also eschewed skinny jeans, thinking they were double-plus-ungood for the plus-sized figure. But (like hummus) I judged them too quickly and too harshly, based on only a few unfortunate encounters with subpar examples. And now, as you can see from my OOTD posts, I wear them, as I said, almost every damn day. I went from having no jeans at all, post-baby, to purchasing many pairs. All of them skinny. And I think, all of them Torrid, too.

Musings of a Skinny Jean Convert (Guest Post)

The Skinnies That Changed It All!

Welcome to our very first guest post! I suspect that you may see and hear more from Andrea (our guest poster) in future. I have to say that she was probably one of the first (if not THE first) person that showed me that one didn't have to be a skinnybitch in order to embody good fashion, and to look effin' great. So, she taught me a few things about fashion, and I guess, I might have opened her eyes to something as well.




I’ll never forget where I was when I first heard about skinny jeans. It was the summer of 2006. I know because it was the summer before I became a mom, so I was still reasonably fashionable. (Translation: I still bought clothes for myself and didn’t clothes shop vicariously through my two daughters). It was the very same day I heard the expression “muffin top.” Low rise jeans were all the rage, and as my girlfriends and I chuckled about this pastry-inspired term one of them said she heard that tapered jeans were coming back.

My, how we laughed. “That will NEVER catch on!!!!” we cackled, as visions of safety pins danced in our heads. Yet, slowly but surely, these blasts from my elementary school past infiltrated modern society. Even teenage BOYS were wearing skinny jeans! But I refused.

“Self” I said, “Something might be in fashion, but ugly is ugly (see recent floral jeans trend). Over the years I have embraced my generous hips and have become astute to what is flattering on me and what is downright horrifying, which I’ll admit has resulted in me dressing more conservatively than I would like to.

Giving it a shot... but no.

Remembering Lilly Pulitzer

     

     Although Lilly Pulitzer didn't offer dresses in plus sizes, I found it still important to mark her passing. She was a gifted designer and business woman who's sense of fun and colour paved the way for many that followed her. Lines like Kate Spade and Tocca would be lost without her influence and she can even be felt in Eshakti and Cherry Velvet Plus.

      Lilly first created her dresses in the 1960's out of necessity, after she found that she was covered in fruit from her juice business based out of the back of her station wagon. Although she did need the financial assistance, it was after a spell in a psychiatric hospital where she discovered that in order to recover, she needed something to do. So, she turned to making juice, which lead to need something cool and yet bright to wear to cover the stains. This lead to her creating her signature shift dress, made in bright and happy patterns. Her dresses became enormously popular and the rest is history. 

     But what can the Plus Sized Customer take from Lilly Pulitzer? A sense of colour. A love of pattern and the quelling of fears over wearing both. Regardless of your size, you can wear pattern and colour. Life is richer than a black wrap dress. I have found just the dresses to inspire you in a variety of price points!

The List:

1) The Brigitte: Cherry Velvet Plus: $179.99 (Made in Canada!)

2) Yellow Eyelet Dress: Addition-Elle: $99.99 (Canadian Company)

3) The Gigi: Cherry Velvet Plus: $175.00 (Made in Canada)

4) Fuchsia Rayon Dress: Old Navy: $29.94

5) Orange Cotton Dress: Ralph Lauren: $159.00

Enjoy!

Pencils Sharpened!

       Every woman needs a black pencil skirt in her wardrobe, she just does. They add effortless chic and polish to any outfit! Imagine how cute it would look with a chambray skirt and a statement necklace for brunch on weekends and then fast forward to Monday with a crisp white blouse and a string of pearls. I own three of the four of these skirt. I have yet to snap up the kiyonna skirt, but it is on "the list".

     What I love about the Igigi Monroe Skirt is that it tapers in at the bottom, creating a very sexy hourglass shape whilst not highlighting my full middle. It is lined and is very comfortable. And frankly, it is a great price. I ordered mine from Lucy and saved on the duty and shipping, seeing that Lucy is Canadian. However, with Igigi, remember to go down a solid size if not two. They are very generously cut. As a full 22W, I fit and thrive in an 18. 

     The Cult of California Harlow Midi Skirt is very comfortable, in that it is made from athletic stretch fabric. This also makes it quite curve hugging. Moreover, it comes with built in shorts, making this a perfect skirt for us folks with chub rub. (Chub Rub= thighs that rub together causing a nasty rash) I would wear this on a weekend, or in a relaxed office environment, as it is a very casual fabric. The elastic waist eliminates any sort of muffin top one may have. They fit true to size, so as a 22W, I fit a 3X. Ole!

     I chose to include the Kiyonna skirt because frankly, the plus size garment industry is obsessed with ruching. They would ruche a hanky. However, in their defense, ruching skims over all sorts of lumps and bumps. If you are hesitant to embrace a pencil, as you feel your figure would not be flattered by it, try this skirt. It is very flattering and has an elasticated waist. With Kiyonna, as a 22W, I fit a 3X

     Lastly, here is the Talbots pencil. I find that it has more of an A-line shape than that of a pencil, but it can easily be altered. This is the perfect skirt for you if you work in a formal office environment! I have had mine for seasons and the lining and wool makes it an excellent staple. Also, the wool drapes over curves, which again is a great feature for those who want to balance out an ample middle. It has a partially elasticated waist, which makes it a key piece to wear after rich holiday meals! Talbots fits true to size, so no shenanigans with sizing, here!

Here is the list!

Igigi Monroe Skirt: $69.99

Cult of California Midi Harlow Skirt: $57.00

Kiyonna Riley Skirt: $78.00

Talbots Seasonless Wool Skirt: $109.00

Enjoy!

   

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

Newspaper! Ayucka, ayucka.

*Ahem*

To me, black/white polka-dots and red are a classic combination. 

First of all, let me expound on the virtues of these pants. They are awesome. They are the perfect length. They are constructed of a solid, but comfortable fabric, that conceals many imperfections. The reason why you see me almost every day in jeans, and never in "slacks" (as I call them... pants to others) is because slacks (oh, also known as dress pants) always sit terribly on my midsection. Being "chubby" and having had two kids within 2 calendar years, has not been terribly kind to my belleh (as Fat Bastard would say), and slacks often make it look worse. But these beauts totally look fine. I might even tuck in a shirt in these pants! 

Maybe.

I feel perhaps they might even be worth going back and getting more colors! Which is something I NEVER do! They have a huge selection of colors, too.

As for the blouse, it was one of those "have to have it" the first time I saw it. It looks great under a blazer or cardigan too. Sadly, it is no longer available, but the option below in the Polyvore list might even be a nicer option! Especially given the touches of lace that are on the sleeves; very on-trend. This whole ensemble is pretty on-trend I think, you know, the whole Black and White thing. Its not very graphic, as I think this S/S's black and white trend is, but still... close! 

Sorry about the less-than-stellar quality of the images... I will endeavour to do better in future!

Spring Into Asos!

Now I will be the first to admit, I am dazzled by all the fun fashions that fit at Asos. Finally! On trend and cheap clothes with free shipping. Wow! So, I went an ordered 3 items. All of them were under 50 dollars and I was excited. The first item I received was the above dress. It was a bodycon fit, which is what I was expecting and it fit, well, bodycon-esque. I washed the item and the seams began to unravel, which I was disappointed with. I then washed the striped t shirt that I ordered (in cold!!) and it shrunk by 70%. I am currently giving them hell for that. However, I did buy the belt that is pictured. It may be polyurethane, but I am happy with the fit and the quality. It was also $13.00 shipped. (Did they make any money off that transaction, I wonder?) I will say, if you never need to wash a garment and you only have $50.00, then by all means, go with Asos. However, if you are looking for a piece that will stand up through the test of time and be in regular rotation, I would shy away from Asos. However, we did a fun photoshoot, so take a peek!