Covet & Acquire

The post-holiday period can be such a struggle.

From paying off bills to setting goals for the new year ahead, there is so much to do that is so un-fun. Seriously.

So, what better way to beat the late Jan./early Feb. blues than with a giveaway!?

I've always loved the idea of having a custom-painted handbag. I mean, could there be anything cooler than a one-of-a-kind piece?

But I first got the idea to paint one on my own — rather than relying on the skills of a pro artist — after spotting awesome fellow blogger Alyssa Lau's Coach Swagger bag DIY.

She made it look so easy (even though I have a sinking suspicion she's probably pretty good with a paintbrush already!), so I thought, why not give it a shot?

I grabbed my tried-and-tre leather bag from Le Chateau (see it before here and here!) and got to work painting.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the results. See the quick step by step below.

Happy Wednesday and thank you for stopping by.

A video posted by Aleesha Harris (@aleesha_h) on Jan 26, 2016 at 4:02pm PST

Some coats just make a statement.

I call this coat my Wonder Woman cape (at least in my head I do) because it instantly makes me feel more chic and stylish.

Paired with simple basics such as a black turtleneck and my favourite jeans, it's a confidence booster ... and a converstation starter, to be sure.

Now, if only I could find it online so I could give you guys the link. Stay tuned ...

Happy Monday and thank you for stopping by!

As soon as I saw this sweater, I just knew I had to have it.

Not only do I love New York as much as I love pizza (and I love me some pizza!), but I've also been on a big grey kick ... so this sweater was basically a must-own.

Speaking of New York, I've been eager to get my travel on in 2016 but don't have many concrete plans yet. (Do you?)

Maybe just maybe a return to NYC will be in order! But, until then, I'll just have to settle for this top.

Happy Friday and thanks for stopping by!

What it is: From the Korean skincare brand Racinne, which also has a Canadian division, the Aqua Blanc line focuses on brightening and evening out skin tone using Niacinamide (B3) and Lotus Callus Extract to help skin appear more radiant.

Short sleeves in January? Not exactly. That's just what happens when your coat ends up making you look like a big, green marshmallow in photographs.

So, the coat obviously had to go.

And because I actually had a pro photog shooting my outfit (rather than myself or my sister!) on the evening we shot this look, I wanted to make sure I didn't waste the opportunity by looking like The Hulk.

Ergo, I decided to freeze. Oh, the things we bloggers do for blog photos. :P

Happy Monday and thank you for stopping by!

I don't know about you, but I feel like I've hit the ground running at full speed in 2016.

And I'd hate to admit it ... but I'm already feeling a bit tired.

One of the things I vowed to do this year was spend a little more time on me. Taking better care of my physical and mental health in order to make great strides in achieving my goals.

I won't call it a resolution, I'll call it a personal mindset revolution — and if I'm being completely honest, I haven't been doing so well at it lately.

So this weekend I'm going to try to spend a little bit more time on myself. Wish me luck.

Happy Friday and thank you for stopping by.

What it is: A mineral based, Canadian cosmetic line SST that delivers high-quality products formulated without chemicals like parabens and talc. These products are not tested on animals. 

The latest collection, Powerplay Powerstay, consists of an eye pencil, lip pencil and brow pencil that promise stay-all-day colour. 

Beauty bonus: Nary a feather in sight with this high-impact lip colour! 

Beauty bummer: While the shadow stick was very creamy and easy to apply, we wished it would turn more powder-like post application. It stayed a bit greasy throughout the day. 

Overall: Three pencils to streamline our bulging beauty bags? Sounds like a dream. 

Cosmetics that are formulated with skin protecting antioxidants? Even better! 

We loved the brow pencil — it looked natural, was easy to apply and didn't budge all day. 

The lipstick was fantastic, the colour was super flattering, the texture was creamy on and it had some serious staying power — as promised! As with all mattes, a little lip prep was needed to achieve the best results (hello, lip scrub!). 

As mentioned above, the shadow stick left us a little disappointed. The formula didn't set as well as we would have hoped, but it certainly did stay put. With these shadow pencils, makeup remover is definitely required. 

Would I recommend? Brow and Lip colour — yes! Shadow stick — probably not. 
Price: $27.95 each 
Where to buy: sstsignatureseries.com 
—Review by Covet and Acquire beauty editor Kirsten

It's been a while ... but I've finally put together a new handbag comparison review video — this time of two iconic CHANEL handbags, the Wallet on a Chain and the Square Mini.

I've been on the hunt for a long, trench-style wool coat for a while now — so as you can imagine, I was pretty stoked when I spotted this one at Le Chateau.

The length makes it feel modern and streamlined while the classic cut ensures it will stay in style for years to come.

Now I just have to remind myself to give it a rest every once in a while and wear my other jackets.

Happy Friday and thank you for stopping by!

What it is: A fine line-fighting, de-puffing duo that help soothe and revitalize delicate eye skin. 

Beauty bonus: A subtle radiance is infused in the serum to brighten eyes as well as hydrate. 

Beauty bummer: In the morning, we could still feel a bit of residue on skin. 

Overall: Don't be fooled by the simple packaging on these gems, they pack quite the hydrating punch in their relatively unassuming bottles.

Boasting an extra boost of caffeine and vitamin B5, the eye roller is a welcome treatment for tired, post-holiday-stressed eyes, while the serum is quite luxe feeling on the skin. 

Would I recommend? Yes! We were blown away by the quality of these products. For a drug store brand — and even for a pricier prestige line — the results were eye opening. 

Price: $16.99 for the Eye Roller, $25.99  for the Eye Serum 
Where to buy: Shoppers Drug Mart 
—Review by Covet and Acquire beauty editor Kirsten 

I've been on a mission lately to redecorate my personal space. From my closet to my sitting area, I've wanted to give them all a New Year's (cosmetic) overhaul!

But I admittedly don't have a huge budget to work with right now — thanks to a bit of a holiday finance hangover — so I was looking for a way to breathe new design life into my home without breaking the bank.

So, I set out to my local Value Village store to find some pieces for a few easy DIYs.

Master DIYers, consider yourselves warned, if there's one thing I don't have, it's patience for arts and crafts.

I refuse to spend hours painting anything, let alone a DIY project, and I loathe when things come out looking homemade — which my DIY projects usually do.

So with these caveats in mind, the following home decor DIY ideas are quick, easy and relatively painless.

Without further ado, here are my four favourite home decor DIYs on a budget.