Covet & Acquire

What it is: The Shoppers Drug Mart-exclusive Quo brand delivers beauty gifts at all price points this season.

From contour palettes to fun party poppers, it can be a very merry (makeup) Christmas for everyone on your list.

Beauty bonus: The Luxury Lipstick Wardrobe ($30) is our pick of the release. Why? Well, aside from loving the selection of shades (and the affordable price!) we love when a gift set features full-sized products. It feels so much more special!

Beauty bummer: These sets may not suffice for a true makeup pro. But they're great for everyone else!

Overall: Good value and comprehensive collections of products and tools are the biggest benefits of the Quo Holiday 2016 gift sets.

From little stocking stuffer blending sponges (very cute) to full-on giant eye, lip and cheek palettes, there is a gift for everyone — at every price point. The holiday sets also feature nice touches such as full-sized mirrors in palettes, for a touch of added glam.
  
Would recommend? For impressive gifts at an affordable price, absolutely!
Price: $3-$100
Where to buy: Shoppers Drug Mart

What it is: Benefit's holiday collections are filled with cult classics and new favourites. Housed in collectable tins, boxes or an advent calendar (love!), these limited-edition sets are sure to be a hit under the Christmas tree.

Beauty bonus: The two gift sets we got — the Girl-a-Rama and Gals Just Wanna Have Fun kits — offered a complete face, except for foundation. Eyes, lips and cheeks are covered!

Beauty bummer: The eye shadows and blushes are not removable from the tins, making them a little difficult to grab for on-the-go use.

Overall: We love holiday sets! 'Tis the season to pick up staple brands and make new discoveries — while getting a great discount and product variety in one pack. And this season's sets from Benefit are no exception.

Our one caveat with these two tins? We personally always pick up sets with full-sized products, so if your shopping list includes a Benefit babe (ehem, like us!), skip the minis and grab a full-sized product. But if you're buying for a Benefit newbie, these are great introductions to the brand.

Would recommend? Yes! They're a perfect gift for a new or continuing Benefit fan — especially thanks to the super cute tins!
Price: Girl-a-Rama, $45; Gals Just Wanna Have Fun, $58.
Where to buy: Sephora

I'm all about adding classic pieces to my wardrobe rather than trend-focused ones. And this look includes so many style staples there's almost too many to count.

From the camel car coat and dark denim jeans, to this this amazingly chic gold watch from the Canadian brand Medium Watch Co. , I'm happy to say it embodies my efforts to opt for more timeless items that will last me for years.

That idea of longevity is what initially drew me to this lightweight, gold-tone watch. From the simple band to the just-large-enough-face, it's a piece that I know I will get a TON of wear out of.

Especially because I'm still super old-school and refuse to give up my watch ... even though I often check my smartphone for the time. ;)

Happy Wednesday and thank you for stopping by!

There are two MAJOR reasons why this is the perfect time to shop for over-the-knee boots:

1) It's getting freaking cold outside!

2) It's almost Cyber Week!

You don't have to live in the States to take advantage of Cyber Week deals — especially not for us Canadians because many retailers here even get in on the action.

So, with those two things in mind, I've rounded up a few of my favourite over-the-knee boots that will ensure you're stepping out in high style this winter — while maybe even saving a few bucks, too. #winwin

Happy shopping!

I've always struggled with adding prints into my wardrobe, preferring instead to wear solid colours — and even better — monochrome looks.

This look is no exception. But while it boasts all solid shades, I tried to incorporate new textures into the look that I don't usually wear such as suede and, yes, sparkles.

I'm obsessed with these sparkly sock boots from Zara. While they're a tad garish at first glance, they're SUPER comfortable, and surprisingly versatile. Plus, I've received FAR more compliments on them than I have on my pricier pairs. ;)

Now if only I could make myself forget that Zara just released them in pink and black neoprene. Swoon! Would you wear sparkly boots?

Happy Wednesday and thank you for stopping by!

What it is: A nail polish infused with Argan oil to nourish nails while providing a colourful pop to your mani (or pedi!).

Beauty bonus: We tried a shimmery shade called Therapewter, which went on a bit sheer with one coat. We were into the versatility of being able to decide how saturated the colour was without looking streaky.

Beauty bummer: Don't skip the top coat: it was quite fragile, chipping with minimal wear.

Overall: Ok, so we now know that a big brush, along with a super-cool shade, are things we really like when picking a polish. And this collection provides both.

We really enjoyed how smoothly this polish applied and the large brush made the process of painting go so much faster.

While we didn't notice much in the way of immediate benefit from the Argan infusion, we're hopeful for long-term results.

Where to buy: London Drugs, Walmart
Price: $10.97

If there's one word to describe Mykonos, Greece, it's majestic.

From the crystal-clear waters, to the abundance of eye-catching colours around every turn, the small island's main village boasts much of the charming architecture and Insta-worthy photo opps as oh-so-popular Santorini — but it's made better by one main thing: smaller crowds.

Although it's sure to be abuzz in the height of tourist season, I found this village to be charming and easily accessible when I visited in late May.

I only had a half-day here (oh, how I wish I'd had longer!), but I still got a good sense of what Mykonos has to offer.

I recommend getting a little lost in the maze of tiny alleyways and weaving your way in and out of the countless shops and cafes. It's a great place to snap up textiles and jewelry — although I did find much of it was made in Turkey due to it's proximity. And I recommend trying the fried feta coated in sesame seeds — delish!

After you're done wandering the village (and especially after you've eaten that fried cheese! ;)) take a small hike up to the top of the hill and look down at the village, beach and ocean beyond. It's a breathtaking vantage point, I promise!

Check out what I wore during my time in Mykonos here. And be sure to check back here for more Covet & Acquire Travel Guides.

I'm big on dressing for your surroundings — and by that, I mean I love dressing up when I'm on vacation. ;)

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I just came back from a quick trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

If you haven't been to this Southwestern stopover, I seriously suggest you add it to your list of must-see places. (Full city guide coming soon!)

From the hotels (I stayed at the Eldorado and loved it!) and architecture, to the shops and eateries, Santa Fe serves up a slice of nostalgia that's worth seeing — and getting dressed up for, of course.

I knew it would be the perfect destination to break out my suede Mackage moto jacket ... and a whole lot of black, of course.

While I'll openly admit I was SUPER nervous to start wearing this jacket because of the somewhat fragile tendencies of suede, I'm happy to report it held up very well* when I wore it during pretty much every moment of my vacay.

*Just make sure you spray it with a stain protector before your first wear! 
Happy Wednesday and thank you for stopping by!

 
What it is: A trio of semi-permanent cream eyeshadows that work to reduce the need for retouching throughout the day while continuing to moisturize delicate eye skin.

Beauty bonus: When touched or rubbed, the shadow seemed to stay put a little better than other cream shadows we've tried.

Beauty bummer: While the shimmer shadows have nice shine, the matte shade was a little disappointing. It was very muted, without a huge amount of pigment even with (what we thought) was a lot of product.

Overall: We tried the Garden of Eden kit and were impressed by the creamy texture of these shadows — and we enjoyed the included eyeliner and application brushes in the set.

We have found synthetic brushes work best with cream shadows and this was no exception. The company tailored its shadow sets to complement its main product — lash extensions — so if fall out from shadow is a major annoyance for you, this cream formulas would be a perfect fit.

We tested the waterproof claim, and found they stood up pretty well. While they required a fair amount of elbow grease to remove the product with simple soap and water, an oil-based remover worked like a charm.

Would recommend? As a set, probably not. But the single shimmer shades were so good, we'd say finding them on their own and picking up one (or two colours) is a must!
Price: $54 US
Where to buy: NovaLash.com