New In - Vintage, Handcrafted and Unique Items

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Today I want to show you some vintage, handcrafted and new items from shops in Kensington Market and from the store Urban Outfitters on Yonge Street. Last weekend I checked out Kensington Market for the first time and it turns out that I totally love it there even though my friends and I went on a really cold day. I found those amazing see through stone earrings and the knot twisted ring together in a store called ‚Courage my Love‘. The two necklaces from UO remind me of the ‚Tales of the Thousand and One Nights‘ and are perfect to combine with my free people boho dresses. Last but not least I found a cool, striped vintage men’s shirt from Levi's at a store called ‚Subrosa‘ and I can not wait to knot it up to wear it in spring with some high wasted pants. 

I will definitely check out the neighborhood again - probably when its getting warmer.... ;)

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Dressing Up A Strength Coach

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My boyfriend, Ty, is a strength and conditioning coach at a gym in Toronto.  Being a trainer he has a lot of split shifts and a lot of long days at the gym.  This means he spends most of his days in a t-shirt, runners and shorts or sweatpants.  Not totally fashion forward, am I right?  Aside from work, he likes to get away from the sweats but still be in something practical and stylish.  He likes to opt for pieces that are simple and well tailored, like this coat, and maybe one piece with a little personality, like this ombre sweater.  

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Shot using a 50 mm lens.

Buddha in Paris

I think it's important to surround yourself with things that make you happy. School can be hectic and when you can come home to an environment that makes you smile it can help with stress and even help you feel creative and re-energized for homework. Here are some shots of my favourite little things around my apartment. Even things like jewellery or accessories can be used as art for your home.

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40's of Beer and Photo Shoots

ITZSOWEEZEE is a media and entertainment group that caters to lovers of hip-hop, house and electronic dance music. As their creative coordinator, I styled the boys for a shoot that was to be used for their website: www.itzsoweezee.com. Here are some behind the scenes shots of how things went. These are some of the nicest, chillest guys I’ve had the pleasure of working with and when they’re not chugging a 40oz of beer, they make some pretty cool music. So, if you have the time, I suggest checking out their website.

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More than a simple dress..

Fashion is so much more than just making garments. Fashion is a form of art which gives you the ability to combine many of your interests and loves. One of my loves since high school has been engineering. After a year of studying at the Fashion Communication program of Ryerson University i learned how to combine my two loves, fashion and engineering. 

This dress has 4 circular vinyl pieces which spin around with the help of 4 battery powered gear motors.

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Using a lot of equipment from Home Depot, a small electronic shop at College and Spadina and fabric stores, i was able after a week of hard work to put this dress together and showcase it at the second Wearable Art Show.

The 2 gear motors in front of the chest had 60rpm (rounds per minute), so when the model breathes and her chest moves it will not affect the spinning of the circular panel.

The other 2 gear motors wear 100rpm.

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 Using a lot of techniques which i learned from my first year in Design class i was able to sew the vinyl pieces together and create the circular panels. 

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Fashion gives you the ability to challenge yourself and your creativity, to push your imagination to its limits and create something beautiful.

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Adventures in Makeup 101

Putting your best face forward and being your most beautiful you is key in the fashion industry, but the idea of makeup can be extremely intimidating to a lot of people, with the hundreds upon hundreds of step-by-step guides available, ranging from the simple (ie, how to put on mascara properly) to the complex (full facial contouring anyone... eep!), it's easy to get lost! But it doesn't have to be so scary! In a few easy and quick steps (and with the help of some hair product), the lovely Miss Tessa proves that a full face of makeup doesn't have to be overdone!

Before: 

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School can have its toll, and late nights can leave you looking tired (even though Tessa's skin is still painfully perfect, *super jealous*) but a little foundation and powder goes a long way! Here I used MAC's Studio Fix Foundation, Makeup Forever Professional Matte Pressed Powder, ELF baked blush and Quo Sun-Kissed Bronzer.

With Foundation/Powder:

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Because makeup is intended to enhance your already beautiful self, I like to use eyeshadow that really brings out the colour of the iris. Tessa has greenish-gray eyes with some hints of copper, so I opted for a subtle brown and gold smokey eye to really bring out the natural colour. Here I used Two-Faced Daytime Smoky Eye Palette (colours used were Cream, Fawn and Bronze), and Marcelle Lash X-tension mascara in Extreme Black. 

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For a night out (or a day in, or pretty much all the time), I always encourage rocking a cat eye, (go big or go home right?) and doing Tessa's makeup was no exception! (Mine got a little wonky towards the wing here... oops!) Used here is Maybelline Stiletto Liquid Eyeliner in Black. 

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Of course we can't forget to spice up the hair a bit -Tessa's loose curls took about 5 minutes with a straightening iron- and a quick outfit change, and voila! (The lipstick pictured is ELF Studio Lipstick in Nicely Nude). 

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Overall this look took about half an hour, including time for hair, but it looks classy, glamourous and youthful without being overdone, perfect for a casual day of class, or a night out on the town!

February Favourites

I've been trying a lot of new beauty products lately, and I decided to share with you some of my favourites this month.

First up is The Body Shop's tea tree oil.

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My skin is still recovering from my Hawaiian vacation over the break.  Hawaii was great for my mental state, not so great on my skin.  Hotel products are not for my skin type.  This little baby was recommended to me by a makeup artist friend of mine, who swears by tea tree oil.  It is supposed to dry out all your blemishes and leave you with flawless skin.  Thus far, it hasn't failed me yet.  Also, I heard a little rumour that putting a drop or two in your shampoo helps make your hair extra soft.

Bite Lip Stain

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This is a recommendation from my baby sister.  In my family, dry lips is a very serious condition.  I was complaining about my lips and how they looked on screen and she tells me she's trying this new lip stain.  This girl (my sister) walks into Sephora and goes up to the first sales associate she sees and says, "Give me your most moisturizing lipstick."  Et voila!  Bite Lip Stain to the rescue.  I'll admit, this stain does hide the flaking on my lips pretty darn well.  It's not a dry lips solution, but it'll do for now.

Sephora Plum Daze Blinged Palette

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A holiday gift from my older sister.  Love, love, love the colours.  Although not shown in the picture here, this palette also comes with blush and several colours of lip gloss in a hidden lower compartment.  I don't use the dinky, little brushes, but everything else is great.