An Autumn Stroll

I love everything about the fall. The fashion, the cozy nights in, apple picking, and of course everything pumpkin. I realize how lucky I am to live where I do during this time of year. The autumn colours in Québec are absolutely gorgeous.

My fiancé and I decided to have a relaxing stroll this past Sunday to soak up all the fall goodness. The leaves haven't quite changed colour fully yet, but the season is definitely starting. Obviously, we also had to pick up our first Pumpkin Spiced Lattes of the year from Starbucks (literally fall in a cup). 

Okay... so we had to play in the leaves too :)

Such a perfect way to end the weekend! What are your favourite fall things to do?

Review: The Wet Brush

My hair’s needed a little more TLC than usual lately. In the past, my hair (like my skin) got oily pretty quickly. I avoided using hair products as much as I could for this reason. Recently though, I noticed that my hair was becoming more dry and that there was a lot of breakage. I decided to take a break from heat styling and let it air-dry whenever I could. 

As part of my hair rehab, I also decided to purchase the Wet Brush to tame my tangles post-shower. My hair is naturally thick and wavy, so it becomes a tangle gold mine whenever it’s wet. I had seen good reviews online for the Wet Brush, as well as similar products, so I thought I’d give it a try. When it finally got delivered, I was so excited to wash my hair so that I could use it (normally a task I absolutely dread). All I can say is that I was not disappointed! The Wet Brush is awesome. I can now painlessly brush my hair and get all the tangles out. Maybe it’s just in my head, but I also feel like my hair is more shiny and soft since I’ve been using this brush. I also love using it to brush through my curls after curling my hair.

The brush itself is really lightweight too and comes in cute colours. I obviously had to get the pink one. I ordered it online from Amazon for $14 . Definitely worth the money!

Have you guys tried the Wet Brush? How do you like it?

My Go to Breakfast: Power Packed Oatmeal

I could eat breakfast for any meal of the day (trust me I often do). I don’t know what it is about it that I find so comforting. I just love breakfast foods! That being said, I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to my everyday breakfast. My obsession with steel cut oats started in University. I wanted a breakfast that would keep me full and energized for a day of classes and then work in the evening. I heard so many great things about steel cut oats, so I thought I would give them a try.

As I needed to make breakfast quickly in the morning and steel cut oats take a longer time to cook than rolled oats, I started making a big batch of oatmeal at the beginning of the week. The great thing about making oatmeal in advance is that you have a nutritious breakfast ready for the week! Steel cut oats are a great source of fibre and protein, so they’ll keep you feeling fuller longer. You can store it in the fridge and just scoop out the portion you want. Pour a bit of water, almond milk, or skim milk on top to thin out the consistency and pop it in the microwave for one minute.  Once done, stir, add your desired toppings, and voilà! I love putting blueberries and almonds on mine. It's the perfect amount of sweetness and crunch!

I’ve recently amped up the nutritional value by adding chia seeds to my oatmeal. Chia seeds are another power food. They are a good source of fibre, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. I add a tablespoon to my oatmeal after heating it with water in the microwave. The chia seeds absorb the moisture and help to thicken the oatmeal. I just love the texture that it adds!

Hope you enjoy this healthy and quick breakfast idea. It only takes a little bit of prep at the beginning of the week, but it’s definitely worth it! Let me know what you think :) 

Ingredients

 Makes 4 servings

-1 Cup steel cut oats

-4 ½ Cups water

-1 Tbsp. chia seeds

-1/4 Cup water, almond milk, or skim-milk (to add to cooked oatmeal before heating it in microwave)

-Dash of cinnamon

-1/4 Cup blueberries

-Handful of almonds

Directions

To cook oatmeal:

1.     Add steel cut oats and 4 and ½ cups water to a medium saucepan.

2.     Cover and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce to medium heat and remove lid. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until water is absorbed. Stir occasionally.

3.     Let cool before storing in airtight container. Store in refrigerator.

To re-heat:

1.     Scoop out ½ cup of cooked oatmeal into a bowl.

2.     Add ¼ cup water to oatmeal.

3.     Heat in microwave for one minute.

4.     Remove bowl and stir to smooth out consistency.

5.     Add chia seeds and stir until they are evenly distributed.

Add blueberries, almonds, and cinnamon. Enjoy!

My Everyday Makeup

First things first, I’m no beauty expert. That being said, I love to experiment with different makeup looks and products (much to my budget’s dismay). While I do own and vow by a couple of high-end products, the majority of my makeup collection is from the drugstore. With work, wedding planning, and just day-to-day life, I like to keep my makeup routine simple and quick. I gravitate towards a natural look for everyday. Some days, I’ll skip foundation altogether and just use primer. I believe in letting my skin breathe every now and then. Lately, I’ve been grabbing the same products over and over again. I do change my routine up every so often, but here are the products I’ve currently been using:

            MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in NW20

            Rimmel London’s Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in Transparent

            Benefit’s the POREfessional Primer

            NARS Blush in Orgasm

            L’Oréal Paris True Match Foundation in Soft Ivory (N1)

            L’Oréal Paris Lineur Intense in Carbon Black

            L’Oréal Paris Super Liner Brow Artist in Brunette (01)

            Cover Girl’s Clump Crusher Mascara in Black

            Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Super Natural

            Maybelline New York’s The Nudes Palette 

MAC Select Cover-Up:

I started using this concealer when I was in university. It was my first “high-end” makeup purchase, and I remember feeling sick to my stomach about spending $17 on a concealer. I became hooked instantly. Over the years, I’ve experimented with other concealers, but I always keep coming back to this one. With medium to full coverage, I love using this concealer on my under eye area. It’s really easy to blend and a little goes a long way! I use less than a pea-sized amount to cover my under eye area, redness around my nose, and any blemish areas.

Rimmel London’s Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder:

I love love love this powder! I have oily skin, and it’s been a struggle to find a long-wearing powder that doesn’t turn cakey midday. This powder does a great job of keeping shine under wraps, as well as my makeup in tact. I still get some oily periods during the day,  but just a couple of dabs with a blotting sheet does the trick!

Benefit’s the POREfessional primer:

I resisted buying this product for a long time. I heard and read the rave reviews from a vast amount of beauty bloggers and vloggers, but I still wasn’t convinced. There was no way I was going to spend that kind of money on such a small tube of makeup. After wasting money on one drugstore primer after another though, I finally gave in and made a trip to Sephora. Like most people with oily skin, I find my pores rather large around my nose and cheek area. This primer somehow magically conceals them and makes my skin look even. It does such a great job, that I often just wear this alone instead of with foundation.

NARS Blush in Orgasm:

I got this blush as a birthday gift, and love everything about it! As the name suggests *ahem*, it gives my skin the most gorgeous natural flushed look. While this is an expensive item, I do understand why it is such a cult favourite. It’s the perfect everyday colour.

L’Oréal Paris True Match Foundation:

This is a really great natural-looking and lightweight foundation. Once again a little goes a long way though. I like to start with a small amount and then build up if I need to. It's perfect for days where I want a little more coverage.

L’Oréal Paris Lineur Intense in Carbon Black:

I’m not going to lie. Liquid eyeliner scares me. I’m always in awe when I see vlogger’s apply it effortlessly in makeup tutorials. This has to be the least intimidating and most user-friendly liquid liner I’ve ever come across. It’s felt-tip brush and easy to hold applicator make it easy to draw a thin line. I only use this on the upper-lash line for my daily look.

L’Oréal Paris Super Liner Brow Artist:

When it comes to my brows, I like a more natural look. This pencil is great for days when I just want to give my brows a quick fill-in for more definition. My eyebrow hairs have a mind of their own, so I especially love that this pencil has a wax crayon on one end to keep my brows in place.

Cover Girl’s Clump Crusher Mascara:

Like concealers, I’ve experimented with many different types of mascara over the years, but this one always does the job. True to its name, I never get clumps with this mascara and it does a good job of separating my eyelashes.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Super Natural:

For my everyday wear, I’m more of a lip-gloss than a lipstick girl. Since I like to keep my look more natural, I love the soft pink hue of this gloss. I don’t like lip-glosses that feel too sticky or too heavy, but this one is pretty lightweight and adds just the right amount of sheen.

Maybelline New York’s The Nudes Palette:

This is the newest addition to my makeup collection, and I do not regret making the purchase! I like to use taupe and brown shades for my everyday look and this palette offers lots of options. There are three sets of quads, and corresponding looks are provided on the back of the case. I still don’t have a favourite “go-to” colour, but I definitely do go for the lighter brown shades for my eyelid area. I’ll usually use one of the darker colours in the crease to add some definition depending on my mood.

My finished makeup look

Hope you found this post helpful! I know I love hearing about what products people use regularly, so I thought it’d be fun to share my own. Let me know if you have any questions or comments Xo