his & her's - the art of navy

Navy has a special place in my heart and it's a colour that I believe works on everyone. 

For men, a navy suit is something that should be in every guy's wardrobe because it can be paired with an array of colours. For women, navy is an awesome alternative to black, allowing us to explore our dark side. 

Navy is a great transition colour as it works with all season. White and navy is a crisp combination in spring/summer while navy and brown is great for fall/winter. 

I truly believe that navy is a fool proof colour that everyone should have in their closet. 

travelling essentials: carry-on purse & make-up bag

A couple months ago an opportunity came up for me to travel to Chicago and the moment it was offered I said yes. I'm here for 6 days and I managed to fit everything I needed in a carry-on size suit case! Now mind you, I didn't have a choice when it came to the size of my suitcase. I didn't have the next size up so therefore I was forced to fit all my things in this bag. BUT, 3 days into my trip, I can attest that I was able to fit everything I need. You have no idea how proud I am of this because I don't travel often at all, so for me to "master" packing, I felt that it was my duty to share this wealth of knowledge!

I'm just kidding...I'm not an expert but I thought I should just share with you some of the things that I've packed in order to save space and avoid over packing. Let's start with what I've packed in my carry-on purse and my make-up bag:

Whenever I'm flying or driving (we drove down to Chicago and flying back up to Toronto), I try to be really light when it comes to my carry-on purse. But remember that this will vary depending on the duration of travel time. Obviously the longer the flight, the more I'd pack.  The one thing that I don't bother with is bringing all my make-up. I just bring with me the things that I use to touch-up such as my Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in light and the L'Oreal Voluminous Hydrofudge waterproof mascara. I get too parinoid that I didn't pack it right and worry that it will get taken away from me. Then I would be left faceless for the rest of my trip with is NOT a pretty sight. The rest of the things that I pack are a given with things like headphones, money, passport, portable charger, lip balm, and so on. One thing that I've learned to pack (and something that my mom always insist I pack every time) is pen and paper. I don't know why but every time I travel, I always need it. 

Fitting 6 days worth of outfits/accessories and just overall stuff was very challenging so my make-up was wilted down to things that I use everyday. My first time would be to take things that has dual purposes. For example, my Hourglass primer doubles as both my face and eye primer. My Anastasia brow dipbrow pomade doubles as my eyeliner. I took one eye shadow pallet with me and of course it's the Urban Decay Naked 1 pallet because it has all the colours you need to change up the look from day to night. When you're limited in what you can bring, a tip that I have is to do your make up like you normally would and each time you use a product put it in a make-up. By the end of it, you will know exactly what you need to pack.

Like I said, I can attest that by packing like this ensures that you're talking only what you need. Next, I'll show you how to pack outfits so again, you only take what you'll actually wear.

Mondays are always the hardest to wake up from especially when the weekend seems to have just gone with a blink of an eye. But I'm going to share with you some of my tricks to get the week off to a good and productive start.

1. It all starts with a little planning - devote 10 -20 minutes on Sunday evening to look at what you have planned for the week.You don't have to plan each minute of the week but take a glance of what you've penciled in so that you can make the adjustments you need to. I like to make lists for each day and space my errands/tasks out so that no one day is heavier than the other. This will help get in the right mindset so that nothing comes up and surprises you.

2. Wind down - as much as you want to do everything and anything on the weekend, I find that having a lazy Sunday really helps you get ready for the week. As much as possible I try not to plan too much on a Sunday or attend anything that will keep me up late. My Sundays usually consist of staying home and just relaxing. Whether it's just watching a movie or painting my nails, all I want to do is just wind down before the chaos of the upcoming week starts. 

3. Make your bed - as simple as it sounds, making your bed right when you wake up really helps gets your day going in the right direction. It sets the pace of clearing your head and making the space around you less cluttered. Another reason why I like making my bed is that it just looks good. 

4. Have breakfast - food is always a good idea, especially first thing in the morning. This will give you the energy you need to sustain that productive pace through out the day. For me, breakfast is a time where I can take my time to drink my coffee, eat and catch up with social media. You may have to sacrifice some sleep but I promise it will be worth it.

5. Tidy up - My very last tip is to pick up after yourself right away. Quickly washing the dishes you used from your breakfast, hanging the towel you used when washing up or putting your pj's in the right place - it's the little things you do that will prevent you from having piles and piles of things to clean up later on. Just like making your bed, tiding up as soon as you can helps clear the space around you and clears your mind

As simple as these things are, I will be the first admit that it does take some sacrifice to get them done. All five tips are habits that you can build to help get your week off on the right foot.

his & her's || his stripes & suede

There's something about a man that can somehow throw together an outfit that looks so put together but yet be so simple at the same time. This mister's outfit consisted of four pieces. FOUR pieces, that's it.

1. jacket || Tommy Hilfiger

2. striped sweater || H&M

3. chambray shirt || Tommy Hilfiger

4. jeans || Gap

5. clarks || Little Burgundy

The thing that you have to remember about men's fashion is that for them less really is more. Pay attention to the details of the pieces that you're selecting for them. Men (although they really could if they wanted to) don't have the luxury of playing up their outfit with a million accessories like us women. So if you're trying to put an outfit together for yourself or for a certain fella in your life, take time to look at the little quirks of the garment. For example, the components of his outfit are very basic but it's the details of the sweater's shoulder or the different patterns on the jacket that give the outfit dimension and personality. 

Bottom line: don't over think a gentlemen's outfit. Just because it's simple doesn't mean that it has to be boring. 

the big 2-3

Happy (belated) birthday to me!

Yesterday was my 23rd birthday and it was probably the most simple birth that I had. I spent the day with Albert and we were able to go shopping! We usually don't take our time when it comes to shopping but since it was my birthday, why not! So thought I would share with you the day's events and see the way I celebrated my first day into my "Jordan" years...

                         

1. started off my birthday with an awesome "e-card" all the way from Bahamas =)

2. lunch at an awesome place called Stoney's Bread Company

3. just waiting for our food. If you're in the Oakville area, this place is a must try!

4. Pesto Pollo and Americana pizza...get in my belly!

5. I'm a cheese lover and so when I saw just how ooy-gooy their cheese was I was in heaven

6. half and half, that's just how couple share their food

7. a sneaky purchase may have been made at the Kate Spade outlet by the bf as my present..hmmm not too bad!

8. Yourty's with this little one

9. oh that innocent smile before all the sugar kicked in

my go-to nail polishes: nice & natural

The next group of colours in my nail polish series are colours that I think every girl should have in their collection and those are the nudes.

There are various instances in which dark, bold colours are not allowed (ex: work, school, meetings) but if you're like me and you're obsessed with the idea of always having your nails painted then check out my favourite nudes...

1. Gold Silk by Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro

This nail polish is great if you're looking for a colour that is very subtle. If you're someone that's playing around with nail polishes and want to ease into it, this is a good start for you. It goes on extremly sheer (which was a little annoying at first) but is definitely build-able in order to reach the opacity you see through the bottle. Lasting power of this nail polish is great and despite having to pile on the layers, it dries very quickly between coats. 

2. Shell Pink by Pure Ice

Right off the bat this colour is a great dupe for ballet slippers by essie (which I love). But what's better about this brand is it's literally 1/8 of the price. I had purchased this at Target for no more than $2.00 and it was one of those "start the car" moments. It's the perfect pale/baby pink colour that makes hands just look so polished. The lasting power of this about 5-7 days before there are any serious chipping and I had to put on three layers in order to get the colour where I wanted it to be. But did I mention that this was less than $2.00? #cheapAF =)

3. Pied-a-terre by CoCo C& LuLu

This is colour is just...amazing. It's the perfect grey colour without being too dark or too light. I personally love grey but when it's translated into nail polishes there seems to be a tendency for them to make my hands look dead or super cold. The lasting power of any CoCo & LuLu polish is awesome, with it's lifespan reaching 5 days without a top coat. To get the opacity seen in the bottle, it took me about three coats and drying time wasn't too long. 

4. Teas and Crumpet by L'Oreal 

I LOVE THIS NUDE. Need I say more? No seriously, this is my favourite nude colour. This will literally make it seem like you're wearing nothing on your nails. For those who are a different skin tone compared to me, it will alter the colour of this nude. But for me, it blends into my skin so well that it elongates my hands and again, it makes my hands look so polished. I would say that this is a great drug store dupe for Sand Tropez by Essie and just like my previous dupe find, it's considerably cheaper. Lasting power of this polish is amazing considering I never wear top coat and opacity of this is great, only needing two coats. 

I truly believe that nude shades are something that all girls should have in their collection. There's just those days that you want to go really simple with your nails and neutrals are the ways to go.

But for those days where you want all the attention to be on your nails, my third and final installment within this series will look at those fun and flirty colours that are perfect for nights out or a day on the beach. So stay tuned to see what colour I recommend! 

everyday make-up routine

Ever since I was in middle school I have used make-up. I know that seems too young but in my defense have been suffering with bad skin since then! I had older sisters and friends that were into make-up then and I discovered that make-up was a good way of concealing what mother nature was doing to me. Now that I'm a little older I have been able to control my acne-prone skin to a certain extent. But despite taming my skin, I still don't feel 100% when I don't have a face of make-up on. 

If you're someone like me and need that medium to full coverage, these products will help a ton. Most, if not all, products are easy to get a hold of and are affordable. 

1. Victoria Secret ultimate look shadow trio || most wanted 

2. Victoria Secret chic cheeks cream blush || je t'amie

3. Joe Fresh brow powder || brown

4. Elizabeth Arden pure finish mineral powder foundation SPF 20 || 02

5. Rimmel Scandaleyes show off mascara ||003 extreme black 

6. Joe Fresh eye shadow || bisque

7. Rimmel lasting finish 25 hour foundation || 201 classic beige

8. E.O.S lip balm

9. Mac cream sheen || cream in your coffee

10. Rimmel match perfection 2-in-1 concealer and highlighter || 230 fair/light

11. Rimmel exaggerate waterproof eye definer || 261 black 

12. NYC smooth skin bronzing face powder || 720A sunny 

brushes:

1. Elf cosmetics || studio powder brush

2. Elf cosmetics || essential concealer brush 

3. Sonia Kashuk || 100 powder brush 

I have repurchased my Rimmel foundation at least 3 times and I have all the empty containers to prove it. It gives amazing coverage and it will literally last through the hottest summer day. I'm not the type to fuss with my make-up through out the day so I like to do my make-up once in the morning and forget about it. The same idea goes with my eyeliner and  I have vowed that the exaggerate waterproof eyeliner is the only one I will use for the rest of my life...Okay probably not but I've repurchased this product various times just because it works so well for me. 

When it comes to the eyes, I keep it very simple. Smokey eyes don't have to be difficult and could be easily created with just your fingers! This trio set is perfect because it gives you everything you need to create that look.

Blush and bronzer are what gives your face life so don't forget about them! Just by adding a swipe of each to your face it will give you more dimension. This Victoria Secret blush gives me the right amount of colour without making me look like a clown. NYC's sunny bronzer is perfect for me because it keeps my face from looking "muddy" and the fact that it's matte helps with my already shinny/oily face.

Wearing make-up doesn't have to be intimidating. It took me literally years to find the products that are right for me and who knows? Maybe there are even better products out there for my skin type and needs but it's a matter of trial and error. 

I hope this helped you a little if you have similar skin needs as me and don't be afraid to share your thoughts or ask questions through the comments. Also, I would love to see your everyday make-up so tag me on instagram @twelvemonthsofmay or use the hashtag #twelvemonthsofmay to share!