Why Don't You?

A big congratulations to our two prize winners of the Zombomb bath products. The winner of the four bath bombs package is Joy! The winner of the bath salts is Cristina! I will be emailing both of you soon to get your mailing addresses so I can send you your prizes. Thanks to everyone who entered. Sad you didn’t win? We have another great international giveaway that just started for a wonderful full-sized bubble necklace, a leaf necklace, two earrings, and a cocktail ring. You can enter here. Taking a page from the legend Diana Vreeland’s “Why Don’t You?” column from Bazaar, it’s time for a “Why Don’t You?” Thursday! Here are twenty things I think you should seriously consider doing.

 

 

 

…try one of the fall fashion trends?

…try one of the fall make-up trends?

…create a fashion bucket list – things you wish to buy before you die?

…create a style board? Go through magazines and clip out anything that inspires you stylewise – it doesn’t have to be clothing or accessories. Then make a collage on a bulletin board with your findings.

…try on a style that you never thought would look good on you? Who knows? It might look great! …try on a colour you never thought would look good on you?

…learn to shop on eBay? This is my go to place for one-of-a-kind finds and great deals without having to leave my house.

…get friends together for a clothing/accessory swap? With the recession, this is a great way to get new-to-you stuff without paying a dime.

…do some fall closet cleaning/organizing and donate your clothes to charity?

…feed your dog some bacon? Zeke – get off my computer!! Your article isn’t until tomorrow!

…get a makeover? Enlist the help of a friend or head to your nearest cosmetics counter for a free makeover.

…try a new hairstyle? Head to your library and check out the hairstyle magazines, or hit the internet and see what the stars are doing, then go to your trusted hairdresser.

…try a new haircolour? Do blondes have more fun? Are redheads truly spicy? Find out by changing your colour. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to your original colour.

…take your clothes that don’t fit properly to a tailor? Nothing cheapens an outfit faster than clothes that do not fit.

…try on a pair of shoes you would never buy? If you mostly buy heels – try on flats and vice versa. …buy a statement necklace? Chunky necklaces are in right now.

…put together a bunch of outfits (including accessories), take photos of them and display the photos on the back of your closet door? These can be your go-to outfits when you are having a “I don’t have anything to wear” day.

…wear red lipstick? EVERYONE can wear red lipstick. You just need to find the shade that is right for you.

…go shopping with a friend who has a different style than you and buy something she suggests? …check out a thrift shop? I have found great stuff at Value Village, Goodwill, Salvation Army Thrift Store, etc.

…check out a consignment store? Designer ones are a great place to get that piece for your wardrobe that you could never afford brand new.

Let me know what you do and how it works out for you!

Our post on Halloween costumes was chosen as one of ifb’s Links à la Mode for the week of October 31st! Do yourself a favour and check out the other great links shown below from wonderful bloggers.

Creatures of the Night

The first of the “Holidays” is finally here. Halloween. While everyone has their favorite holiday, Halloween is special for fashion lovers. You can be anything you want for an evening, dress up, freak out, and party down. If you put off your costume until now, this special roundup has excellent last-minute costume and DIY ideas. Some of my personal best costumes have come literally 45 minutes before I headed out for the night. Of course you’ll be wanting to take good care of your skin through all the costuming, with great tips for night skincare, Halloween beauty you can wear all year and when you’re out late tonight, you’ll want to speed up your routine tomorrow morning.

Live well, be safe, and have a wonderful Halloween!

Links à la Mode: October 31st

• All That Glitters: DIY Minnie Mouse
• Alysalovely: 10 Easy Costume Ideas Using 3 Pieces You Already Have
• Burgundy Whispers: Night Time Skincare Routine
• Clothes But Not Quite: Still Scared About Not Having A Halloween Costume?
• DressCode:HighFashion: 10 Black & Orange High Fashion Looks for Halloween 2013
• Empathetically Elle: DIY Flapper Costume
• Fashion Trends & More: How to Incorporate Cat Prints & Motifs into Your Wardrobe
• Happy Pretty Sweet: A Brief History of the Twinset
• Incognito: Thoughts on racism on the catwalks
• Kiri Yanchenko: Do It Yourself Tokyo Street Style
• Lara Lizard: Pirate be ye? Arr!
• Late Night Minutes: DIY Wonder Woman halloween costume
• Moi Contre La Vie: Workwear: Business Casual Staples
• Sannam and Style: Green Halloween – Body Con Dress and Green Booties
• Sobbing on Fifth: Speed Up Your Morning Routine`
• Storybook Apothecary: 6 Cute & Cheap DIY Halloween Costume Ideas!
• Versatile Journal: CODE #000000
• Walking Talking Style: 4 Ways to Wear a Flannel Shirt this Fall/Winter
• Wild Beauty: Every Day is Halloween: Makeup Tricks for Year-Round
• Wishing for Chanel: Halloween costumes for the fashion conscious 2013

 

SPONSOR: Shopbop Men’s Arc’Teryx Veilance, MCM, Hudson+Bleeker, Morning Warrior, Ela Bags, Coast-Wide, Micah Cohen, Sarah Magid, Nina Ricci, Latest from East Dane

And have a…

Bubble Necklace And Jewelry Giveaway!

Would you like a free black bubble necklace (full-sized – not the mini version), a leaf necklace, two pairs of earrings, and a cocktail ring? Well you might be in luck.

We are having a very simple giveaway and it’s international, so everyone can enter! All you have to do to enter is vote for our blog to win best fashion blog in Canada. It takes two seconds and you don’t have to register.

IMPORTANT: Click on the blue Vote 1+ button not the facebook like button so your vote is counted. We will be checking so be honest, k?

Enter now because this giveaway ends Sunday November 17th, 2013 at 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time. The entry form is below the prize photos.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday's OOTW - Double Rainbows!!!

What does it mean?!? It means a while back I went shopping at a favourite consignment store with a good friend. She pointed out a sweet pair of never worn rainbow heels. I think that maybe they ended up there because let’s face it, it takes a certain kind of person to wear rainbow pumps. For better or for worse, I’m that kind of person. And this is how I feel when I wear them.

Sunglasses ?? (similar) // Blazer COSTCO $30 (similar) // Blouse Suzy Shier $20 (similar) // Purse Smart Set $20 //Silver Pyramid Bracelet ebay $1 // Silver Rhinestone Bracelet ebay $1 // Silver Stud Bracelet Smart Set Sold In A Set Of Three $5 (In Stores) // Cords Joe Fresh $20 // Pumps $30 Caprice Consignment (Cannot find anything similar, sorry!)

They are so beautiful!! *crying*

Would you rock rainbow shoes?

 

Monday's Meme

Still Scared About Not Having A Halloween Costume? I Can Help!

With Halloween coming up soon, I thought I’d help you out with some costume ideas and how to create them. Here are some suggestions on how to look stylish for Halloween:

Katy Perry

Why not try a Katy Perry costume? Every day used to be a costume day for her so there are many outfits to choose from. The above outfit from her California Girls video seems quite easy to create. Buy a cheap white strapless form fitting dress. Buy some styrofoam balls, cut them in half and colour them in fuchsia, blue, and yellow. Glue gun them onto the dress. Buy a blue wig – they have some at Ardene and Value Village. Buy a chunky white bracelet and throw on some high heels. Make sure you put on some fuchsia lipstick, fake eyelashes, and winged black eyeliner.

Steampunk

Steampunk seems to be a popular fad right now and seems quite easy to put together. The above look is great except I think she could’ve chosen better shoes. Select your main clothing in shades of gray, brown or black. For women, you could go with something shown above or combine a tight corsetlike top or dress with a full skirt and bustle and puffed-out sleeves. Or you could choose a button-down shirt with a tie, vest, and pants or shorts; because Steampunk is less gender-biased than the actual Victorian era. Add the proper Steampunk style in your shoes. Tall, lace-up boots work well in the Steampunk tradition. Try to find narrower boots with a little bit of a heel rather than bulky, combat-style boots. Spats or leg warmers with laced wingtip-style shoes also complement Steampunk style. Accessorize with goggles. Channel the Wright Brothers in your goggle selection. Choose large, full-faced goggles that mimic an aviator style; if you can’t find any, try making some with fabric glued to science-lab goggles instead. Gears and cogs are the height of Steampunk style, and they belong outside your clothing just as much as inside your pocket watch. Break up an old watch or clock to pull out the gears, and then string them together to make a pendant or hang them from earring hooks. Spray paint the cogs in metallic bronze or copper colors if they don’t fit that color scheme already. Top it all off with a hat or hair accessory. Glue large feathers and gears or cogs to a hair clip, and wear it on the side of your hair as a fascinator.

Femme Fatale

If you have a love for vintage looking clothing and being dark and mysterious, then go as a femme fatale. A femme fatale is defined as a woman of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising and or dangerous situations. In the 1940s, the femme fatale was popular in contemporary pop culture with the introduction of film noir. She represented the liberation and power gained by females throughout the Second World War: she is sexy, duplicitous and often ruthless. The colour scheme for this costume should be either black, dark grey, dark red, or emerald green would also work. If you have a killer vintage looking body hugging dress now is the time to wear it. If you’d prefer separates, go for a blazer with a peplum and bellshaped knee-length skirt. Keep the colours the same. For accessories, grab a beret or fedora, peep-toe pumps, skin coloured seamed stockings with garters, a gun or a cigarette holder. Red lips and smoky eyes are a must as well as long hair like Veronica Lake or Jessica Rabbit.

Elle Woods From Legally Blonde

While this may not be a current, trendy costume, it is certainly easy to do and easy to recognize. When picking out clothing for a Legally Blond costume, “pink” is the key word to remember. A pink three-piece skirt suit creates the ideal look for the costume. However, more casual clothing could be worn. If mixing and matching items, make sure everything is the same shade, or at least complementary shades, of pink. If you have blonde, medium-length hair with some curls, great! But if you don’t a wig will be required to get the look right. For makeup, aim for a glamorous approach in terms of eye shadow and overall makeup. Try to find pink lipstick to match the shade of the clothing. Nails need to receive polish in that same shade of pink to complete the look. For accessories, add tasteful but glamorous jewelry, a stylish pink hat, pink high-heeled shoes, and sunglasses with pink lenses worn atop your head. Carry a pink purse. Elle Woods owns a chihuahua named “Bruiser Woods.” Find a realistic stuffed chihuahua. Add a pink collar to the dog. A pink outfit of some kind should be worn by the dog, too. If possible, try to match the shade of pink to the shade of clothing worn in your costume and pop the dog in your purse so he can look out.

Justin Bieber

Another easy costume to pull off. To totally go for the Bieber effect you need to wear as much purple as possible so find a purple hoodie or shirt and bandana to wear around your wrist. A black cap worn backwards, high top sneakers and tight jeans are very important too. But the real key, is the flippy hair so make sure you find the right wig. You need to commit to this one so flip your hair every few minutes.

Facebook Page

I know I spend WAY too much time on facebook and many of you probably are guilty of the same. So why not go as your very own facebook page? First of all: you don’t have to be your own Facebook profile. You can be a celebrity’s, monster’s or anyone’s Facebook profile. Use a whiteboard as your base, or use pieces of a dry-wipe board for interactive areas like your status update, your wall and gifts. Attach a belt at the backside of the board in order to wear it without using your hands. People will want to pose on pictures with you, so make the cut-out area large enough for people to become part of your profile picture. Take felt-tip pens with you so that you can update your status on the fly, or let people write comments on your wall. Possible status updates: “is wearing the best costume at this Halloween party”, “is wearing his Facebook profile”, “is wishing everyone a happy Halloween”, “is posing with monsters and idiots”, “can’t wait to go home and check facebook”, “doesn’t want to be tagged in any Halloween pictures”, etc. Bring a Polaroid camera so you can instantly add friends attending the party to your friends list by gluing their photos onto your profile. If you don’t have a Polaroid camera, why not have Count Dracula, Jason Voorhees and Hannibal Lecter in your friends list? Get sponsored and put funny, targeted ads on your profile, like tooth whitening for vampires, human burgers for cannibals, Einstein brains for zombies… Or if you are not so good at making things, you could just put a blue book cover on your head and be Facebook 0.1 Beta.

Hope this gives you some ideas on what to be for Halloween. What are you dressing up as?

Tuesday's OOTW - Hipster Fox

I’m a total nerdy girl from way back. I was the only kid in class who got 100% on the exam, essay, or presentation. I got sent to the academic school. (I really enjoyed the hour bus ride there and back each day. Thanks Mom and Dad!) I was the one who went up and helped the teacher solve the word problem in Algebra when he couldn’t. Did I mention I also wore glasses that took up half of my face, was an ugly duckling, skinny as a rail, with low self-esteem, and to make matters worse I was painfully shy? Yep. Good times.

Things have changed. In grade twelve I got contact lenses, became more swan-like, got some curves, and because of drama I was more confident and outgoing. But I never lost my inner nerd. She saw this hipster fox sweater and said, “Yep, glasses are hot and so is being a nerd!” So now I too am a hipster fox – well sometimes, when I put on make-up, and dress nice, and do my hair, get enough sleep, in the right lighting… hmmmm… maybe some things never change!

Glasses Kate Spade $200 (similar) // Earrings Forever 21 $5 (similar) // Necklace Smart Set $5 (in store now) // Sweater Old Navy $25 // Denim Shirt Reitmans $20 (similar) // Purse Smart Set $20 – Totally looks like a Rebecca Minkoff purse! //Pants Smart Set $49 // Shoes Call It Spring $20 (similar)

Monday's Meme

 

Zombomb – A Bath Bomb And Salt Company Giveaway!

Just in time for Halloween, I have partnered up with a wonderful Canadian company called Zombomb. You may remember this company from my review back in September. If not, you can find it here.

Up for grabs are two prizes this time. First prize (valued at around $30) is this spooky yet cute bath bomb set complete with four bath bombs in each of the following scents: Bubblegum, Banana, Cotton Candy, and Chocolate. Yummers!

Isn’t this packaging the best? I laughed when I saw that the skeleton woman was wearing lipstick and has a purse! The skeleton baby is super cute too.

I took another shot because the packaging is so awesome and I love bats.

Second prize is this adorable coffin (valued at around $15) full of Eucalyptus Bath Salts. I can smell these powerful  salts through the box and I’m feeling energized. Imagine how one would feel having a nice hot bath in these? Awesome!

Due to the nature of these fragile products during shipping, I’m limiting entries to just Canada and the US. Sorry!

The contest will end Wednesday October 30, 2013.

So enough of my chatter! Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Monday's Meme

 Joelle is definitely in the 60%!

And to all Canadians:

And to all Americans:

Nothing To Wear? Here's The Solution!

I have a lot of clothes. And shoes. And accessories. I never could understand why I felt more often than not that I have nothing to wear. Then one day I read a quotation from Caitlin Moran, “When a woman says, ‘I have nothing to wear!’, what she really means is, ‘There’s nothing here for who I’m supposed to be today.” I had an aha moment. That’s how I feel! But what to do with this new information?

I started cleaning out the closet (you can read how I did that here). Then I made a list for spring cleaning, this resource from Amazing Maids Boise matched my needs. Later, after their services when I started to see the boxes of clothes. But when I was finished instead of feeling elated, excited and full of ideas of new outfits to create, instead I felt overwhelmed, bored, and back to square one with the whole “I have nothing to wear.” blues. As I aforementioned, nothing could be further from the truth because I have lots of everything. So what was wrong? Maybe many of you still felt the same even though you got rid of a lot of clothes and purchased new ones. So what is missing? Today I think I just found the answer.

What was missing was outfit inspiration! We all need it – even fashion bloggers such as myself. So, I got to work creating a virtual bulletin board of looks I love. I chose Pinterest for this task and titled the board Outfitted (you can check it out here if you want some instant inspiration to go and create your own). For those that don’t want to do this on a computer, buy a cork board and tacks and start clipping looks out of magazines and pin away.

Next, look at each outfit and start analyzing. Ask yourself, “What do I need to create this stylish outfit?”. Then make a list (I add my things to my Wish Upon A Star board on Pinterest) and go shopping. When you’re done buying all the new things that will help you to make your dream outfits, get on your computer (or go to your cork board) and start creating the outfits. Try each one on and snap a selfie. Then print each one out and put them in an album, tape them to a wall, etc.

Now for some extra points. You will most likely find that you have some left over items that don’t go with any of your dream outfits. Either look for inspiration as to how wear them with pieces you already own to create more dream outfits or make a list of pieces you still need to buy to create an outfit with that item. If you can’t do either of those things, then donate or sell those pieces. Notice I said dream outfit because each item has to fit with other items in order to create something you truly love. Otherwise it is just taking up precious closet space and bringing you down.

So are you up for the challenge? Let me know how you do!

Congratulations To Our Contest Winner!

Thanks to everyone for entering our recent contest to win some Sinful Colors Nail Polish, a black and gold bracelet, and a cute pink lipstick case. There can only be one winner and she is Mirjana Ivanišević! Congratulations! Please send me your mailing address so I can send you these lovely things:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just to let everyone know, next Wednesday we have a super special giveaway planned with great items from Zombomb – just in time for Halloween. Don’t forget to stop by and enter because you never know. The next winner might be you!

Thanks so much for the great comments on what you like about our blog. We really appreciated the feedback. If you ever have something to say, feel free to comment or get in contact with us at joelle@clothesbutnotquite.com or head to our Contact Us page.

See you tomorrow for This & That Thursdays!

 

 

Don’t forget to vote for us for best fashion blog in Canada here. Make sure to click on the blue vote for us button NOT the facebook like icon. It only takes a second and you don’t need to register. Thanks for the love!

Monday's Meme

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

Everyone has a comfort zone. For some that comfort zone is tiny and even the smallest movement outside of it is too much to bear. Others have huge comfort zones and are constantly kicking down their walls and making their zones even bigger. Where do I fall in all of this? I feel that my comfort zone is on the larger side and I strive to make it bigger each day. To aid in my quest, a few years ago I made a bucket list and made sure to cross things off of it regularly. Recently I decided to revisit my list and I made a bunch of changes by adding new things, crossing off things already accomplished, and deleting things that no longer mattered to me. One thing that I added was “Get a short hairstyle.”

Now some may say, “That’s not a big deal.” But many other long-haired aficionados (myself included) view this as a super huge big deal indeed. Most of my life I have had shoulder-length or longer hair and I’m quite used to it. But lately I have begun to see that I have been holding onto my long hair as a security blanket. It doesn’t help that my husband once jokingly said, “If you ever cut your hair short, I’ll divorce you.” or the fact that the only two women he likes with short hair are Halle Berry and Charlize Theron. (Like I could live up to them with short hair! *sigh*)

After using a program to “try on” short hair styles, and even putting said photos on facebook so my friends could vote, then going on the net with Tim to pick out some styles we both liked I decided to take the plunge. The fact that my hair is quite damaged due to colouring it and styling it so often also helped me make my decision.

Armed with four different styles I thought would look good on me, I went for my hair appointment. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. As Tim and I drove to the salon my stomach was doing back flips. I do love my hairdresser and view him as completely competent in his line of work, but none of this mattered. I was going to lose over a foot of my hair! What if it looked dumb? What if people think I looka lika man? And most importantly – what if I hated it? I’m not rich enough to afford hair extensions until my hair grows out! What am I doing?!?!? (At this point I should’ve either slapped myself or drunk copious amounts of red wine.)

Walking up the stairs to the salon I thought, “Hey I can just opt for a trim. No one would be the wiser as I didn’t tell the receptionist when I booked I was getting a drastic change. I can just go home afterwards and pretend this was all a bad dream.” But a small voice inside of me said, “You can do this Joelle. Hair grows back. This is nothing compared to the stuff you’ve been through the past few years. Think of this as a symbol of you letting go of all the things you’ve let go of. Let go of your hair. Plus it’s on your list!”

So after talking to Dean (my stylist), we both decided that I shouldn’t go super short, but instead go for an above the shoulder cut and then if I still want to go shorter later then to do it. I agreed and the cutting began. As the cut was happening I started to feel lighter both literally and figuratively. In a half hour it was done.

After Dean styled it I looked at it and I was in love! I looked more chic and put together and as hip as the fox that donned my sweater. I can’t wait to try all the different things I can do with this versatile cut. Wavy, straight, or curly my hair looks super healthy and shiny – so much so that after he was done it looked like it had been freshly coloured as well.

If you are think about a new style for fall – do it! You’ll feel refreshed, younger, more stylish, and overall happier. I have always hated my cuts and colour from salons my whole life until I started going to The Beauty Parlour here in Edmonton. I am a very picky person and I will no longer see anyone other than Dean for styling and Kat for my colour. So for all of you in Edmonton, head to The Beauty Parlour. Everyone else wanting a change, then get yourself to your favourite salon and fall in love with a new hairstyle.

Here are my before photos:

(Notice my brand new hipster fox sweater.)

And drumroll please! These are the after photos:

As you can see I didn’t go as short as Halle or Charlize, my husband loves it, and there will be no divorce as he was just kidding. This was a big enough change for me – for now. So what do you think?

Products You Need To Try

I love writing reviews to help others spend their money on products that actually work. I also am not paid or given products for free when writing my product reviews, so you can be assured that I speak the unbiased truth. Here’s what I’m crushing on these days:

Zombomb Pineapple Mango Body Butter

This stuff smells amazing! But the best part is that it sinks into your dry hands leaving them moisturized and not a trace of greasiness. It’s not listed on her website, but you can ask for it. It’s sold in a small tub for $3.

Kevin Murphy Fresh Hair Dry Shampoo

A few months ago I went for a hair cut and colour. My colourist suggested I try dry shampoo because if you wash your hair less, you keep your colour longer. I tried this product and loved it! The smell is wonderful and it zaps the oil from my scalp so well that I get two extra days of not washing my hair. It’s $30 for 5.25 oz.

Satin Hands Pampering Set – Peach

Living in Canada I get really dry hands in the winter. Luckily I found an awesome solution to my dilemma. Using this kit once a week my dry hands are a distant memory. This package contains a scrub, hand lotion, and more emollient hand softener for $51. If you’re not into the peach scent, it also comes in unscented. I’m not into a lot of scented things, but this peach smell is amazing and reminds me of a summer day which will also help get me through the long winter ahead.

CoverGirl Lash Perfection Mascara

I expect a lot from my mascara. It must not cost much, dry quickly, add volume, and have no clumps, flaking, or stupid oversized brush. Enter CoverGirl Lash Perfection. It lives up to my mascara expectations and I don’t leave home without it. It costs anywhere from $5-$7.

e.l.f. Brushes

No, I’m not talking about tiny brushes for magical critters. I’m speaking of the line of inexpensive brushes made by a company called e.l.f. (it stands for eyes, lips, face). I can’t review all of them but the three I own are wonderful. I use the e.l.f. Essential Eye Shadow Brush for eye shadow, e.l.f. Essential Eyelash & Brow Wand to brush my lashes, and e.l.f. Essential Defining Eye Brush to fill in my brows. At $1 each what are you waiting for?

Hope my reviews help you!

 

 

Don’t forget to vote for us for best fashion blog in Canada here. Make sure to click on the blue vote for us button NOT the facebook like icon. It only takes a second and you don’t need to register. Thanks for the love!