YSL | Style Blog | Canadian Fashion and Lifestyle News

Shopping: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2019

27 January, 2019 Nelia

I’ve always had a soft spot for Valentine’s Day, despite it being a “made up Hallmark holiday”. A day to celebrate love (whether it’s romantic love, friendship, or self-love) by consuming copious amounts of chocolate and other yummy treats, while treating yourself or your loved ones to cute presents that signify how much they mean to you? What’s not to love?!

Perhaps your mom has been asking about the benefits of face rollers (this one’s rose quartz and so pretty), or your significant other loves to cook (this heart-shaped Staub cocotte is delightful), maybe your friend is in search of a new perfume (this limited-edition CHANEL N°5 is a showstopper), or perhaps you’re a sucker for a good heart print (this Hermès scarf is for you!)…whoever makes your heart happy deserves to be treated to something that will make them smile.

Do you love Valentine’s Day and everything that comes with it? Share in the comments.

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What They Wore: YSL Beauty Hotel Party

19 September, 2018 Nelia

YSL Beauty Hotel opened its chic doors in Toronto last week for two days of instagrammable installations, beauty discoveries, and a digital pop-up shop. With previous stops in Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and New York, Toronto was chosen as the second North American location for this cool experience, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Guests were treated to makeup touch-ups, YSL temporary tattoos, fun photobooth, lipstick engraving station, and even a claw machine. Sadly, I am terrible at claw machines, and didn’t end up winning anything, but I did have fun with the digital pop-up shop. With just a few clicks, guests were able to virtually try the latest YSL Beauty launches through YouCam makeup app, with looks ranging from subtle to bold. With both floors packed with beauty lovers, the rest of the night was a bit of a blur. But thankfully, I have my newly-engraved Rogue Pur Couture The Slim to remember this cool event by.

Did you visit the YSL Beauty Hotel in Toronto or in another city? What did you think? Share in the comments.

More photos after the jump!
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Holidays 2017: Best Gifts From Our Favourite Stores

21 November, 2017 Nelia

If you still haven’t started your holiday gift shopping, don’t panic. Black Friday is the best time to get deals on everything from hostess gifts to treat-yo-self goodies. And since one of the biggest sale days of the year is quickly approaching, I wanted to share my fave gift ideas from my most-frequented shops. My number one Black Friday (and Boxing Day) strategy includes a bit of pre-planning, favouriting all of my must-haves in my internet browser, and then buying it all online once sales are in effect. So go ahead, check out the fun gift ideas below, save your faves for later, and don’t forget to get something awesome for yourself!

1. Shopbop

Shopbop Sale is already in effect, and you can get up to an additional 30% off sale and regular-priced items until Nov 26th with promo code MORE17. My fave things to buy from Shopbop are usually the things that never go on sale, like Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots, and vintage CHANEL bags, but it’s also a great time to stock up on essentials like pretty undies and luxurious pajamas.

2. Sephora

Sephora is obviously a great place to shop for beauty, but what sets it apart is its selection of fab limited-edition gift sets. If you have a true beauty obsessive on your shopping list, treat them to a chic Armani Palette or the dreamy Naked Vault Volume IV…there are so many cool gift sets to choose from! My personal fave thing to order from Sephora (for myself) are the Caudalie sets – such a good deal compared to buying each thing separately!

3. Hudson’s Bay

I am still kicking myself for missing out on one of the recent Bay Days sales on Dyson vacuums, but thankfully, more hot sales will keep coming in the next few weeks. This year, I’m picking up some beautiful L’Occitane gifts from Hudson’s Bay, HBC PJs, and holding out hope for deals on anything from SMEG!

4. Indigo

Indigo is literally my happy place – any time I need a pick-me-up, I head on over to a store near my house to find my next fave book. This year, I highly recommend Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman (the movie is a masterpiece but so is the book). There are also a ton of gifts for anyone and everyone on your shopping list – from Fuji Instax Smartphone Printer to glam Jenny Bird earrings.

5. Holt Renfrew

1. Diptyque Constellation Candles ($145) 2. Charlotte Tilbury Naughty & Nice Magic Box ($250) 3. Twilly d’Hermès Eau de Parfum ($147) 4. Tiffany & Co. Piggy Bank ($170) 5. Me To We Choker ($50) 6. CHANEL Brush Collection ($234) 7. Holt Renfrew 2017 Holiday Bear ($55) 8. Bastide Bath Oil ($65)

If you haven’t been to Holt Renfrew on Bloor St lately, I highly recommend a visit – there are so many special activations and pop-up shops to discover, you’ll have a blast while getting things checked off your shopping list. There’s the CHANEL Gifting Studio with awesome freebies and exclusive items; a Tiffany & Co. pop-up shop with the chicest gifts around; there’s the Bandier pop-up where you can find sporty gifts for your loved ones or a perfect workout outfit for yourself. Either way, you are guaranteed to find a luxurious prezzie or five for your nearest and dearest.

Happy Shopping, everyone!

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What They Wore: YSL Beauty Club

25 May, 2017 Nelia

Earlier this month, YSL Beauty threw a spectacular bash in celebration of the iconic Touche Eclat’s 25th anniversary. The party was crazy fun and had everything: beauty claw machine, glitter tub photobooth, product engraving, makeup touch-ups, food and drinks, and a special performance by Coeur de Pirate. I go to a lot of parties as part of my job, but this one was particularly fun.

It seemed that most of Toronto’s fashion industry showed up to #YSLBeautyClub too, wearing their best “rock chic” looks – lots of moto jackets and so much black! I went with a printed “oldie but goodie” Hayley Elsaesser frock, with a fave Acne leather jacket on top, of course. Check out the rest of the looks in the gallery after the jump!

More photos after the jump!
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Beauty: YSL Mascara Vinyl Couture Collection

13 June, 2016 Nelia

Last week, I got a chance to preview the new YSL Mascara Vinyl Couture ($39) collection, and as someone who loves colour, I fell head over heels immediately. Of course, I’ve tried colourful mascara in the past, but I’ve never encountered a formula as vibrant as YSL Mascara Vinyl Couture. This mascara comes in 9 shades – from electric pink to bright blue to gold sparkle top coat, and all variations are super fun to play with. At the event, I saw some girls wear two different colours on their top and bottom lashes, while others tried the pop of colour just on the tips, leaving the rest of their lashes black.

For my look, I went with pink lashes, because while I’ve tried blue before, pink was totally unchartered territory, so why not?! After a couple of swipes of pink mascara, my lashes definitely stood out – the effect was pretty dramatic, yest still wearable. The formula felt very nice on my lashes, gave it extra length and volume while adding a pop of colour to my look. And it stayed put all day long – no flakes under my eyes!. Colourful mascara is such an easy way to be playful this summer that I’ve been trying different variations ever since the event! Needless to say, I am a huge fan of YSL Mascara Vinyl Couture collection.

If bright blue or pink are just too much for you, I’d suggest trying green or purple for a more subtle effect, or perhaps a glittery silver top coat for that extra sparkle for a night out. Whichever shade you end up picking, I’m sure you’ll be hooked!

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What I Wore: Surprisingly Washable

25 April, 2016 Nelia

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Have you ever needed to wear something only to realize that it needs to be dry cleaned? Well, last weekend it happened to me. As I was prepping my outfit the night before a friend’s wedding, I realized that the silk H&M Studio dress I was planning to wear was not in wearable condition and needed to be cleaned STAT! Dry cleaning wasn’t an option (too late!), and so in my desperation I looked at the inside care label only to realize that despite its silk composition, the dress was surprisingly washable! Who would’ve thought?! And so I happily marched downstairs to the laundry room, threw in a Tide POD along with the dress (inside a delicates bag), and just washed it. As you can see, the dress was in perfect condition after the wash – fashion crisis averted!

When you start paying attention to those care labels, you’ll learn that a huge portion of your wardrobe is most likely surprisingly washable too. With #TideChic movement you can save a ton of money on dry cleaning bills, while giving your clothes the TLC they deserve. I’ve been using Tide PODS ever since they first launched, and the convenience as well as excellent results got me hooked…I don’t think I could ever go back to regular detergent. Downy Fabric Conditioner is another fave; it protects clothes at the fiber level and keeps them looking like new, extending the life of your favourite pieces…and it leaves them smelling so good!

So next time you throw that dress in your dry cleaning pile, make sure to check the care label and see if it’s washable…you may just be surprised! But don’t just take my word for it! Comment below if you’d like to try Tide PODS and Downy Fabric Conditioner for yourself, and you could win one of 3 #TideChic prize packs*!

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What I Wore: Bluffin

11 August, 2015 Nelia

It’s been a crazy few weeks…first, a clay pipe burst at our house, flooding our basement, then work got super stressful, and finally I got a killer cold. After working all last weekend, I have to say I am ready for a break…perhaps another trip to Scarborough Bluffs is in order.

A couple of weekends ago, le bf and I set out to find the infamous cliffs, and after a couple of hours of hiking and a couple of misses, we finally stumbled upon the spot. With breathtaking views of turquoise water below us, I couldn’t believe we were actually in Toronto. After spending some time at the top, we tried hiking down one of the steep cliff sides to get to the beach, but my sandals weren’t exactly proper climbing gear, so we decided to call it a day. Next time, we will start at the bottom.

So tell me, have you ever visited this Toronto gem? Share you experiences in the comments.

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What I Wore: Miami Ice

17 February, 2015 Nelia

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I don’t know about you, but I am officially sick and tired of winter. This past weekend (Valentine’s Day and Family Day long weekend) was so frigid (felt like -40!!!), that going outside felt like an act of bravery. Le bf and I did manage to go out for dinner on Valentine’s Day, and I did make it to the gym one morning, but the rest of my long weekend was spent on the couch, wrapped in a fluffy blanket, drinking hot tea, and watching movies. Hybernation is the only way to survive, y’all. Which is why we haven’t shot any new outfit posts lately…and also why I am trotting out my last What I Wore post from our long-ago trip to Miami.

I didn’t post it originally because we didn’t take a lot of photos that day, but beggars can’t be choosers, so here it is now…a couple of months later…all sunshine and pretty colours. Makes me want to get away again! Luckily, our next trip is coming soon, but not soon enough!

So tell me, how are you surviving winter? Wherever you are…

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What I Wore: Welcome to Miami

19 December, 2014 Nelia

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It’s Friday, and I’m going to keep it light and indulge in a little #FBF on the site today. This outfit post is from day 1 of our little Miami getaway last week. Yup, just last week, I got to wear a summery dress and shades on a sandy beach. Just last week, I didn’t have to wear tights, or a jacket, or gloves. It was glorious.

On our first day in Miami, le bf and I didn’t do much, except for a little exploring around our hotel, which included a walk on the beach at sunset, window-shopping on Collins Ave, and a dip in our hotel’s rooftop pool at night. It wasn’t very eventful, but we were happy to take it easy after a few hectic weeks at work, and just enjoy each other and this new city that we’ve never visited before. Today, as flurries swirl outside my office window, I am dreaming of warmer days, bare shoulders, and sun in my eyes. I think I need another getaway.

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What I Wore: On The Street

10 October, 2014 Nelia

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One day during NYFW, I was walking down the street, giddy from my delicious Shake Shack lunch date, when a man stopped me on the street and asked me whether I was a blogger. Since we were quite a ways away from Lincoln Centre, I was a bit taken aback when he asked me for a photo, but nevertheless obliged. I think you can actually see the apprehension in my eyes…but I’m really glad I stopped to chat with this man.

His name is Mangue Banzima and he’s a street style photographer. By now, I’ve spent a ton of time going through his site and Instagram, looking at the beautiful photos of people on the street. He has a very warm and approachable personality, and it’s reflected on his subjects’ faces…well, except mine that is. Hopefully, we can have a re-do another time, Mangue. Sorry for the bitchface in some pics.

This post is also the very first time I’m posting a photo of myself with my newly-ish silver/grey/platinum hair. It’s actually been nearly a month since I dyed my locks, and it’s decidedly less grey and more blonde now. But thanks to Mangue, I have it captured in all its silver fox glory. Stay tuned for my hair story about entering the Khaleesi/Gandalf hair territory. Happy Friday!

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I Wore: Dress – Finders Keepers (eLUXE); Leather Vest – Urban Outfitters; Boots – Saint Laurent (Winners); Bag – CHANEL; Earrings, Cuff – H&M

Photo Credit: Mangue Banzima

Shopping: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2019

What They Wore: YSL Beauty Hotel Party

What They Wore: YSL Beauty Club

Beauty: YSL Mascara Vinyl Couture Collection

What I Wore: Surprisingly Washable

What I Wore: Bluffin

What I Wore: Miami Ice

What I Wore: Welcome to Miami

What I Wore: On The Street

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