your sister's closet

Tomorrow is the first day of June, and we’re already feeling the heat. With summer fast approaching it’s time to get out those sundresses and bikinis. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves - first, let’s make sure that what’s underneath of those gorgeous garments is a happy, healthy, and beautiful you!

In the summer no one wants to spend their time primping and preening in the mirror. Unfortunately, this is what many of us are driven to do after a harsh, dry winter. The good news: You can avoid this by adopting an effective beauty regime bolstered by fantastic products. The bad news: You’re just finding out about it now.

So here we go, a list of everyday products that will make you forget the winter and allow you to enjoy the summer.

1. Dove Nutritive Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo, Conditioner & Smoothing Cream: Finally! A great shampoo you can buy at the drugstore. This shampoo contains mineral and almond oils that revive dry and frizzy hair, leaving your hair soft and smooth. This trio of products will help you avoid summertime frizz - without leaving a heavy film - and can be used daily. The best part? All together the shampoo, conditioner and cream are under $20 and a portion of your purchase will go to the Dove Self-Esteem Fund.

2. MAC Studio Moisture Tint with SPF 15: No one wants to wear a heavy foundation in the summer, which is why this product is a must-have. Use it every day to moisturize, protect, and enhance your skin’s natural beauty. Having a bad skin day? Check out the MAC Cosmetics website for concealers for spot treatment. Of course, if you plan on spending extra time in the sun follow with a sunscreen with higher SPF!

3. Doir DoirShow Waterproof Mascarra: Summer often brings with it unexpected adventures. Be prepared for an impromptu pool party, trip to the beach, or rain shower, with a mascara that will stay put! DiorShow Waterproof Mascarra will do all the things you want it to do - lengthen, thicken, and curve your lashes - as well as all the things you need it to do - namely, keep you looking gorgeous no matter the circumstance.

4. Dove Redefine Illuminating Day Eye Balm: Time to skip the under-eye concealer, and replace it with Dove Spa’s amazing Redefine eye cream. Not only will it leave tired eyes looking refreshed and illuminated, but it’s phenomenal formula helps smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Can be purchased at Dove Spas or online.

5. MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner with SPF 15: The sun can leave your lips feeling dry and chapped. Keep your lips moisturized and soft with this product, which is available in four gorgeous colours. My favourite colour? Petting Pink, which is pictured.

Stay tuned for our next entry, where we’ll tell you all of the best summer body products.

In the meantime, check out Dove Spa’s fantastic spay tan promotion going on now until June 30th.

Every girl falls in love when she finds that perfect beauty product - the mascara that makes your lashes grow ten feet, the concealer that makes your skin look like it’s been air brushed, that blush that makes you glow. That’s why every week I’m going to dedicate some time to gushing about my newest beauty addiction. Oh yeah, did I mention that I’ll only be talking about products that are both super awesome and super cheap?

So this is a not-so-new love - Joe Fresh’s fine liquid eyeliner. It’s available in a variety of shades (black, tan, and olive) and is amazing. You know how liquid eyeliner can sometimes be a pain in the ass? Well thanks to the beauty engineers wherever, practically every make-up distributor has introduced their version of the liquid eyeliner pen. So now, even the girls with a not so steady hand can line their eyes with this classic.

Of course, every gal knows that not all make-up is created equal, and this is no exception. The one thing that may surprise you is that Joe Fresh’s fine liquid eyeliner is only six-freaking-dollars. The best part? It’s by far the best liquid eyeliner I’ve ever used - pen or otherwise.

The Comparison

I love MAC Cosmetics. I admit it - I see no problem paying $20 for a pot of eyeshadow, and I refuse to use anything other than their Studio Finish NW20 as my concealer. But when they released their Penultimate liquid eyeliner I was anything but impressed. The felt tip on the pen maintains it’s shape for approximately 10 applications - after that it becomes ridiculously soft, making precise applications a chore. And how much did this cost me? $20CA. Eff.

So click here to check out more awesome Joe Fresh beauty products!

The majority of people thank that shopping at thrift stores is disgusting… but to be honest I don’t care. It’s their loss. You can find some of the most amazing, high quality items for ridiculously cheap (not to mention you can find some really cozy grandpa sweaters for winter). I typically find great oversized tops, blazers, crop tops and even shoes. The key is patience. The good finds won’t be right in front of you. You have to search through every item; through every rack. If you can’t dedicate at least an hour to shopping at a store like Value Village… don’t go.

TIPS FROM THE PROS

THE CHANGER: Make sure that when you are going shopping at Value Village you are wearing something you can easily change out of. A good idea is wearing a sweater with a fitted tank top underneath, and a pair of snug jeans or leggings. This way you can just try things over your clothes when the time comes.

THE HOARDER: Get a cart. Don’t think, “Oh I’ll just take a basket”. NO! You need a cart. Trust me when I say you will have a cart full of finds.

THE ORDER: I usually start in the cozy sweater section. I typically look for big long pullovers and cardigans to wear with leggings on days where you just want to be comfortable…but also cute.  After that I make my rounds to the long-sleeves and the short sleeves. If you are with a friend, make sure they double-check the racks you have already gone through. It’s very easy to miss something good. If you come across something you are unsure of, throw it in the cart anyways, you never know until you try it on.  Take risks, it’ll only cost you $5.99.

THE LOAFTER: Take your time and try everything on. When you are trying something on, think of its potential and what you could wear it with. If you like something, hang it on your dressing room hanger. Once you have tried everything on, try everything again, and eliminate things that you probably won’t ever wear.

THE BUYER: Once you are done… bring it up to the cash register.  You have eleven great finds in your hands and you are nervous you won’t have enough money on your debit card to purchase everything. It comes to fifty dollars. Bananas.

GREAT FINDS

Here’s a taste of some of the great things that you’ll find.

Floral high wasted skirt- $4.99

Boyfriend blazer- $5.99

Oxford flats- $3.99

You never know until you go. People always say, “I love that where did you get it?” If I had a penny for the look on their face every time I told them… I’d be extremely wealthy.

Let’s just get it out there: We really miss each other. But, living in different cities and having different schedules doesn’t afford us a lot of quality time together. So to combat this serious lack of sisterly love, we decided to each come up with  five fashion-related questions for each other. We emailed each other the questions, and then replied with our answers. Bingo-bango - something resembling a coherent conversation void of any interruptions.

So what were these questions that we were dying to ask each other about this year’s fall fashions? Well, Pam was dying to ask Nicole…

Q: What would you die without this fall?

A: Boots. I love them. During the summer I miss wearing them so much. Fall is definitely my favourite season for fashion because of being able to wear boots and big wool sweaters.

Q: What is the last thing anyone would expect to see in your closet?

A: I have a faux fur vest. How Rachel Zoe of me. I was shopping at Forever 21, and I thought it was kinda cool but I’ve only worn it a couple times. Where do you wear a faux fur vest if you AREN’T Rachel Zoe?

Q: What are your fashion guilty pleasures? 

A: Bags are my obsession. I love and own every shape and style imaginable. A ba g can always make a not so great outfit into something amazing. They complete every loo k. I’m currently using is just a very plain black cross-body Marc by Marc Jacobs’ Natasha bag. 

 
Q: Who is your ultimate style icon?

A: I love Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. My style is pretty similar to theirs. I love oversized clothing and layering, looking stylish but being comfortable. I also love Rachel Bilson, she always looks effortlessly great.

Q: Who is your favourite designer of all time?

A: I love Marc Jacobs. He is so cool and all of his clothes are great. He’s super talented. I’m pretty much on his website daily looking at all the clothes I can’t afford.

Of course, Pam had to respond to a few of Nicole’s queries…

Q: If there were a fire and you could only save one item of clothing in your closet what would it be?

A: My grey lamb leather biker jacket. It’s too new to be destroyed, and I love it, ‘nuff said.

Q: What was the last thing you bought?

A: When Tyler and I were in Vancouver we went to this amazing Asian night market, which had a million different vendors - selling everything from handbags to bbq’d chicken heart. I bought two pairs of amazing patterned tights for dirt cheap. I keep seeing them in stores for double what I paid - it makes me smile.

Q: What do you think is the biggest fashion faux pas of the fall season?

A: Clogs. They’re back with a vengeance. They rarely look good, and I mean, seriously… you might as well just throw a pair of heels on your Birkenstocks and call it a day.

Q: What is your favourite fall trend?

A: Chunky wool sweaters - which I suppose aren’t a trend so much as a necessity. I don’t care.

Q: Who inspires your style?

A: What doesn’t inspire my style? I’m always getting inspired by people I see on the street. I think “Hey, there’s an idea!” and build on it. I’m also inspired a lot by what I’m currently listening to. When I’ve been listening to a lot of She & Him, you’ll find me indulging in some cutesy, whimsical outfits (à la Zooey Deschanel). I’ve been listening to The Kills a lot for the past few days, and have been feeling to urge to wear some serious ass-kicking boots paired with a plaid shirt from my bf’s closet and tights. It always changes.

That’s all folks!

Anyone who has a sister probably remembers raiding her closet. And if you’re anything like us you’re still doing it. Despite living in two different cities in Southern Ontario we still manage to adopt pieces from each others wardrobe (I’m currently fostering Nicole’s Cynthia Rowley tote).

Of course, this is more about petty theft from what may seem like your sister’s never ending closet. This is a place to rave about our obsessions, whine about our pet peeves, and discuss our fashion sensibilities. And since we’re sisters there’s bound to be disagreements in taste - which is half the fun.

Enjoy!

p&n