May Favourites Banana Republic Summer Sandals Hylamide Pore Control

Warm sunny weather has finally arrived in the Great White North.  It is such a relief to pack away the heavy cumbersome winter boots.  I picked up these gorgeous sandals from Banana Republic in the sale.

With a low one inch heel, I can walk comfortably for hours and those pom poms and tassels just make me smile.

Of course with the onset of warmer weather, Hylamide's Pore Control is a must for me.  Unlike a lot of other oil control lotions which clog my pores and cause breakouts,  Pore Control does exactly what it promises.  It helps decrease oil production so my makeup lasts a lot longer.  I find that a very thin layer works the best.  Any more than that will leave a white powdery residue on the skin.

That's it for May.  Short and sweet.

LBH January Monthly Favourites: Shopping the Sales, J Crew, Banana Republic

Wow, I can't believe January is winding down. What with starting a new job and a partner who has been housebound for almost the entirety of January, the month has flashed by.  The new job caused a bit of a concern on the wardrobe front.  The thing with having a capsule wardrobe is that any gaps tend to make themselves glaringly known especially if one is starting an office job after a long while working from home.  Thank goodness for the January sales where it is possible to pick up much needed items at a good price.  Perhaps I should have titled this post, "How to Shop the Sales."  Believe me when I say that I have made many shopping mistakes in the past, lured by the low price tag.  Having a shopping list and knowing what looks good on me and what my style is has helped enormously in cutting down on costly mistakes.  Even if the price is cheap, if it is a mistake and you know that you will never wear it, then it is still money wasted. Top of my list was a pair of tailored trousers.  I picked up this basic pair of black wool tailored trousers at J Crew at 50% off.

via J Crew

You can't go wrong with a pair of straightforward tailored pants and they really are a staple item in any wardrobe.  

Next I picked up a gorgeous navy velvet skirt from Banana Republic.

via Banana Republic

What's not to love about navy velvet?  I am crushing hard on this addition to my wardrobe.  It can go from work to evening with ease and the velvet adds that bit of discreet glamour to what would otherwise be a standard pencil skirt. 

That's it for me.  Have you picked up anything in the January sales?

This is not a sponsored post.

LBH Weekly Roundup: Shiseido Full Lash and Brow Serum, Banana Republic Merino Cardigan

Time for another Weekly Roundup!  I am not sure if it was because of my protracted love affair with waterproof mascara or age but my eyelashes, which were always skimpy, one day decided to run up the white flag of surrender.  There are a couple of well known lash enhancement serums on the market but the cost is prohibitive.  I did try Gosh's lash serum but, every time I applied it, it stung and burned.  I tried to put up with the burning but each time, I would cave and wash it off.  So I never did see any benefit from it.  This week I picked up Shiseido's Full Lash and Brow Serum.

What I like about Shiseido's Serum is that the applicator is in the form of a soft doe foot instead of a spoolie.  This means that it is easy to apply to the lash line.  The formula doesn't sting and burn me.  It is too early to report on any results right now.  I have heard that it can take up to 6 to 8 weeks so I will let you know then.

I also picked up a new merino wool cardigan from Banana Republic.

via bananarepublic.ca

It was on sale for 40% off, yay!  I got it in the colour "Citron" which is a very unusual almost fluoro yellow with a distinctive green undertone to it.  I do love a punchy statement colour for adding some pizzazz to my wardrobe and, when I saw this particular colour,  I couldn't get it out of my head.  I love cardigans for their layering capability, don't you?  After at least 5 days of mulling it over, I pulled the trigger and now I am obsessed with it.  Of course there are lots of other colours and the last time I checked, the sale was still on so take a peek if you are so inclined.

It's Victoria Day Long Weekend here in Canada.  I hope you had a lovely weekend!

This is not a sponsored post.  Some links are affiliate links.