How to Pack Like a Pro: Weekend Trip Edition

I've been on a fair few number of trips and I really feel that I've got packing down to a science. I actually love packing. Every time I do it it's a challenge to take a little less, to fit everything together more expertly.

So today I am sharing my four simple tips for packing for a weekend trip that won't leave you stressed or exhausted.

• Only take what you need. Really.

This applies to your makeup bag as well as your clothing. Make a list with what you absolutely need. Pare it down to the bare essentials for your face: a cleanser, moisturizer, foundation, and a small amount of makeup. Clothing wise, be conscious of how long you will be there and what activities you're going to be doing. My rule: Don't take more outfits than the days you will be there- otherwise you're over-packing!

Meg's Beauty, Fashion, & Lifestyle Wishlist

FASHION

• Black Cigarette Pants (a la Audrey Hepburn) that won't break the bank

I've been searching for the perfect pair of trousers forever, but unfortunately every time I find the perfect pair, in petite, like these beauties from ASOS they are not available in my size. Alas!

• Beautiful Blouses

(Business Trip Bliss Top in French Bulldog, Fashion Copywriter Top, 

Guest Appearance Top, Everyday Elegant Top)

Like my quest for black trousers, I've also been looking for tops of a more professional (yet still chic) style as I am about to start teaching school and need clothes to, well, teach in! These are from Modcloth and there's a lot more where they come from!

BEAUTY

• Chinchilly, Smokin' Hot, After School Boy Blazer & Geranium Nailpolishes from Essie

When it comes to Essie nail polishes I can't pick just one.

Introducing BEDA

Hello again everyone,

So if you have been following this blog for a little bit, you will know that last year I did a little thing called BEDA which is a Blog post Every Day for the month of August.

It was quite an ambitious task for me last year because first and foremost, I was brand new to blogging and didn't really know what I was doing. I also decided on a whim to do it so I had a lot of prep work to do in such a short amount of time, and finally I was writing on my own at the time and it was quite a task to produce so much content on my own.

This year I think that BEDA will be a lot more exciting.

This year we have a slightly bigger blog following which will make more posts = more fun. We also have a fun month in August. Meg and I as well as one of our dear friends are headed out to Seattle for a short trip towards the end of August so we will be doing lots of travelling posts as well as American drugstore shopping and hauls. We have also recently delved into the fashion realm with our series titled "What Meg Wore" so we plan on bringing more fashion posts up to the forefront.

We are so excited for what August has in store and even more excited to share it all with you.

We hope that you will like all of the new content we are going to share with you all and that you feel free to interact with us in the comments and on all of our social media sites!

Here's to a Fabulous August!

What Meg Wore: A Summer Maxi Dress

So Maxi dresses are so awesome for Summer. They are long so you don't have to shave your legs (bonus) and they are light and flow-y which makes it perfect for the hot weather days but their is a common misconception that only tall girls can pull off maxi dresses.

We are here to show you that is far from true. Meg is under 5'4 and she spotted this awesome Maxi dress from Old Navy and today we will show you how she styled it.

Meg kept her look super simple (as she prefers). She does not really go for strapless dresses so she paired this strapless maxi dress with a light sleeveless button down top.

What Meg Wore: Affordable Summer Chic Outfit

Well it is Saturday which means it is time for another fashion post!

Yesterday, Meg and I had such a great time in downtown Vancouver celebrating my 26th birthday (which was on Thursday). We had a lovely dinner with friends and we also decided to take some photos of Meg's simple but oh so chic outfit.

eShakti Customized Clothing Review & COUPON CODE!

I had never heard of eShakti before Cate and I were approached by them to do a product review for their company. But after researching them I was pleasantly surprised: 

eShakti is a company which specializes in customized clothing for women,

sizes 0-36W. Whether it is size, shape, or style, customization costs $7.50, but 

it's FREE the first time you customize! You receive your order in 14 business

days or 18 calender days, unless there is some shipping meltdown.

I was especially curious to see how this would turn out. I loved the idea of having something fit just to my size. After all, tailoring is how Stacy London and Clinton Kelly made all their What Not To Wear ladies looks so good!

As someone who does struggle to get the perfect fit (don't we all though?), eShakti is really appealing. They offer a wide range of clothes, from dressy to casual to work professional. Their clothes are competitively priced as most range from $50-$80 dollars. When I think "Oh, that's kind of expensive for one item!" I think about how much tailoring is. Heck, when I went to get my maxi dresses hemmed it cost me $24 and $20 dollars for each dress! That put me into the price range of eShakti clothing, but without all the customization options! 

I chose this little number: a Rose Print Cotton Shift Dress which just looked darling to me. I'm huge fan of shift dresses and I thought this would be lovely for summer.

I was sad to see that even with customization (including putting in my height at 5'1 and size 0), the dress was longer than I expected it to be. Although it's technically above the knee now that I've put it through the wash and dryer, it was at knee level before.  This is common for us short ladies! It also tends to flare out at the bottom in what I think is an unflattering way; I was hoping for it to be only lightly flared, more straight than it is now. But these are easy fixes with a sewing machine in hand. 

Style Icon Saturdays By Cate Featuring Miranda Kerr

So if you have followed this blog for a little while, you will probably know a bit about me and you may have guessed that I adore Miranda Kerr. She is the reason why I adore Rose Hip Oil and use it almost everyday. She has enviable skin so I always look to interviews with her for tips and I am dying to try her skincare line soon. Another thing that I admire about Miranda is her sense of style. She always looks great confident in the clothes she chooses.

Here are some of the reasons why I looks up to her style.

She Rocks A Good Skinny Jean

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Fashion MG- Style

Harper's Bazaar

Business Model Mag

Miranda loves to wear skinny jeans and pants when she is out and about and she always seems to pair her skinny jeans with a looser fitting top (my favourite look) which makes her outfit seemed relaxed and casual and chic at the same time. 

Style Icon Saturday by Meg Featuring Zooey Deschanel

Known for her cute and slightly eccentric style of dress, Zooey Deschanel has been a fashion trendsetter for the last little while. I've always loved her girly and 60s inspired style, from her hair down to every last dress! Now she's designing with Tommy Hilfiger, so it looks like her fashion icon status is only going up from here!

She has taught me a lot of vital style lessons like...

A bold choice of coat can make your outfit stand out and look polished.

Photo Courtesy of Marie Claire

Photo Courtesy of Marie Claire

Vintage isn't a one trick pony: whether you are going for girly, cute, or sexy, there is a vintage look out there for you.

Photo Courtesy of Style Bistro

Photo Courtesy of Style Bistro

Weekend Wish List

It is Friday so the weekend is pretty much here. What are your plans?

I love seeing what is on people's wish lists. It is fun to see what products and items people want to own. I have done one of these in the past, which you can check out here.

Here is my current wish list:

La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel

This is the only product on this list that I have owned before. I actually used it for a little while and then stopped because I wanted to try something else. Recently, I have been working my way through all the products that have been sitting underneath my skin cupboard and this was one of them. I rediscovered this and learned just how amazing it is at keeping my skin clear without being overly drying. I will definitely repurchase this but once I finish the other three cleansers I am working on.

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith AKA J.K. Rowling
This book won't be released until June 19th but I am still excited for it. I love Harry Potter and I will read anything by J.K. Rowling and this books seems very interesting. I love mystery novels.

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream
I have heard from so many people and bloggers, especially one of my favourite YouTuber's CarahAmelie about this being one of best BB Creams and it is a drugstore one so it is definitely affordable and I would love to give it a try.

Style Icon Saturdays By Cate Featuring Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

So, to be honest before Pinterest I had never heard too much of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. All I knew was that she took Megan Fox's place in Transformers but you can find many fashion boards on Pinterest filled with Rosie's classic style and I have constantly been finding myself lusting over her many fashion choices. Although it was really hard for me to narrow down this post because their aren't really any looks of Rosie's I don't like, I tried my best to show you the ones I like the best.

She Loves Ankle Booties Just As Much As Me

Image Courtesy of www.flipandstyle.com

Image Courtesy of www.flipandstyle.com

Image Courtesy of www.flipandstyle.com

Image Courtesy of www.flipandstyle.com

I have been really into ankle booties this past winter and early spring. I even bought a pair but the zipper broke so I had to return them. I know that I will have to purchase a few pairs for the upcoming fall. Rosie loves to rock her ankle booties with some skinny jeans or pants. I think they look great and they make her long legs look even longer. 

She's Got Leather Style Down Pat

Image Courtesy of www.flipandstyle.com

Image Courtesy of www.flipandstyle.com

Image Courtesy of www.cocoperez.com

Image Courtesy of www.lamodellamafia.com

Leather is a very tricky thing to pull of gracefully and Rosie has proven on many occasions that she can. Whether it be in hot leather pants or a knee length leather skirt. 

Style Icon Saturday by Meg Featuring Clémence Poésy

I was immediately drawn to Clémence Poesy's sense of style when I saw her for the first time, outside of the Harry Potter films. Being French, she has a very Parisian look to her: simple, yet chic.

Photo Courtesy of Elle UK

Photo Courtesy of Elle UK

Clémence Poesy has reportedly said: “I tend to wear exactly the same things at night that I wear during the day. I don’t really like dressing up unless I have to. I also tend to go out to places where you can wear a sweater and jeans.”

I can appreciate a sentiment like this. Although I do get the urge to dress up sometimes, I am more comfortable in the casual and laid back. But that's not to say that Clémence doesn't dress up, she's a huge fan of Chanel. 

Style Icon Saturdays By Cate: David Beckham

So a few weeks ago, Meg did an awesome male Style Icon post on Ryan Gosling (which you can find here) and I thought it was a fun twist on us always featuring the ladies. 

Today I am featuring a man who I think always has impeccable style and that is David Beckham. 

David always looks dapper on the Red Carpet and cool and collected when he is on the streets. Here are some of my favourite swoon worthy looks that David has donned. 

He Looks Great In A Suit 

Image Courtesy of www.newgirlatthewalk.com

Image Courtesy of www.newgirlatthewalk.com

Image Courtesy of www.newgirlatthewalk.com

Like Meg mentioned in her Ryan Gosling post, a girl can't resist a guy in a well tailored suit and David definitely rocks a well cut suit. His ties also always compliment really nicely. 

Style Icon Saturdays By Meg Featuring Rose Bryne

I have adored Rose Bryne since I first saw her in I Capture the Castle (a movie adaptation of one of my favourite books).  Her gorgeous hair and lovely acting first drew my attention, but after seeing her at movie premieres and such, I have noticed her style as well.

Rose always looks put together and classy, while at the same time she knowing how to have fun with fashion. 

Even a simple fitted shift dress looks playful on Rose with the ribbon details on the front. Not to mention the dress is perfectly paired with her blunt bangs and bob.

I love that Rose isn't afraid to step outside what is typically done. This dress is not only sequined, it is sheer in an unusual way!

Even shorts at an event look put together on her!

Perhaps it is the fact that she doesn't take fashion too seriously that gives her the ability to look like she isn't trying too hard- something I would like to achieve with my style: a balance between put together and effortless.

Style Icon Saturdays by Cate Featuring: Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson is always an actress that I have had an admiration for. She is funny, talented, and beautiful but most importantly she is someone who lives life to the beat of her own drum and that speaks clearly in her sense of style.

Kate is never afraid to dress comfortably and casually (something I love) while being chic at the same time.

Here are some of my personal favourite looks from Kate (there were a lot to choose from) that I think showcase her easy-going, bohemian style.

She's a Blue Jeans Girl at Heart

Image Courtesy of www.fabsugar.com

Image Courtesy of www.coolspotters.com

Image Courtesy of www.denimblog.com

Image Courtesy of www.mydaily.co.uk

Kate is almost always seen on the streets of New York or Los Angeles rocking the ultra casual look (if you haven't guessed by now is my fav) and doing it so well. She also pairs her jeans with slightly looser fitting tops. Kate also loves to wear her jeans with a variety of different shoes, sneakers, heels, sandals, you name it, Kate rocks it. 

Style Icon Saturdays By Meg Featuring Ryan Gosling

Why should girls have all the fashion fun? This week's Style Icon is drool-worthy Ryan Gosling. For some unnameable reason, Ryan Gosling has become the internet's more irresistable man and there's no sign of the lusting slowing down anytime soon.

I could name a lot of reasons I think Ryan has become so popular, and it's not solely because of his smoking hot bod, his swoon-worthy stare, or his feminist ideals (though it is all of those things and more!)

One of the reasons I think Ryan Gosling is so attractive to pretty much every girl ever is because he has something that appeals to everyone, he is so multifaceted.

Whether he's dressed....

...in a suit. 

(And tell me, what girl can resist a well-tailored suit?)

Image Courtesy of www.gq-magazine.co.uk

Image Courtesy of www.gq-magazine.co.uk

Image Courtesy of www.gq-magazine.co.uk

(He can even pull off a green velvet suit... I'm not sure how it's even possible.)

Style Icon Saturdays by Cate Featuring Ashley Olsen

I am a true child of the 90's and Full House was my favourite show as a child and I have been a fan of the Olsen twins ever since.

Although many girls my age related to Mary-Kate and her tomboy edge, I was always a fan of Ashley and her girly style. Now that the twins are older and their style has evolved, I still find myself relating to Ashley and her sense of style.

Her style is quite unique and often times very casual, which if you know me that is exactly what I go for.

All Black is Always Chic 

 Image Courtesy of www.allthingspopculture.com

Image Courtesy of www.zimbio.com

Ashley is a big fan of the All Black look and she always keeps it looking less goth and more street chic either with a great pair of heels or even Birkenstocks.

A Button Down is a Good Idea

What Meg Wore: Affordable Spring Outfit + Makeup

Hello all,

Yesterday Meg and I had a girls day (we all need one of those once in a while right?) and we decided to shoot an outfit of the day post as well as a face of the day.

Meg was wearing a beautiful dress perfect for spring and we had fun playing with her makeup. Meg loves affordable style that is still chic and easy to wear.

Style Icon Saturdays by Meg Featuring Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett is someone I always look for on the Red Carpet, or at any event really, because she always looks lovely- she's as close to a guaranteed hit as you can get.

One of the reasons I love her style so much is because she is such a risk taker. You can always count on Cate to dress apart from the crowd.

Cate picks a lot of unusual dresses, either with regard to structure, pattern, or details which not only bring interest to her dresses and makes her stand out, but shows off a bit of personality.

Cate has shown me...

that the back of your dress can be just as interesting as the front.

Image Courtesy of www.vogue.co.uk

Image Courtesy of www.vogue.co.uk

that choosing an usual color (not many people go with this particular peachy orange!), especially one that suits your skin tone and hair colour, is a lovely way to stand out in a crowd.