LUXE VS. LESS | The 10 Most-Wanted Gifts for Her

via HudsonsBay on Instagram

Originally posted in The CLOSET

With gift-giving season in full swing, I keep running into men and women with one thing in common: they have no idea what to buy the women in their life. Women, it turns out, are not always so easy to spoil. I could tell my husband I want makeup for Christmas but he compares Sephora to that time he asked me to go to the hardware store to buy him wood screws. I walked in all confident and, 45 minutes later - after wandering through the aisles, lost, alone, with no Wi-Fi or cell phone reception and a decidedly unhelpful summer student who also knew nothing about screws - left with a bag of nails. I thought they were screws. And why are there 7,000 kinds of screws in the first place? And no, it is not the same thing as nailpolish. We NEED all the colours. 

And so, I consulted my friends, fellow bloggers and female family members to see what everyone is secretly wishing for this year. This guide is personal, as all guides are, but with luxe vs. less options, I hope it helps you in your hunt. And I'm not gonna lie, I also secretly hope this will make it through cyberspace onto the screens of my loved ones, just in case anyone happens to want to get me the Sunday Riley Power Couple Duo. It's at Sephora. And, in case you need a little help when you get there, either ask a Sephora Expert or come back here - last time I checked, they have Wi-Fi ;)

SEE OUR MOST-WANTED GIFT PICKS HERE...

SAVING IN STYLE | My Made in Canada Mission at Le Château Outlet

I'm not gonna lie. When Le Château asked me to go on a shopping trip at their Le Château Outlet store, I wasn't sure what I'd find. As anyone who reads my blog knows, I am no label snob. But I wondered, if it weren't for my blogger job, would I normally ever shop at a Le Château Outlet? With so many of our stores falling to US retailers, I'm all about supporting Canadian brands. And Le Château's Made in Canada collection has made me a fan, so why not try the outlet? Challenge accepted.

Armed with a gift card and a mission to spend it, I head to my local Le Château Outlet. Just like Le Château stores, I find the hunt is always worth the effort. I bypass the prom dress section and head straight for the shoes, honing in on a gorgeous pair of Made in Italy leather sandals for $99.99 and genuine Spanish-made gold espadrilles for $49.99. I always get distracted by the shoes. My basic tees are in rough shape so I'm stoked to find perfectly drapey grey, black and white Made in Canada tees, all super soft and beautifully constructed. Yes to all 3, please. I add a fun knit polka-dot dress, a two-tone jumpsuit and some gorgeous checked pants (all made in Canada) to my fitting room stash.  I'm super impressed by the quality and fit, and end up walking out with the tees, the jumpsuit and the checked pants (which I loooove). While I definitely had to do a little hunting, it was totally worth it for these Made in Canada pieces. Um, and maybe 1 pair of Made in Italy shoes. Sorry not sorry :) 

Want to check out Le Château Outlet for yourself? Shop 24/7 online here or check out Canadian Outlet locations here, then be sure to share your scores using #SavinginStyle #LeChateauOutlet. 

Made in Italy heels for $89.99 plus some sweet summer sandals for $19.99

Love this shimmery silver clutch.

That perfect drapey tee every woman needs, only made in Canada.

A Made in Canada dotted dress. 

Mwah. Love this. 

A statement silver choker makes the cut

Checked pants: check. 

THE HYPE | Korean Beauty Secrets You Need to Know

I've heard all the hype. And I thought it was overblown. But after starting with a sheet mask here and a serum there, I'm now fully, unapologetically, hooked. Read on for my top K-Beauty picks from The Face Shop...

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THE SWEETEST THINGS | Valentine's Gifts They're Going to Love

via American Eagle

As I sit here finishing up deadlines while eating strawberries and watching Zayn & Gigi do Pillowtalk like only 20 year-olds can, I'm feeling strangely inspired. You'd think I'd be bitter, since my strawberries haven't been covered in chocolate in forever (that sounds bad). You'd think I'd be jealous because Gigi...well, she's just not fair. But instead, I'm making it my Valentines mission to bring back the romance. I'm still young(ish), I've still (kind of sort of) got it. And while it's tempting to Zamboni over Valentines and pass it off as a commercial hot mess, I see nothing wrong with celebrating romance. After all, life's so busy that I think we could all use a yearly reminder to bring it.

Vaughan Mills asked me to handpick the top V-Day gifts for men, women and kids this year, so I'm sharing my picks with you. Hope you like! Or should I say, looove...

SEE MY TOP V-DAY PICKS HERE...

X's and Ohh's

Photographed by Max Wanger. Via Decor8 Blog

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Lost? Confused? Not even sure where to begin? Love might be a battlefield but we're here to help you navigate it. We've rounded up the winning gifts that are guaranteed to impress your Valentine this year, plus a few sneaky tricks to make your main bae remember just how v. awesome you are.  Happy (almost) Valentine's Day you sweet things...

SEE OUR V-DAY GUIDE HERE...