Oscars Fashion 2016: The Good and the Not Good At All

One of my favorite parts of awards season is the red carpet fashion (whether it be good or bad) and last night at the Oscars I was not disappointed. There were some very well-dressed celebs and there were some doozies, as you'll see ; ). I'm starting off with my absolute faves from last night's ceremony: Rachel McAdams was a dream in an evergreen August Getty Atelier gown, Cate Blanchett looked stunning in a floral Armani Prive dress and Charlize Theron looked sleek in a simple (yet beautiful) bright red Dior number.

My Book Gift Guide For Every Fashion and Pop Culture-Loving Female in Your Life

I thought I'd post about a few books that I've read in the past year that were all fantastic, in case some of you were looking for Christmas gift ideas for your girlfriends ; ) Above: I have been a huge fan of Cindy Crawford's since I was in elementary school and I actually ran into her in a Malibu Starbucks a couple of years ago (read about what I told her here, scroll down to the 'Celebrity Sightings' section for my dork fest) so of course I dove right into the supermodel's coffee-table book Becoming which was full of modeling and life stories and pages upon pages of gorgeous photos of this fashion icon. I also loved Sophia Amaruso's #GIRLBOSS which was highly motivating and gave me the push I needed to take my styling business to the next level. Both enjoyable reads!

2015 AMA's RED CARPET FASHION: THE GOOD AND THE HUH?

Did you watch the AMA's last night? I stopped watching after Megan Trainor and Charlie Puth's make-out session on stage (ugh). But you know me, I always look forward to the red carpet fashion pre-show and here are my Top 3 Faves L-R: Carrie Underwood sparkled in a blush pink Elie Madi dress with matching cape, TV Host (and fellow Albertan!) Keltie Knight rocked it in a stunning green Balmain number, and model Hannah Davis looked amazing in a silver and metallic see-through Naeem Khan gown. My least favorites shouldn't come as a surprise.

The BEST Homemade Belly Butter for Fighting Stretch Marks

After I graduated from high school and entered college I gained a lot of weight really fast and then lost it quickly. (Freshmen 15? More like Freshmen 25!) Unfortunately there was something else I gained in the process while my weight went up - lots of stretch marks - mostly on my hips and thighs. So when I found out I was pregnant, I vowed to try as hard as possible to prevent the little red suckers from showing up anywhere on my body while I was gaining a healthy weight for the baby. I remember there was a homemade belly butter created by Lori Bregman mentioned in Molly Sims' book (below, it's a great read!), which I had come upon a while ago that caught my eye.

Cannes Film Festival 2015 Red Carpet Faves

 Julianne Moore in Givenchy and Armani Prive

What I'm Loving Lately

Dry brushing. I'm hooked on it. I've been dry brushing my entire body every night before I have a bath and have seen great results. All you have to do is purchase a brush, preferably with all-natural bristles (I like this one) and spend five minutes a day brushing your skin, always towards the heart. (Watch a how-to video here.) When you dry brush you stimulate your lymphatic system, exfoliate dead skin, help to reduce cellulite and get rid of toxins in the body. At first it kind of hurts but the more you do it, the more you feel like you're scratching an itch and it will feel good ; ) After I finish my little nightly ritual I slather coconut oil on my body to moisturize. Try it, you won't regret it! It literally takes five minutes and dry brushing is the cheapest and easiest thing you can do to keep your skin looking healthy and young : ).

Oscars 2015 Red Carpet Fashion: The Great and Not-So-Great

The GREAT!

Rosamund Pike, Reese Witherspoon, Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine (yes, both of them)

Teresa Palmer and Phoebe Tonkin for Vogue Australia

 "Lost In Time' Vogue Australia March 2015

Photographer: Will Davidson

Stylist: Petta Chua

Hair: Sophie Roberts

Makeup: Kellie Stratton

Golden Globes 2015: The Good and The Not Good

The Good: Katie Holmes, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Chastain

Celebrity Fall Fashion 2014

Kate Bosworth

SJP and Mena Suvari

 Olivia Palermo

 Poppy Delevingne

Kendall Jenner

Thought I'd put together a little post with a few celeb outfits I've been crushing on this fall. As much as I loathe the Kardashians I had to add Kendall Jenner to the mix (and I guess technically she's not a Kardashian) because I adore her model-off-duty style. And I love that she doesn't show off her bits and bobs like her sisters all the time who leave nothing to the imagination (ahem, KIM!)

I hope you're all having a great week!

xo

What I'm Loving Lately

This book. It was raw, real and brutally honest. I read it in three nights. I love Lena : )

MAKE UP FOR EVER's Artist Shadow in ME202 Iceberg Blue and S228 Petrol Blue. I was given samples of these mix-and-match eye shadows to try and found they are highly pigmented and so easy to blend, not to mention the color payoff is amazing! I'm also loving their Artist Liner in Iridescent Khaki, it glides on so easily and stays put all day.

This $50.00 Aldo bag, as seen on the arm of Taylor Swift. A great bag for fall!

Kevin Murphy's Young.Again and Session.Spray, my two must-have hair styling products that WORK! You can get them from my hair salon Ponytails + Horseshoes in Edmonton.

This couple. Why? Because all of the money they received from People, Hello and Vanity Fair for their wedding photos will be donated to charities. Kardashians, take note.

Wedding Wednesday Throwback: Keira Knightley

Talk about recycling! Keira Knightley got plenty of use out of her wedding dress, a Chanel Haute Couture little number Karl himself made especially for her. She first wore it in 2008 at the BAFTA awards, then for her nuptials to James Righton in May 2013 and again in December 2013 at a gala in London. I have to say I loved that Keira rocked the same frock three times, styling it differently each time because celebrities just don't do that. (Can you imagine the stir it would cause if someone like Gwyneth Paltrow was caught wearing the same thing more than once to different events?? The HORROR!) Keira just didn't give a sh*t what people thought and for that I admire her. For us regular folk, wedding dresses can be are really expensive (I'm talking thousands of dollars) so if you can wear it more than once, I say go for it! Of course, it depends on what type/style the dress is... I feel lucky that I'll get to wear my wedding gown twice - first in California at our very small ceremony and reception (which takes place exactly a month from today, eeeee!) and then again at the end of September when we host a big party to celebrate with all of our close friends and family in my hometown.

What do you think of re-wearing a wedding dress? Yay or nay? Sound off in the comments below!

Olivia Palermo's Wedding "Dress"

This past weekend style star Olivia Palermo wed her longtime love Johannes Huebl in Bedford, New York wearing a three-piece Carolina Hererra ensemble and cobalt blue Manolo Blahnik heels (a la Carrie Bradshaw), her hair tied up in an unassuming ponytail. Her outfit was completely unique and unexpected - I mean, she wore shorts to her nuptials! - and I absolutely loved it! I thought it really suited her. The cashmere top reminded me of something a ballerina would wear, it looked very soft, classic, timeless, and elegant on her. What about you? Did you love what Olivia wore or would you have liked to see her in something more traditional? Sound off in the comment section below ; ).

The Internet: My 5 Faves This Week

1. This gorgeous, summery fashion spread in Vogue India featuring makeup by Edmonton's own Nickol Walkemeyer and hair by (also Edmonton's own!) Kirsten Klontz. I love seeing people from my hometown making it Big, it's inspiring!

2. Okay, so this lip sync battle between Emma Stone and Jimmy Fallon is hilarious. It actually went viral last week so I'm a little late. If you haven't seen it, you gotta watch.  It's legendary ; ).

3.  Poor Andre Leon Talley. The former Vogue editor-at-large was caught digging for gold while interviewing Kimye at the Met Ball. Made me giggle. I'm kinda weird.

4. Reading about Jodi Ann Bickley's One Million Lovely Letters project made me smile and I hope it makes you smile too : ).

5. I've viewed Sia's 'Chandelier' video, starring 'Dance Moms' Maddie Ziegler at least twenty times in the past two days, I'm not exaggerating. Watching this talented little girl move so effortlessly through space literally took my breath away. This video is my all-time favorite, it's just so, so good and the choreography is unreal. I get shivers every time I watch it.

Have a great weekend!

xo

Met Gala 2014 Favorites and Questionables

Last night was the 2014 Met Gala celebrating the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Fashion Exhibit "Charles James: Beyond Fashion." And these dresses were beyond stunning! (See what I did there?) My favorites: Emma Stone in a gorgeous two-piece Thakoon number, Jessica Pare in a black and white printed Michael Kors gown and Suki Waterhouse in a frilly, pastel pink strapless Burberry dress.

I also quite enjoyed Charlize Theron's flattering Dior gown (seen here with her dapper boyfriend Sean Penn!) And although I'm not a huge fan of Kim Kardashian I have to say she looked gorgeous in this black and blue Lanvin dress which showed off her curves beautifully. (A much better choice than the couch she wore last year.) Kate Mara's bold Valentino gown was also one of my faves. I thought it went well with her light-colored hair and shimmery makeup.

Last but not least, I have to give a shout out to my fellow Canadians! Rachel McAdam's stunned in Ralph Lauren and my girl Keltie Knight (who is from Sherwood Park, Alberta and is now a host for The Insider!) looked extremely elegant in a dreamy golden Reem Acra gown, posing with TV personality Nigel Barker.

There were also some not-so-elegant, questionable fashion choices at the Gala. Actually there were a lot but I narrowed it down to my three least-favorite:

Actress Brie Larson in Prada, model Kate Upton in Dolce & Gabanna and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, also in Prada. I have only one question: What were they thinking??

Who were your favorites at last night's Met Ball? Sound off in the comment section below!

My Favorite Celeb Wedding Dresses

Kate Moss, Princess Grace, Megan Fox

Kate Middleton, Kelly Clarkson, Anne Hathaway

Ivanka Trump, Portia de Rossi, Lauren Parsekian (married to Aaron Paul from 'Breaking Bad', b*tch!)

Nicole Richie, Kate Bosworth

I totally forgot to publish this post! I created it back when I was perusing the web, looking for wedding gown inspiration and thought I'd share it here on the blog. As you can tell, I am a HUGE fan of lace ; ). But I also love clean lines - simple yet elegant dresses like what Megan Fox and Kate Bosworth chose to wear on their special day. I am very excited, my wedding gown has arrived, I just have to make an appointment to try it on! I can't believe I'll be walking down the aisle in it in less than 6 months! Which dress is your favorite? Hope you're all having a great week!

The Oscars: Fashion, Cleavage and Pizza

I'm not going to talk about who was "Best" and "Worst" Dressed at the Oscars because that's kind of mean but I will highlight some of my favorite dresses and my not-so-favorite. That's better, right? ; ) I loooooved Cate Blanchett's gorgeous Armani Prive nude gown with Swarovski crystals, she looked so elegant in it. Her whole look - dress, hair and makeup - was definitely my favorite. Sandra Bullock's sleek and stunning Alexander McQueen dress was perfection and Kate Hudson showed off her figure in a beautiful, unique, caped, silk Versace dress.

You may be surprised to hear this but I wasn't a huge fan of Charlize Theron's Dior gown, the straps kind of reminded me of flames but she still looked gorgeous and wore the heck out of it. I didn't care much for Lady Gaga's strapless, flashy, metallic, mermaid Versace dress either, or her scarf/shawl which she should have left at home. And I didn't know where to look on Anna Kendrick's J Mendel's dress which was had too much going on for me, it was too busy.

I didn't forget about the the men! I thought Frank Underwood Kevin Spacey looked so handsome and dapper in a Burbery navy and black suit but I didn't like Pharrel's choice of bermuda shorts for the Oscars. At least he didn't wear his Canadian Mountie hat on on the red carpet. He saved that for his performance on stage.

It seemed like plunging necklines ruled the Oscar after-parties. Kristen Bell (in Zuhair Murad), Britney Spears (in Michael Costello) and Heidi Klum (in Versace) showed off their greatest, um, assets.

So did Miranda Kerr, (in a silver, shimmering number) Reese Witherspoon (in BOSS) and Kim Kardashian (in Celia Kritharioti). All I could think of while flipping through these photos was 'HOLY BOOBS!'. I didn't expect so many celebs to show off their tata's. I expected it from Kim Kardashian, of course, since she loves hers more than she loves money but I think when lots of cleavage is involved that's all people look at, instead of looking at the dress. Boobs are a distraction! I bet the men didn't mind though ; ).

I want to end this post with my favorite "behind-the-scenes" photo: Brad Pitt eating pizza. That is all.

Did you watch the Oscars? What did you think of the fashion?

Personalizing Your Wedding Dress

I recently chatted with the Edmonton Journal about how to inject personal style into your bridal wear like Man Repeller Leandra Medine, Avril Lavigne and Ann Hathaway (above) and what brides MUST consider when choosing their wedding dress. You can check out the article here and see some beautiful photos of my friend and fellow blogger Vickie (who also wrote the article!) playing dress-up in some absolutely gorgeous gowns from Delica Bridal. 

Have a great weekend!

The Week's Best Celebrity Photobombs

Jennifer Lawrence creeps up on Taylor Swift and tells her she was going to push her down the stairs at the Golden Globe awards last Sunday.

 And Ryan Phillipe got photobombed by a not-so-shy lady while walking down a street in Hollywood yesterday.

But nothing will ever beat my favorite photobombs of all time:

Zach Braff

And this squirrel:

Have a great weekend!

Golden Globes: Best & Worst Dressed

Ok, so instead of "Best and Worst Dressed" let's call this my "Favorite and Least Favorite Dressed Celebs" at the 2014 Golden Globes. ("Worst" is such a harsh word, isn't it?) I think Zooey Deschanel looked amazing  in this soft, romantic and feminine Oscar de la Renta dress. Reese Witherspoon's teal Calvin Klein dress was my favorite, it really complimented her hair and skin tone and Cate Blanchett, wearing a black, lace Armani dress looked absolutely stunning. Her hair style and accessories pulled this look together perfectly.

My least favorite: Julia Roberts in Dolce & Gabanna. I mean, she wore a buttoned up shirt for heaven's sake! She looks too casual and too covered-up. I would expect someone like Diane Keaton to wear something like this, not Julia Roberts. Sandra Bullock's color-blocking Prabal Gurung dress just didn't do anything for me and Paula Patton looked like she was hiding a person under those ruffles in Stephane Rolland Couture. Not a fan! 

Did you watch the Golden Globes last night? What did you think? I thought the best part about the show wasn't the fashion, the best part was Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting, don't you think? They were hilarious! Those two should host every single awards show from now on! I'll start a petition ; ).