Stocking Stuffers for Her | Gift Guide 2019

I don't know how Christmas is already here, but yet here we are. These last few months have completely snuck up on me-- and if Christmas has caught you by surprise, no fear, because many of these goodies can be picked up by this crazy new concept called "Offline shopping". See, you go to the store, and then after paying leave with it right away! I know, a hilarious concept. My husband is nearly entirely reliant on Amazon Prime... but anyways, let's get into it!

Gift Guide for Her | 2019

Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the year, and as far as I am concerned, that kicks off in September. I love stashing gifts away over the fall (and even earlier) to make sure that I get the best deals and the most perfect gifts. The only problem is sometimes I buy a gift and then forget about it...and end up buying that person more! One of my favourite sales to shop is Bay Days at The Bay, though I found that they had excellent sales leading into the entire holiday season. One thing I made sure to note was when Christmas trees and decor went on sale. Right now we have no where to store a tree (though I did buy some decor this year!). However, we are really hoping that 2020 is the year we manage to break into the Toronto housing market (fingers crossed for a townhouse!!), and my biggest hope for 2020, cheesy as it sounds, is to be able to have our own Christmas tree. As in... I have been collecting Christmas ornaments on various trips and on sale over the last few years and could probably deck out an entire tree. Anyways, enough about me. Let's talk presents.

Registry Essentials: The Perfect Kitchenaid Stand Mixer For Your Apartment (& homemade pasta!)

Registering for our wedding has been one of the most fun parts about wedding planning. Yes, I know weddings aren't all about the gifts, but there is something really fun about picking out a whole bunch of things to start your new life with, and thinking about all the ways you will get to use them. Sure, its just a serving tray, but that tray represents all the fun grown up dinner parties you will host. Yes, that's just a vase, but thats the vase that will sit on the table with all your new dishes when you host Christmas for the first time ever and it will be filled with flowers that your husband picked up for you.

New Year, Same Hair*** | Long Hair Care & Trim with Sassoon

For some, the new year brings a desire to change their life, and what easier way to change your outward appearance than with a dramatic haircut or colour? Well... that may be some people's style, but not mine!

Last Minute Gifts With Uncommon Goods!

So its Christmas Eve. And while I am proud to say that I am done all my shopping this year, and am otherwise pretty great at not shopping last minute, I know that not everybody starts their shopping in September like I do. Lucky for those last minute shoppers out there, I have a special gift guide, and some tips and tricks on how to avoid Christmas disappointment.

The Last Minute Gift Guide For Him | Boyfriend Approved

Shopping for guys is literally the worst. Finding a great gift for my mom? Easy. My grandma? Not really all that hard. Me? Well let me pull out my 75 page list. But my boyfriend? My dad? My brother? Can I just get them a gift guide? If you are still on the hunt for the perfect gift for him, keep reading for my top picks! Bonus points because you can get almost everything easily at your local mall!

What She Really Wants For Christmas | The 2017 Gift Guide For Her

Maybe its just me, but I find buying for the women in my life so easy. Boyfriend's mom? Done months ago. My mom? Same. Me? All things sparkly, please. Stay tuned for my men's gift guide that will be going up tomorrow. Today I am thrilled to share with you probably my favourite post of the year: my gift guide for her. This is for your mom, your girlfriend, your best friend, your wife, your mother in law, and of course, for you. Enjoy!

For The Cat Lover

Paul & Joe know my heart. Makeup, pretty packaging, and CATS. Their Champagne Soirée Holiday Collection ($64 CAD) includes a cute red pouch with cats all over it, a shimmery pink mini blush (that looks so flattering!), a sparkly champagne coloured  eye gloss (that I was so skeptical about, but I am obsessed!), and a red lipstick with a cat imprinted on it. Not only is the makeup high quality, but it is simply adorable, and would bring a smile to the face of any (not so) crazy cat lady!

For The Makeup Addict

There comes a point in every makeup addict's life that she no longer needs more makeup (but I mean... she ... I... always want more). It is never too soon to invest in quality brushes, but brushes are a really wonderful gift for the girl who has it all. The Lustrous Brush Set by Make Up For Ever  ($95) contains five full sized brushes (including a blush brush and a highlighting brush that I adore!) and a little case. I love that while the box is "festive" the brushes are their classic brown. I love Christmas, but I don't really want to be using Christmas themed things come next June. Between that, and the quality, this is a gift that your recipient will be able to enjoy for years to come. 

For anybody*

With a best selling brow pencil that flatters many people*, their popular They're Real Mascara, a neutral lippie, and a mini Dandelion Twinkle Highlighter, City Lights Party Nights ($42) is perfect for the girl who loves a natural or glam look. I love that this set has everything you need to look pretty and polished, all wrapped up in a cute little light purple bag. 

*I say anybody with a * because you can't sub it out to match all skin and brow tones. It is perfect for me, 3 is my usual Benefit shade. I think 3 works well for blondes and light to medium brunettes, and red-heads. 

For the Better Half

With "Because Its You" ($90 for 1.7 oz) for her, and "Stronger With You" ($90 for 1.7 oz) by Georgio Armani for him, these partner fragrances are delicate, strong and romantic. With notes of raspberry accord, rose absolute, and vanilla bean accord, this perfume is sweet, happy, and perfect for gift giving 

For the Timeless Classic

Daniel Wellington watches have become a staple in my outfits over the last few months and its not hard to see why. With endless combinations of bands and faces, its easy to create your perfect watch. I love how easy these are to pair with my outfits. Personally I love a classic leather strap with their rose gold finish. 

Featured: Classic Petite St Mawes 32 mm Rose Gold ($169). Use code ALANNAVICTORIA to save 15%.

For The Girl Who Loves Glimmer & Shine

Swarovski recently launched their Remix Collection. With a whole bunch of pretty, stackable bracelets to choose from, these remind me of charm bracelets for adults. Availiable in silver, rose gold, and gold colours, I think this is one of the few times that I am going to fully embrace and encourage mixing metals. I am particularly in love with this bracelet with an infinity symbol, black crystal, and faith phrase ($89). You can purchase multiple to stack, or connect together to wear as a necklace. 

I always wear my Swarovski Remix Rose Gold bracelete with my rose gold Daniel Wellington watch. I love how they look together! Check them out together here. 

For the Shoe Addict

A perfume shaped like a stiletto? Good Girl by Carolina Herrera (80 mL for $148) looks stunning on a vanity, and smells so good. With top notes of sambac jasmine and tuberose crystal, and other notes including almond, cocoa and coffee, this scent is rich and inviting. I love that the spray "nozzle" sprays the perfume as a fine mist. 

I was lucky to win this perfume in a Dave Lackie Twitter giveaway.

For The Starbucks Fan Girl

Starbucks recently launched a collection of Swell bottles featuring Liberty London Fabrics. You can read up on the details here. They retail for about $45, though I got mind on sale for about $36. With several pretty prints to choose from, I was most interested in "Edenham Coral", from 1994. I love that these highly functional water bottles are so cute, and such a great way to express personality.

For The Girl Always Drinking Tea

David's Tea always knocks it out of the park on their limited edition seasonal collections. I love their Winter Favourites ($26) for gifting because not only is it easy to wrap, but it is a real crowd pleaser, with 12 teas to choose from. This is a great gift for somebody who is adventurous with their tea, or for somebody who you know likes tea... you just don't know which ones! I also want to give an honourable mention to the Rustic Mug Tea Set ($32). I helped my boyfriend purchase this for his mom for Christmas. With two beautiful mugs, and 50g of their popular Organic Cream of Earl Grey tea, it was a no brainer. I know she is going to love it! (Fingers crossed that she doesn't read this post in the next few days!)

For Mom

My mom is always looking for neutral, matte brown eyeshadows in an easy to use format. The Sophisticate ($66) eyeshadow palette by Charlotte Tilbury is a beautiful collection of four finely milled matte shadows that make creating an every day eye easy. Add to that the fact that Charlotte's products always feel like pure luxury, and you have a formula for an easy gift to give to your mom (or mother-in-law!).

For Millennials 

While the moms in my life are always reaching for their neutrals, the younger crowd in my life are all about warm rich coppers, and burnt orange. Marc Jacob's Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette ($64) contains seven beautiful eyeshadows ranging from neutrals to warm shimmery copper to hot pink. I love the burnt ember looks you can create with this palette and the endless opportunities for creativity.

For Fenty Fanatics 

Rhianna entered the beauty world by storm with her Fenty Beauty launch this fall. My favourite product in her collection are her Match Stix Trios ($67). With a contour, highlight, and shimmer shade trio for Light, Medium, Tan and Deep complexions, Rhianna has taken the guess work out for matching these little beauties. Their packaging is a bonus, as is the fact that they are magnetic!

Light collection featured. 

For the #HairGoals Goddess

IGK has taken the hair world by storm this year. Their Friends With Benefits Texture & Shine Kit ($42) includes a full sized Beach Club texture spray, and travel sized Smoke & Mirrors and Mistress. Not only do these products smell amazing -- Beach Club is my favourite -- but they work well and have fun packaging. A great gift for the ladies in your life whose hair always makes a statement, or for the ladies who are looking to try something new!

Learn more about the brand in my blog post! 

For The #LongHairDoCare Goddess

I have very very long hair, and people always ask me how I maintain it. Of course I don't use heat often, but I am religious about using hair masks. I am a big fan of the Kérastase Nutritive line, and their deep conditioning mask ($47)  is a favourite of mine.

Read my full thoughts on their line here. 

For the Flirty & Fun Gal

A sexy gift for your partner, or a fun gift for a friend the ORA 2 by Lelo ($239) is designed to simulate oral sex. Availiable in a selection of fun colours, this sleek gift has a variety of settings to choose from. Enjoy trying new things with your partner as you usher in the New Year!

Are you done your holiday shopping yet? What is left on your list?

All products were sent for review except for the Good Girl scent which I won in a Twitter giveaway, and the Swell bottle from Starbucks, that I purchased for myself, because, hello, its stunning. 

The Best Stocking Stuffers for Her | 2017

Stocking stuffers are simply my favourite gifts to buy. There is something special about curating a delightful selection of goodies for somebody you love, where each item is selected with care. Its not about getting the biggest or most expensive gift -- its about getting a bunch of little things that show how well you know the giftee. I can't wait to one day have a family of my own to "help Santa" create stockings for. In the mean time, enjoy this gif guide that I put together with the ladies in my life (& me!) in mind!

Grease The Musical | Toronto

A few weeks ago some of my favourite ladies and I headed to Toronto's Winter Garden Theatre to watch Grease live in Toronto! A classic favourite, with memorable songs and a colourful cast, Grease never fails to disappoint.

Janel Parrish-- best known as Mona from Pretty Little Liars stars as Sandy, with Katie Findlay opposite her as Rizzo. During basically the whole musical I kept thinking that Rizzo looked familiar, but I just couldn't place her. Some quick googling showed me that she played Maggie in The Carrie Diaries. Dylan Wallach plays the ever-handsome Danny Zuko.

While all the songs you love about Grease are in the musical, they aren't always in the order or setting that you expect. At first I found it a bit hard to watch -- I was always expecting something, only to hear something else. Once I let go of how I thought the musical was supposed to be I was better able to enjoy it. I recommend not coming with expectations that it is simply going to be the movie on stage. 

Two songs I loved (for entirely different reasons) were "Beauty School Drop Out" and "There Are Worse Things I Could Do". "Beauty School Drop Out" (above) is hilarious. The angel is basically Frenchy's gay best friend saying, in the most hilarious way possible, "girl. you can do so much better in life." I found the musical's version to be much poppier version to the musical's ballad.

 

"There Are Worse Things I Could Do" was probably the most emotional song of the show. Rizzo added a new level of complexity that I don't recall from the movie - mainly the difficult choice about abortion. Sung in a dingy basement rec-room party, her voice was strong yet vulnerable, and all together rather moving. 

A final highlight? The screening of "Duck and Cover" (what to do in case of a nuclear attack) in the opening scene. 

Many attendees came to the show dressed up in their "Pink Ladies" jackets, which was a lot of fun. My friends and I had a great time at the show -- perfect to see with a group of girls. Maybe grab something to eat and drink before hand to really make a night out of it. If you like Grease you will have a great time at the show. If you don't like Grease, then don't go. Included in the group I went to Grease with are some of my blogger friends, my boss, and her two girls (10 and 11). The kids had a blast, and while the language was colourful at times, their mom didn't mind, which was a huge relief! I don't know if I would suggest taking kids younger than that though.

I probably don't have a future as a theatre reviewer. While there were some parts that were a touch awkward or that could have been polished, I had a lot of fun at the show, and I think that that is what matters most! Also -- the Winter Garden is a beautiful venue! 

With 4 weeks of shows added, Grease will now be in Toronto until January 7th. Tickets range from $20 to $169. You can purchase them here! 

Thanks for the invite, Kate!

Tickets to this show were gifted by PR. Opinions are my own! Obviously I did not take these photos myself because taking photos in the theatre is highly frowned upon. Photos are from the production.

P.S. Blogmas Day 4 is complete! 

Holiday Gift Guide | Hillcrest Mall

Is it just me, or has November just flown by? But you know what that means... Christmas shopping! With Sporting Life (my new favourite store), Sephora, Aritzia, David's Tea, and so much more,  Hillcrest has everything you need to check off your wish list! Bonus points if some of these goodies end up under the tree from Santa ;)

Fab Fit Fun Fall 2017 Spoliers & Why I Switches To The Annual Subscription

I haven't been this excited about my Fab Fit Fun box in a while. Actually... probably since last fall! I find that they do an excellent job on the fall box because they seem to  find the most lovely scarves! Keep reading to see why I switched to an annual subscription, and to see what I will be getting!

Cool Cucumber + Dill & Hello Jalapeno | Healthy Crunch Giveaway

I believe that everything is fine (when it comes to food) with moderation, which is why you don't usually see me getting super trendy with my meals. I like to eat healthy, but I like to eat. The last time I was talking about kale was actually a shampoo and conditioner review with Pacifica -- I reference this because I don't talk about healthy food just because its healthy. I talk about it when its yummy!

Busy as a Bee | Hillcrest Mall

Blogging has opened me up to quite a number of unique experiences that I don't think I could have imagined in my wildest dreams. Meeting a contestant on the bachelor? Thanks Laneige! Being surprised by a celebrity at a beauty class? I have Make Up Forever to thank! Getting literally the same PR box as countless HUGE YouTubers? Merci beaucoup Too Faced! But in terms of straight up the strangest, most unique, and otherwise entirely unexpected? Being invited to stand on a mall rooftop while a lady wearing nothing other than street clothes opens up a hive with roughly 10,000 bees, while I stand just feet away? Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill just may take the cake!

The Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle Is Back!

    

Last week I was invited to be on Vaughan Mills first shopping shuttle of the season! For those of us in Toronto we all know that Vaughan Mills is a shopping destination full of great deals. But we also know that it can be a hike to get there... especially without a car! Enter: The Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle.

5 Things I Wish I Had In My Purse When I Need Them

One night a few days  weeks(ish) ago I was reading some other blogs and I came across a fun post on Erin Azmir's blog titled "5 Things I Wish I Had In My Bag When I Needed It". It was really relatable, and I thought it would be fun to curate my list! Keep reading to see what I wish I had with me basically all the time. Which really I should just go and put these in my purse now and be done with it...

Meet Maggie & Winston

Hi friends!

First off I want to thank all of you for sticking with me over this last month. Whenever my blogger friends feel burnout, or feel like they have too much on their plate I always tell them that real life comes first. Don't get me wrong, I love my blog and the community here, but real life comes first.

Exploring Essential Oils | Thursday Plantation

Winter is finally, finally coming to an end. I mean its still winter...but finally I can unzip my coat a bit and shed my clunky winter boots. The only problem with this time of year is its still cold out-- and my optimism about the weather can leave me not feeling my best.  I mean you go out one time when its not quite warm enough without a proper coat... and yup.

Pink Shirt Day Concert at Vaughan Mills!

Earlier this week I was invited by the team at Vaughan Mills to attend their first ever Pink Shirt Day concert! For those of you who don't know what Pink Shirt Day is, back in 2007 in a grade 9 boy was being bullied at a high school in Nova Scotia for wearing a pink shirt. Two fellow students bought 50 pink shirts at a discount supplier and handed them out to students the following morning. And as the story goes, the bullies were never heard from again. And while this story is beautiful and heartwarming, we all know that bullying continues to be a problem for our youth.

Something is Better Than Nothing | January & February Check In

Kate Moss once said that "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"-- and well, I wouldn't know. I've never really thought of myself as skinny, though looking back at high school me I wish I could just sit her down and say your skinny, don't stop exercising, stay where you are, right now. Just maintain that. Gain 10 pounds if you want. But I digress. Somewhere between graduating high school and graduating university life got busy, exercise basically came to a halt, salad became fries, my blog took up more time (and hey, I only needed a pretty face for that anyways), school took up time, I was working a lot, my boyfriend lived three hours away... and yeah. And now I am here, feeling every muscle in my body a day after a workout, writing a post about my first month back on the healthy living track. I'm pretty determined, I know I can do it if I put my mind to it. I just need to do it.

What I Learned At The National Bridal Show | & Pretty Pictures

As you may have saw on my social media, last weekend I was at the National Bridal Show. I had a blast presenting about skincare to brides with Simple, and wandering around the booths, snacking on samples and learning about some of the things I will need for when I am *actually* planning my wedding. Also! I got an idea of what a budget may look like, and what questions I should be asking.