Halifax Wedding Makeup

Our wedding anniversary was last week, I found myself looking back at our wedding photos and 7 years later I can say I'm still very happy with our small backyard + rec centre reception, wedding. 

The only thing I would change would be to hire a videographer! 

GET THE VIDEO GUYS.

We didn't think about that, it was 7 years ago..

Way back in the olden days, when we thought photos would be enough. LOL

Things have come such a long way since then, every speck of our lives are now caught on video from the palm of our hand iPhone, so to have no video of our special day seems strange. 

My sister's 2nd wedding anniversary is coming up so I thought it would be fun to look at some makeup photos from my wedding 2013, to her wedding 2018. 

*Factor in the quality of these photos because all I could find was FB photos from our wedding day. 

2013 - At my parent's house we had our makeup done by Allison Kirby (Click here) 

It was the classic smoky grey, purple that wedding makeup is known for!

Flattering on everyone and every wedding. 

I picked out a new lipstick for the day, Mac's Lustre Lipstick in Sweetie. (click here)

2013 ^ the zip

2018 > the zip













In 2018 my sister was married and we had our makeup done by Amaya Baxter (click here)

Again we let her have creative freedom, with the exception of a bold lip for me!

And it turned out so fabulous. 

I wish I had some better close-ups side by side because I loved how she explored different eye makeup for both me and the bride!

It's difficult to see from this distance but my lids were more plumful and hers were more brown tones which really flattered my green eyes and her brown.

Looking through all these photos makes me so envious of the ease of those years and I really hope we will be looking forward to large celebrations in the not so distant future and maybe I can book a makeup appointment for something special?? 

I love playing with makeup on myself but there's nothing as glam feeling as having someone else do it <3

Expanding my wardrobe with Sheertex

You know how much I love wearing skirts and dresses, a dress is the perfect outfit to me!

They can be comfy but still look cute, chic, professional and the number 1 thing..
It's one and done!

No fussing about what top goes with which bottom.
It makes putting outfits together so easy peasy.
Especially because I am trying to keep weekly capsule wardrobes so we can have a better and faster method of getting ready and out the door in the morning.

A little tip I always share is that: dresses don't have to be limited to certain seasons. 



Short sun dresses or beach style maxi dresses can be worn straight through fall and even winter when you pair them with the proper accessories!

Like these Sheertex Pantyhose <<<<

I actually look forward to the chillier months because it means less leg shaving (lol!) and more comfy Sheertex tights! <<<<

Toss some tights on under your dress and a chunky cardigan on top, you've just doubled or tripled your wardrobe options by not limiting yourself based on season.



I don't even know where to start when telling people about my love for Sheertex <<<<
I usually just say "grab my pantyhose and pull!" so they can see for themselves.

Sheertex <<<< pantyhose are 10x stronger than anything else on the market.

They're unbelievably comfortable, they stretch to accommodate your individual body shape and they have the perfect waistband that is wide and smooths in alllllll the right places!

Their size range is also very inclusive <3

Sheertex <<<<



PLUS they come in SO many colours/patterns and you know how much I love to wear colour and pattern... sometimes together!!

OR pattern on pattern, why not?! ;) ^^^^

Check out some colour options here - Sheertex <<<<

Click Here for these exact Cranberry Opaque Pantyhose
Use code HOLLYSHOUSEWIFELIFE10 for 10% off your order


I am wearing a size large in regular length, I'm 5'3 and approx. 200 pounds

USE CODE

HOLLYSHOUSEWIFELIFE10 

FOR 10% OFF YOUR ORDER

I get SO much wear out of these Heart Sheers Sheertex <<<<
I wear them with every pattern, colour, length of skirt or dress and everytime, even when there's just a little bit of leg exposed, I get complimented.

I've lost count of how many times I've worn them!
I went through all my phone photos and every other week I had another photo in the heart sheers.

Just look at that waistband! - so comfy Click here!

I could never get that kind of wear out of a 'regular' pair of sheers.
I use to feel lucky when I would get 1-2 wears out of my pantyhose before they were ripped, torn or snagged.

Now that I've switched everything over to Sheertex <<<<
I wear my pantyhose all day long!

& Pantyhose are not usually the type of fashion you enjoy wearing when you have to chase 3 little ones, 3 cats and one slobbery golden retriever around all day but I am telling you they have the comfort of a workout legging and the style of the runway.

View photo below to become a believer or if you want you can grab my pantyhose and see for yourself ;)



This blog post is sponsored by Sheertex but all words, thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was very happy to suggest Sheertex before any sponsorships.
They are Canadas largest hosiery factory. :)

Amazon Haul: Repurchases and Something New

I needed some pimple patches and some tinkle razors so I placed a little Amazon order and this is what we got!

Pimple Patches - SO good!
Everyone needs these, they suck up all the goop and clear blemishes faster than anything I've tried.

If you want to stock up get the 3 pack for $15.00
72 patches



If your just testing them out get one 24 pack for $6.99





Tinkle Razors!
I could not live without these now.
I use them all over my face, upper lip, chin, forehead, eyebrows, sideburns.
They remove all the dead skin and fuzz and it DOES NOT grow back darker or thicker.

I don't really know what to believe because once I used a men's razor to deal with unwanted facial hair but my hair DID grow back darker and thicker.

I don't know what it is about these little single blades but it's like they don't activate the darker and thicker gene.

My hair grows back just as light and fluffy as before and then I'll tinkle it off again!
Been doing this for over a year!
I can't believe it, time flies when you find a great hair remover.

I go big and get the 12 pack for $26



But you can test them out, $6 for a 3 pack




An adjustable satin eye mask, YUP, NEEDED.


Pick your colour! $11.99



Satin Pillowcases!
About to give these a try since I hear they do wonders for your hair.


Again, pick your colour!
$12.99 for a 2 pack



Irish Spring
2 pack for $7.47




5 pack of Old Spice Deodorant $17.96

Amazon Hair Must Haves!

I love Amazon, I love cheap, I love delivery to my door in 2 days (if you have prime, everyone who uses Amazon regularly should get prime! I love it).

I love hair accessories!
Here is a few of the best and most affordable you can order off Amazon.
(non spon! I just really love Amazon, I wish they would sponsor me lol)

1000 piece clear hair elastics!
I ordered these back in early January, for both Noelle and my hair.
They're super durable, you can get more than a use or two out of them but at $12 for 1000 you don't feel bad when one snaps.

Click the small Amazon photo below for the link
(all products will be linked below my synopsis)




Scrunchies! LOVE, use daily!
Purchased these all the way back in December, 24 pieces for $16!!







Bunny Ear scrunchie!
These are smaller than the scrunchies above but they have wire inside the bunny ears that makes them easily moldable to fit any updo!
12 piece for $11.29








I am always spending money on small quantities of hair bows for Noelle, only for her or I to misplace them and/or never have the right colour available.

I found a 40 pack of really easy to use (and remove) mini bows for $14.99.
Love them so much!
There are 2 of every pattern so you can use them as a singleton or on pigtails.






All the links above are an affiliate, if you purchase through the link I may get a small referral commission. Super small lol.

But every bit counts when you love Amazon as much as I do!
I promote everything for free because I have an obsession. #guilty

Mudwraps to Manicures Party: How to cleanse your skin like a professional..

Last week I got to visit the Spa!! -
http://mudwrapstomanicures.com

It was an exclusive event with the owner, Lisa.

I love being in a group session and hearing the thoughts and concerns from all skin types/ages/colours. I was secretly salivating to fill the air with all sorts of questions but I didn't want to monopolize everyone's experience!

I did offload a lot of info in the videos I shared on Instagram and I saved them so you can watch on my highlighted section - Spa PJ Party Click Here




How often do you wash your face???

I will self admit, I struggle with skin care.
I love makeup so much but I find skincare daunting.
I have rosacea and milia, where do I even start?!

Turns out I should start with twice a day cleansing!

One of the first questions Lisa asked us was "whats something we're probably doing wrong but could fight signs of again and give us better skin?"

I thought maybe over cleansing???
I've heard of that.
When you take everything out of your skin but never replace the moisture.

Or maybe, tugging too much??
I still think this is partially true!
We need to think of our skin as precious cargo when washing, around our eyes especially!
Think of that under eye skin like you do tissue paper.
It is delicate!

The real answer was so simple, 'not cleansing enough'.

Lisa said we should be washing our face, toning and moisturizing 60 times a month!

I was shocked but also, not at all surprised!



Next, we did a mini demo of wash, tone, moisturize and we added in a face mask for good measure.



Something I really took to heart last year was how amazing good quality skin care products are.
I started using high-quality skincare on a consistent basis and it was the first time in a long time that my skin looked dewy and glowy without any makeup on.

Lisa provided us with the most high-end products I had ever used and they were worth the hype!
(they had that soothing, relaxing spa smell!)



First, we washed with a cleanser, then we used a peel like product - the more you swirl it around your skin the more debris will come off.



Next, we applied a mud mask, I learned that you can spray toner directly into your mask.
You can mix the two together in a bowl with a brush and it will keep your mask more hydrated.

You can even spray toner on your face once the mask is on!
(this is so genius but I would have NEVER thought to do it)

Mud masks are great but they can turn into that crispy desert feeling once they dry down and it may take a lot of pulling to remove.

You don't have to let that happen, spritz with toner to keep it soft and clay-like.





Another tidbit that is really important like I mentioned above: cleanse the skin around your eyes using a 'C' shape pattern.

Don't go pulling under eye skin all willy nilly!

My biggest take away was the 60 day cleansing "challenge"
I'm calling it a challenge because I want us to try this through the month of March!

What if we all wash, tone, moisturize morning and night for a whole month?!
We can take a before and after photo and track our progress!



We also got to tour the Spa and its truly beautiful (show me a Spa I dont like, eh?). 

There is a really lovely lineup of chairs at the pedi station where you could have a couples appointment, go with girlfriends/bridal/baby/birthday/endless scenario of party people and overlook the Bedford Basin while your toes soak.



Don't we all look fresh faced?!
Seriously?!
I think we look so good!

www.curtainsareopen.com
@KerriFor
www.confessionsofafitnessinstructor.com



At the end of the night, we were all smiles.

A little pampering and self-love can go a long way in keeping me in a balanced mental state.

I think Lisa suggested making a professional skin care appointment every 60 days and I say, if you can't get in on that timeline try for every 3 months and if that's out of reach get there at least once a year.

I promise a simple birthday or Christmas gift of a Spa gift certificate will be worth more in happiness than it will in cash value!

Additional thanks to:

www.takeitoutside.ca for providing us all with matching jammies!

www.fid-kitchen.com for providing delicious snacks!

www.annatownsendfit.com for providing us with the tools to meditate on the spot and for reminding us to give ourselves permission to power off, shut down screens and be more present in everyday moments!