Where have I been?!?

This adorable little puppy is miss Lucky! I thought her adorableness might make your day! ;)

Hey everyone,

So, I realize that I have definitely been neglecting my blog the past few months.  I really just wanted to write this post to offer an apology to my readers.  I have been so busy with school work and personal issues these past few months, that I just haven't had time to write quality reviews and informative posts for you.  You may have noticed that my last few posts were hauls and tags, and that was just because I barely had time to actually sit down and write something of decent quality for you...and that isn't fair to you guys.  So, I instead decided to go on a little blogging break until I had a little more time to focus on writing quality reviews.  In these past couple months I have missed blogging SO much.  I'll get back into blogging very shortly, and my makeup collection has expanded quite a bit recently, so look out for tons of awesome reviews and NOTDs and maybe even a makeup collection post.  ;)

Thanks to everyone who has been leaving sweet comments on my older posts and e-mailing me with questions!  It means a ton to me!

Also, I've almost reached 200 followers and 100 000 pageviews, so thanks guys!!!!

Until next time,

Kels :)

Back To School Supplies Haul/Organization

 Hey everyone,
I'm starting my last year of high school (eeekk!!!) very shortly, and as much as I never really want to go back to school after 2 months of relaxation and fun, I always get so excited about back to school shopping! I went back to school shopping a few weeks ago and started organizing everything, so today I thought I would share with you the things I purchased and how I organized my planner, binder and pencil case!

J-Crew Haul ft. The Oh So Famous Pixie Pants!

 Hey everyone!
A few weeks ago I went in to J-Crew just to browse around and ended up purchasing a few items.  J-Crew has become my most recent obsession; I can always find so many things that I love there and am constantly looking through the website. Today I thought I would share with you the items that I purchased.  I'm going to let you all know right now that I took these pictures at night when my lighting was really bad, so the photo quality is not that great...actually, it's pretty bad. haha! ;)

Benefit Bella Bamba Blush: Review + Swatches!

Last month on a shopping trip to Sephora, I had the opportunity to receive a sample of Benefit Bella Bamba blush as a 100 pt. perk.  I had been lusting over this particular blush for months after swatching it in store, but could not fathom spending $36 on it.  So, I was thrilled at the chance to receive and test out a sample size.  I can now safely say that when this generous sample runs out, I will be returning to Sephora to buy a full size.

IMATS Tag!!!

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Hey everyone,
I'm super excited because this year I will be attending IMATS (International Makeup Artist Trade Show) for the first time ever thanks to my lovely friend and fellow blogger, Lacey.  While doing a little research on IMATS, I came across this tag so let's get started!

My Fave First Day Back To School Hairstyles!

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Hi guys, long time no talk! 
After the popularity that my 'prom updos' post got, I decided that I would continue this series with my favourite hair styles for the first day back to school. I'm a little late writing this post as a few of you have probably already started school, but these hair styles can definitely be worn throughout the school year as well!  I hope you enjoy! 

Bachelorette Style Guide: Emily Maynard!

Hey everyone,
If any of you have been keeping up with The Bachelorette, you will know that the last bachelorette was the gorgeous Emily Maynard.  Her season finished a few weeks ago, and personally, I'm really happy about her choosing Jef (with one f)!   While watching the season, I developed a love for Emily's style.  It was very girly yet laid back with a little country twist here and there.  This season, Emily seemed to favour feminine dresses, super high heels, scarves and of course, lots of sparkle!  As well as, boots, blazers and the occasional leather jacket.  So, today I wanted to share with you a few Emily inspired outfits I put together from various episodes...enjoy!

NOTD: OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender

Hey everyone,
Today's NOTD is a long time favourite of mine, OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender.  This comes from the Hong Kong 2010 collection, and is actually more of a lilac colour rather than lavender.  Lucky Lucky Lavender is a creme finish with absolutely no shimmer, and is opaque in 2-3 coats.
You can definitely get away with only applying 2 coats, however, this varnish tends to be really streaky, so I like to apply 3 for maximum opacity.  

Would you wear it?

Back To School: Locker Organization & Tips!

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Hey everyone,
A locker is a little piece of the school that belongs to you for the year, your little home away from home, so you should take advantage of that and transform it from bare and boring to beautiful.  Your locker, once decorated, should make you feel happy upon opening it, and be a reflection of the kind of person you are.  Now that it's August I'm going to be posting some back to school tips throughout the month and doing an updated 'what's in my school bag' post.  So if anyone has any requests, let me know below!

July Favourites 2012 ♥

Hey everyone,
Well, it's that time of month again...time for my monthly favourites post!  I cannot believe how fast the month of July flew by.  It was a pretty great month, of course, seeing as I didn't have to deal with exams and all the stresses of school. However, it did fly by, which is pretty unfortunate.   I've been savoring each month as it comes, and although I'm kind of excited to begin my last year of high school, I just don't want summer to end.  This month I discovered a few new beauty, accessory, drink and song favourites, so I'm just going to jump right into everything...

NOTD: Sephora by OPI - Sample Sale

Hey everyone,
Today's NOTD comes from the Sephora by OPI Glimmer Wonderland Mini 6-Piece Set.  Sample Sale is a very festive true red shade with an almost metallic finish and lots of red shimmer in it.  It is fully opaque in 2 coats, and is very long lasting.  Usually, I switch out my nail polish every couple days since it always seems to chip on me after the first day.  I've worn this polish on my nails for 2 days so far and there is very, very minimal chipping, which I find to be very impressive.  Due to the shimmer and finish, I feel like it already looks so shiny on my nails I don't need a top coat for added shine.  Overall, I've been so impressed with this shade, and I can't believe that I've had it in my collection for 8 months and have never noticed it until now!  That being said, now that I have noticed it, it will definitely become one of my most well loved nail polishes, especially when the holidays come back around.

What's your favourite red nail varnish?

An Impromptu Monday Wishlist!

Hey everyone,

So, today I have a very out of the blue, casual monday morning wishlist to share with you guys.  This is just a small collection of items I've been totally craving for the past few months, and may or may not be drooling over as I write this post, that I just can't find it in me to splurge on!

Kid Approved Homemade Mac & Cheese

 Hey everyone,
Today my brother stayed home with me, and he really wanted Kraft Mac and Cheese for lunch.  Normally, I'd have no problem making this for him and helping myself to a big bowl of it too, but he's been eating a lot of junk lately, so I wanted to make him something a little more healthy for lunch as opposed to powder cheese and noodles.  So I promised him I'd make him 'super special, super cheesy home-made mac & cheese".  I used the recipe from MissGlamorazzi's mac & cheese recipe video, but subbed in 9 oz of marble cheese instead of the 3 kinds she used, to make it a little more kid friendly.  My brother is the pickiest 8 year old alive, so I was a little worried that he wouldn't want to try it, but as soon as he heard that it was full of bacon and cheese, he agreed to try it and actually ate 2 bowlfuls. Success? hell yeah.  

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag?!

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Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream: Review & Swatches!

Hey everyone,
So, lately a lot of well known brands, both high and low end, have been coming up with their own versions of BB creams. I find that with these Americanized BB creams, many companies have completely missed the concept of what a Beauty Balm cream is actually supposed to do, and unfortunately, Maybelline is no exception to that group.

How To: Improve The Look Of & Avoid Split Ends

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Hey everyone,
Let's be honest, there's nothing more irritating to us than having to deal with the dreaded split end.  Although the only true way to fully get rid of them is to trim them off, I've found a few ways to prevent more from occurring and to improve the look of current split ends on a daily basis! 

Revlon CustomEyes Palette: Naturally Glamorous 020 - Review & Swatches!

Hey everyone,
 I've never bought eye shadow from Revlon before, so a couple weeks ago I decided to purchase this palette based off of my amazing previous experience with this brand.  I'm not going to lie, at first I wasn't too impressed with the CustomEyes palette.  To me it was your average drugstore neutral shadow palette with decent pigmentation and easily dupable shades, but I have really grown to love this little guy.

Summer Nail Polish Favourites!

 Hey everyone,
So, pretty much every season I like to pull together the nail polishes I've been most frequently reaching for during that particular season and share them with you guys.  I realized that I hadn't done one for summer yet, and since it is already almost the middle of July, I thought I better jump on that.  Today I have 6 gorgeous mainly bright polishes to show you! 

Favourite Summer Fragrances!

Hey everyone,
If you're a long time reader of my blog, than you know that I have a HUGE slight obsession with perfume and delicious smelling products in general.  I tend to switch up my perfumes as the seasons change, and for summer I've been especially loving fresh and flirtatious scents.  Today I'm goingto share with you my top 5 summer scents!

Maybelline Mega Plush Volume Express Mascara Review!

Hey everyone,
I don't usually buy full size mascaras, as I much prefer to buy sample sizes, which I know i'll actually use up.  But once I heard Maybelline's claim to have made a mascara which uses 40% less hard wax than other mascaras and with a gel-mousse formula leading to softer-to-the-touch lashes, I knew I had to try the Maybelline Mega Plush.

Summer Haul: Clothing and Accessories!!

Hey everyone,
I recently realized that the majority of my bikini tops didn't fit my..erm...upper half anymore.  So, I decided to go out and do a little summer bathing suit shopping!  Of course, being the little shopaholic I am, I couldn't resist picking up a few clothing and accessory items as well; and thought that I would show you what I purchased in a haul!

Beauty Rescue: Job Interview Beauty Tips

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 Hey everyone,
With summer beginning, I know that many of us are attempting to get summer jobs...myself included!  In your interview, it is important to convey a sense of professionalism, neatness, confidence and attention to detail in order to give your interviewer a good first impression.  All of this can be shown through your appearance.  Throughout my own and through others experience with job interviews, I've learned a few do's and don'ts when it comes to job interview beauty. Today I'm going to share with you a few of my tips for creating makeup and hair that looks natural yet polished in order to achieve interview success!

NOTD: OPI Cha-Ching Cherry

Hey everyone,
OPI's Cha-Ching Cherry is a stunning blue based pinky red shade with an almost metallic finish to it.  The application was really smooth, and I love how this shade looks on both my toes and fingers.  My only problems with it are that the brush does leave behind slight brush streaks; as well, without a top coat, it lasted one day before chipping.  However, I did spend all of yesterday at Wasaga beach, so I'm sure that the water and sand contributed to the bad wear-time.  I think that Cha-Ching Cherry is the kind of colour that would look stunning on all skin tones and is the perfect pink-red hybrid for the summer months! 

*I must apologize for the photo quality, these were taken on an iPhone as I didn't have my camera on me. 

What's your go-to summer nail varnish?

MAC Heavenly Creatures Collection for Fall 2012

 Hey everyone,
MAC's new galaxy inspired collection, the Heavenly Creatures Collection, features a gorgeous array of permanent, limited edition, and even a couple repromoted products.
 It includes 9 mineral eyeshadows, 4 frost finish mineralized blushes, 4 mineralize skin finishes, 5 stunning lipstick and Creemsheen lip gloss shades and False Lashes mascara.  This collection also includes a mineralize charged water cleanser, mineral charged water gel, and a mineral charged water moisture eye cream.  With this collection, comes the limited edition return of the cult favourite, Mineralize Volcanic Ash exfoliator, which uses real volcanic ash to gently cleanse and exfoliate skin for a beautiful, luminous complexion.  Of course to create your heavenly look, the collection includes 2 permanent face brushes, the 187 and 188 Duo Fibres, as well as the repromoted 286 duo fibre blending brush.

Tag: What's Your Makeup Style?

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 Hey everyone,
I saw this tag on ElleandBlair.com and thought it was so girly and fun!  I haven't done a tag post in a while, so I thought I would do this one! 

NOTD: Speckled Robin's Eggs

Hey everyone,
The manicure I'm sporting today is a variation of one I saw on a favourite beauty blog of mine!  The Speckled Robin's Egg mani is probably the simplest manicure ever, but I absolutely love it!  I used 2 coats of Essie Turquoise and Caicos and 1 coat of Sephora's gold glitter top coat.  The result was this beautiful bright nail that is right on trend for this summer and looks like a Robin egg (but with glamorous gold speckles, instead of brown)!

What's your favourite bright nail colour?

Mint Green Obsession!

Mint Craze by misscouture17 featuring high heels

 Hey everyone,

Bright and pastel colours have been really hot for spring and summer this year.  Everywhere you turn you can see people embracing these trends and daring to sport their brightest clothes!  One trending colour that I personally am loving right now is mint green clothing, as well as accessories!

MAC Lovelorn: Review & Swatches!

 Hey everyone,
Today's featured product is one of my all time favourite lipsticks, MAC Lovelorn.  This is a lustre finish lipstick and it is a beautiful slightly blue toned medium pink shade.

MAC Gently Off Eye and Lip Makeup Remover: Review & Demo!

Hey Everyone,
I bought the Gently Off Eye and Lip Makeup Remover (Retailing for $23 CND for 3.4 oz) a couple weeks ago after I ran out of my Sephora eye makeup remover.  MAC describes this product as: "Oil and water do mix, for twice the impact – just shake. A dual-phase, easy-does-it formula that sweeps off even tenacious waterproof mascara and lip colour. Absolutely gentle; suitable for all. Cucumber extract soothes, Damascus Rose flower water refreshes. No need to rinse".

Healthy Living: Workout Playlist June 2012

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 Hey everyone,
A few weeks ago I really got back into jogging and exercising on a daily basis, so I spent a few hours coming up with my perfect workout playlist.  I like to look for music with a really good beat, something that will keep me feeling motivated and energized while I exercise.  So today I thought I would share this playlist with all of you! I specifically love to use this playlist for running... 
(Click the numbers next to the song names to listen to that particular song)!

MAC Cultured Lipglass: Review & Swatches!

Hey Everyone,
Cultured, which retails for $14.50 US and $17.50 CND, is a beautiful opaque rose pink colour with tiny flecks of gold glitter.  The glitter is very subtle on the lips but adds a gorgeous sheen.  I purchased this shade in early May, and i will admit that it's actually my first MAC lip glass, and I'm very impressed with it and will definitely be going back for more! (Pink Lemonade...I have my eye on you)!

MAC Hey, Sailor! To The Beach Body Oil in Man Rays: Review & Swatches!

Hey everyone,
Today, I'm reviewing a product I got from the MAC Hey, Sailor! collection.  The 'To The Beach Body Oil' in Man Rays is a super shimmery body oil which is meant to moisturize and add a beautiful sheen to the skin.   This formulation was actually first released with the To The Beach collection 2 years ago and has since been re promoted to be included in the Hey, Sailor! collection.  When I first saw this product at MAC I was convinced that it would be disastrous and leave me looking like I was about to head over to a rave, but I was pleasantly surprised by the results.

MAC 116 Blush Brush: Review!

Hey Everyone,
The MAC 116 blush brush retails for $32 US and $38.50 CND and was the first MAC brush I ever purchased a couple years ago.  The MAC 116 is a natural-haired, tapered, rounded blush brush and can be used for blush, highlighting, contouring and I even use it for pressed powder application!

June Wishlist 2012

June Wishlist 2012 by misscouture17 featuring lace shorts

 Hey everyone, 

Seeing as how I haven't done one in months and I'm currently lusting over so many things, I thought that today I would do a June wishlist for you guys.  A trend that I've seen around lately and have been loving is mixing brights with neutrals such as wearing beige lace shorts with a bright pink blouse so this months wishlist has a lot of both bright colours and neutrals.  If you want to know more about each item, click on the picture!

How To: Remove Acrylic Nails At Home!

 Hey everyone,
Getting acrylic nails at a salon is pretty expensive and not something I do too often.  However, on the rare occasion that I do decide to get them done I can't for the life of me remember why I hate them so much.  For the first couple weeks they just look so much more clean and polished than the standard bright pink manicure I usually sport. But than that 2 week period passes by, my nails start to grow and the acrylics start to look a little haggard, and I suddenly remember why I hate them so much.  (For the record, I'll be sticking to french manicures from now on).  They can be a pain to remove, so today I'm going to show you a way to make removing acrylics a lot easier.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Review!

Hey Everyone,
Vibrant, charming, and whimsical are the three words which are used to describe this heavenly fruity-floral fragrance.  Daisy Eau so Fresh has been my go-to Spring perfume for the past few months, so today I've decided to share my thoughts about this great scent with all of you!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Effects of Sun Exposure

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Summer isn't officially here yet, but it does feel like it's here with the hot weather and the sun shining bright.  That being said, i think that it's time to learn about the benefits and detriments of the sun and sun exposure as well as things that you can do to block out the Sun's harmful rays!  

The 7 Deadly Sins of Beauty

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 Hey Everyone,

I've noticed the '7 Deadly Sins of Beauty' tag going around lately, so today I've decided to do it on my blog!  If you'd like to see my answers for this particular tag keep reading...

Prom Series: My Fave Updos For Prom 2012!

Hey everyone,
When deciding what kind of hairstyle you want to sport for prom, it is important to keep in mind the length and texture of your hair, as well as the style of your dress and the overall look you are trying to go for.  A gorgeous updo is the perfect way to add a touch of elegance to your ensemble.  That being said, today I'm going to share with you a few of my favourite updos for long hair! 

Braids are very in this Spring, so many of the updos in this post feature some kind of braiding detail in them!

Beauty Rescue: Reduce the Redness of Pimples

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Hey Everyone,
Have you ever been getting ready for a big event, looked into a mirror and SURPRISE! found a bright red pimple lurking on your chin?  I won't ask for a show of hands; it happens to all of us.

Today I wanted to share a tip I recently learned to reduce the redness of those random little pimples.  If you squeeze a few droplets of eye drops - such as Visine - onto a Q-tip and hold it onto the pimple for 10 seconds, it will decrease the redness of the zit.  This is something that I would only recommend doing once in a while though, as I have a feeling that doing it daily would irritate the skin.      

Do you have any redness reducing tips? Leave them below!

What's On My Blackberry?

Hello my loves!
Happy Sunday!  Seeing as April is coming to a close, I thought I would share with you all a few pictures that I've taken with my blackberry phone camera this month of random little things that made my days a little bit better!

Prom How To: Get Glowing Skin!

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 Hey Everyone,
I know that for me, with 2 weeks away from the big night, I'm going crazy trying to find ways to keep my skin looking fresh and glowing for prom night.  Today, I wanted to share a few tips I've learned with all of you to help achieve beautiful, picture-perfect, healthy glowing skin on both your face and body.

Prom Look: Chic & Girly

Prom Look: Chic and Girly by misscouture17 featuring a christian dior perfume

Hey everyone, 

Today's prom post is based on the dress that could have been.  Not for me, but for one of my really good friends.  She went out to purchase a prom dress last week, and came across this stunning BCBG sequined cocktail dress. She decided to get a different dress (which looks absolutely beautiful on her, I couldn't picture her in a better dress!) so i thought i would create a girly and chic look based on the little beauty she left behind.  

MissCouture17 Layout Change...AGAIN!

Hey Everyone,
You may have noticed that yesterday I completely redid my blog layout.  I seem to do this every couple seasons, now that I think about it haha.  Anyway, I felt like it was kind of boring to look at when my readers first came to my blog, so I changed the background and the colour scheme to make it more visually appealing.  I really want your opinions about this change though - did you prefer the old layout or do you like this one better?  Thanks for your opinions!!

By the way, I have two really big essays due next Monday so my blog posts will be pretty limited until then.  Thank you for your understanding!!