The Oscars 2012

All in all this year I wasn't overly taken with any particular dress. There were lots that were beautiful but none that really wowed me.  

Here are my picks for the top 5 looks:

At first, I couldn't tell if I loved Jessica Chastain's dress or hated it, I decided that I liked it because regardless of the dress she looks overall just beautiful.  The dress alone to be is a bit medieval but then you put her in it and she makes the dress beautiful, plus her makeup and hair is so unbelievably lovely. She could probably wear a paper sack and look gorgeous! 

Cameron Diaz also looked beautiful at the oscars. Perhaps it was the dress, perhaps it was the lighting - or perhaps it was because she was standing next to JLo in her painted on silver, deep-v, nip-slip dress, Cameron Diaz oozed elegance and class.

(don't get me wrong, JLo is beautiful, but that dress was ridiculous!)

I know there was some mixed reviews on Cameron's new hair-do but I felt like it gave a fun and flirty edge to her look. 

Maria Menounos looked incredible! She was understated, elegant and stunning in her mint green dress, large statement earrings and upswept hair do.  She was so effortlessly beautiful and chic, couldn't help but fall in love with this look.

Angelina Jolie, as always, looked beautiful. The long black gown is already gorgeous but then you see the slit along and the dress goes from elegant and lovely to sexy and chic. 

She has such a stunning face is would be difficult for her to ever look bad! 

Emma Stone looked lovely in her bright red dress, and though originally I wasn't a fan of the massive bow on the neck I now actually really like the look as a whole. When I first saw the dress I thought "that bow is massive and takes over the whole dress" but now I look and I only see how beautiful, elegant and chic she looks.  Her makeup is also incredibly beautiful and will definitely be a look that I will be trying to imitate for my next night out!!

The Urban Umbrella

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xoxo

February Luxe Box Review

This months Luxe Box came in a vibrant red box in celebrations of  Valentine's Day.  I had really high expectations for this months box, I had thought they'd go with the whole romance theme of February and make the items all bright reds, soft pinks but when I opened the box I was surprised to see not a Valentine's-themed item in sight.  

At first I was a little let down by this months box, and though I still do not think it is all that great, I still have grown to love a few of the items.

7ml. Pure DKNY Perfume: I am not a huge fan of wearing overly sweet smelling perfumes so I am not a huge fan of this perfume. It is very pretty and floral but I found it a bit overbearing and you could easily over-perfume yourself. 

Redken Colour Extend Shampoo and Conditioner: There were four packet sets of this shampoo and conditioner in the box and originally I was a bit disappointed by seeing this product included. I have used the redken colour extend conditioner and shampoo before and found that they made my hair feel a bit dry and wirey and though it didn't make my hair feel like that again I still wasn't overly impressed with the end result. My hair wasn't very hydrated and it tangled much faster after using these products.  

*I recently dyed my hair so perhaps it is just dried out anyways but I usually expect my hair to feel better after conditioning, not worse!

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant: This mircofoliant is meant to brighten and smooth your face . You pour a little bit of the powder into wet hands and then rub onto your face. I really liked this product, it is light exfoliation process which allows me to use it daily without redness or irritation. It definitely did leave my skin smoother and brighter! I would love to be able to purchase this again in the future, though I may have to save up for this product as it is quite expensive! 

Cargo Lash Activator Mascara:  Really love this mascara and was super impressed by how long and thick it made my lashes look. The mascara glided on easily and didn't cake my lashes, I really hate clumpy looking lashes! I also really love how easily the mascara came off at the end of the day, there was no scrubbing or black residue under my eyes which made me very happy! Obviously I wouldn't recommend wearing this mascara swimming though!!!

Over all I am pleased with this box! I found two items I really enjoy which is great and though I am disappointed in the other products I realize that this is the purpose of the Luxe Box, to try products - hit or miss.

The Urban Umbrella

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What A Wonderful World.

So as I mentioned yesterday, I received two packages in the mail this week! The first package was the lovely giveaway prize from Jasmine (from Barbie Bombshell). The necklace is gorgeous and I am wearing it right now actually! 

Jasmine took the time to really wrap the gift up, write a lovely note and made it all pretty in pink! As soon as I saw the pretty pink envelope I couldn't help but smile. 

Thank you again, Jasmine, for your generous giveaway! 

The second package I received was from Dress 911, perhaps my new favourite online dress shop! I had stumbled on the site quite some time ago but was hesitant to order them since you can't actually try the items on before you buy them, what if they fit poorly? But after much online browsing I finally caved and bought not just one dress, but three! Apparently when I fall to clothing-temptation, I fall hard. 

1. sweet tooth mint 2. Black Passion  3. Seriously Smitten Dress

I couldn't help but fall in love with all three dresses and so I had to buy them all - and I am so glad I did! I got the dresses all in a size smaller than I usually would because I had read that the dresses tend to be on the larger side, I am happy that I did this because they all fit just perfectly.  

The "Sweet tooth mint" dress has a beautiful V-neck shape on the back that really gives a funky edge to this very sweet dress. It fits loosely on top and just skims your hips on the bottom which is very flattering.

The "Black Passion" dress I loved right away because I adore the simplicity in its lines. This uber flattering shape and colour make for the perfect staple LBD in any wardrobe! I love that I could easily take this from a date night out, to a meet the parents, to a day at work without any thought.

The "Seriously Smitten Dress" dress is bright and fun which makes me reminiscent of summer, and anything summer I love. The deep V in the back makes this really cute and bright dress a bit more sexy and night-time friendly. I am excited to wear this one out on a date with Jeremy!

All in all I am very happy with my purchases! I have no buyers remorse and I will absolutely be buying more dresses from here in the future. Their website provides important information like stretchability, dress lengths and tips on finding the right size based on dress fabrics which I really appreciated. Sometimes buying online can be a bit scary, but Dress 911 makes it so easy!

I also must mention that shipping throughout Canada & the USA is only $7.00!!! That is unheard of!

The Urban Umbrella

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xoxo

Insta Smile

5 Things Making Me Smile Today

1. I just got notification that a package has arrived for me! Can't wait to go home and open it!!! 

2. Yesterday I received my giveaway prize  in the mail yesterday! A very beautiful Necklace from Jasmine, "Barbie Bombshell"

Check out her blog!!!

3. This weekend I'll be venturing downtown for some shakin' & movin' with my friends.  I really, really love to dance - I wish I didn't love it so, because I am quite honestly a terrible dancer!

4. It is a incredibly beautiful day out today. I am sad to just be peering at it through my office window but it is still a much lovelier view than usual and so I am happy to see it! 

5. Finally I've found my perfect mint coloured pants online and have put them on order! They are lovely. Check out Urban Outfitters if you'd like a pair!

My goodness, I am so broke.

What's keeping you smiling today?

The Urban Umbrella 

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xoxo

Style Icon: Lauren Conrad

We all have people in the media that we look at and think "wow they look lovely!", for me that person is Lauren Conrad. She always looks chic, feminine, put together and quite honestly, she always looks utterly stunning.  

From her effortlessly gorgeous wavy hair to her sky high heels she oozes style and class!

The thing I love about Lauren Conrad is the way she makes style seem so effortless. She never over does a look and still manages to be eye catching. 

At Christmas I was given her style guide book and originally thought it was going to be a bit silly, typical style tips like "wear heels" or "find great fitting jeans". I was proven very wrong though and found that she is not only very informative but she really does guide you through making a completely wearable wardrobe.  She gives great tips on how to take proper care of your shoes, store your clothes, create chic daytime and evening looks and how to pair your trousers with the appropriate shoe.

 I would definitely recommend giving it a read if you have a spare moment!

Who is your style icon?

*these images were grabbed from google. I do not own them.

The Urban Umbrella 

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xoxo

Break-Up Kit

With Valentine's day behind us I feel it is time to discuss the other side of love; the heartbreaking, heart wrenching and cold side of love that can leave us feeling lost & alone. 

Very recently, a good friend of mine went through something incredibly devastating.  I know we have all gone through breakups and hardship but honestly I cannot imagine how incredible this type of pain must've been for her, it was a betrayal beyond what I could have ever imagined. When she broke the news to me I was completely shocked, devastated and angry for her. I could tell how upset she was and it completely broke my heart seeing the pain on her face.

I decided that I wanted to make her something that would maybe bring a smile to her face and give her a laugh - because in my experience with break ups, that is exactly what you need. I made her a little break-up survival kit filled with little goodies, treats, photos and words of encouragement so she could look through it whenever she was feeling blue.

1. photos with friends 2. Envelope filled with friends contact information 3. Earrings. Everyone likes to feel pretty. 4. Tissue 5. Lipglosses/lipsticks 
6. Chocolate  7. Nail Varnishes 8. Candies

There is a section I put in that holds the photos; the two photos are of my friend and all of our girl friends together and I added notes "Friends: Through thick & thin, we are always here for you" & "The best way to mend a broken heart is time... spent with your girlfriends". I feel like it is really important  to surround yourself with positive messages during this time, friends can not always be around but photos and motivating messages can be so taking the time to hang these around your room gives you a positive healing space.

I made one little section for makeup because I have also always felt that one way to feel better is to feel great about yourself, I labelled each piece with little humorous notes like "I'm sexy and I know it", "Hot Stuff", and "If looks could kill".  When I went through my very painful breakup I remember one of my friends saying to me "the best way to get revenge is to look amazing, act happy & look like you're having fun - not only will it make him miss you(revenge!), you'll eventually become all the things you're pretending to be" and honestly she was completely right. Every morning when I would wake up puffy & red eyed I would apply my makeup, smile to myself and tell myself that today I was going to feel better and though it took what felt like forever, eventually I did feel better and I didn't have to force myself to smile any longer.

Valentine's day can be a harsh reminder to those who have gone through a breakup so if you have a friend going through this then maybe you'll want to give this idea a try for them! No, it won't mend a broken heart but it will let them know you're there for them through the good and the bad times. Don't we all need that sometimes?

The Urban Umbrella

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xoxo

How to: Apply False Lashes (Guest Post)

For quite some time now I have been asking my friend, Michell (Michelle, without the "e" at the end) to write a post for me on how she applies her false lashes. I have always been in complete and utter awe of the precision she uses to apply them and hope to one day acquire this skill! After months of begging she has finally succumb to my pleas and has written a guide on how to apply false lashes. 

Now we can all have those gorgeous Kim Kardashian lashes!! 

so here it is! Meet the very beautiful & talented Michell:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Michell

How To: Apply False Lashes

False lashes can be a fun dramatic look for a night out, or a natural enhancement on a more regular basis. But applying false eyelashes can be quite the frustrating and time consuming task. After much practise I have been able to master it in a matter of minutes. Here are my steps and tips for quick and easy application:

1.  Apply your eye make-up before applying your lashes. This will prevent make-up from
 getting on the lashes and that way they will last longer.

2. Trim your false lashes down to fit your lash line. You don’t want them to be too long 
because they will look too unnatural. Trim the end with the longer lashes.

3.  Apply a thin amount of glue along the lashes. Allow the glue to dry for about 
20-30 seconds – it will become stickier.

4. Using tweezers to hold the lashes, line them up as close to your natural lash line as you can and press down from the inside edge to the outside edge.

5.Use your tweezers to press and hold the lashes down. 
I usually take the tweezers and clamp the false lashes with my own lashes. This gets them as close to the lash line as possible and creates a more natural, invisible look.

6.     Use a lash curler to curl your lashes and the false lashes together.

7. Apply some mascara to finish off the look. I usually do a cat eye look with false lashes; 
it tends to hide the false lash line well and also really makes the eyes stand out, while keeping the rest of my make up more natural.

Finished Effect

Michell

After removing your lashes, peel the glue off and put them back in the case they came in. If taken care of and kept clean, they can be worn many times again!

-Michell

_________________________________________________________________________

Hope you all found that helpful! 

I know I will definitely be giving it a try this weekend!

The Urban Umbrella 

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xoxo

Wednesday Pick Me Ups

5 Things Making Me Smile Today

1. I had a wonderful night last night. It was a perfect Valentine's day and I got to spend it with a perfect guy. I had such a lovely time. 

Yes, I am feeling a bit cloudy today! 

2.  I just found a Gluten Free helper app for my iphone! Fantastic! 

3. My hair turned out today well and I didn't use any heat on it, not even on the bangs! Hallelujah!

Good hair days are just so..good.

4.  I am the proud owner now of "Lady and the Tramp"... I feel a disney movie marathon coming on!!

(poor Jeremy)

5. I won Jasmine's ( from Barbie Bombshell) Valentine's day giveaway! I am all jittery and excited about it!

What's keeping a smile on your face this Wednesday?

The Urban Umbrella 

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xoxo

Happy Valentines Day: Share the Love

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I hope you're having a love-filled day with that special someone or with friends! 

As for me, well.. I will be spending the day at work and then the evening with Jeremy. He still hasn't let me know what we are doing but I am just excited to spend the evening with him. I have a few little gifts for him, which I cannot post on here yet - tis' the curse of having your boyfriend read your blog! 

Spring Wish List

1. Dress from Mod Cloth / 2. MAC blusher in "Fresh Honey"

3. Skirt from Mod Cloth / 4. OPI Nail polishes in "Go on Green!", & "Dulce de Leche"

5. Shirt from Mod Cloth / 6. Mint Green pants from Zara  / 7. Earrings from Mod Cloth

8. MAC lipstick in "Beachbound" / 9. Heels from The Fashion Bible

This spring is going to be all about mint greens & peaches which are two colours I have grown up loving. I have always adored mint green, it is my absolute favourite colour and mixing it with peach seems so sweet, light and feminine that I simply just cannot resist! I guess I should start apologizing to my bank account.. 
(& my boyfriend, because my clothes have basically drowned the space that he calls his "home")

My number one must-have purchase is going to be the mint green pants from Zara. I am absolutely in love with them! I keep thinking about pairing them with beige heels, a loose white T-shirt or button down and large mint green earrings and every-time I do think of this it takes every ounce of self-restraint to keep myself from running up to the mall to buy them! 

How do you feel about this Spring 2012 trend?

The Urban Umbrella
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xoxo

My Dream Space

When I think of my dream space I think of a space that is clean, airy and light;

I think of being surrounded by stark white flowers, dainty jewellery & pretty delicate pink tea-sets;

A room perfumed by the ocean breeze, lit from the sun's blindingly bright rays and heated from the decadent warmth of a breezy summer day.

There would be no television and the only sound wafting through would be the pure sound of distant ocean waves & the calming song of silence.

This would be a place for imagination, clarity, calmness and would allow my thoughts to flow freely without judgement.

This is my dream space.

What's yours?

The Urban Umbrella
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xoxo

Wednesday Pick Me Ups:

photo credit



5 Things Making Me Smile Today:

1. I've really been enjoying living with Jeremy. We are having a ton of fun together and I love spending so much time with him!

2. The past few days were absolutely beautiful in Vancouver and though today is a tad glum & rainy it was lovely to see the sun shine for those few days.

3. This weekend my friends and I are having a girls night! Very excited to see them all and say farewell to one of them, as she is off to S.E Asia for a whole month! 

4. I've been doing really well on eating all gluten free, sugar free & dairy free which makes me very  happy! I've definitely noticed how much energy I've had lately and how much easier I wake up in the mornings!!

5.  I get to leave work today a bit early because I have a doctors appointment. This is kind of a catch 22 ...  Doctors Appointment = Never Fun, Getting off work early = Always Awesome.


What is bringing you some mid-week cheer on this rainy Wednesday? 

The Urban Umbrella 

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xoxo

Healthy Gluten + Lactose Free Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice 
2 cups vegetable stock (or 2 cups water)
2 chicken breasts chopped into cubes
1/4 cup jarred red curry (or butter chicken curry) (check label to ensure gluten free)
2 cups coconut milk (use low-fat/ low cal for a healthier meal)
1 cup chopped pineapple
A few finely chopped sprigs of cilantro
A pinch of dried rosemary (optional)
1 red chilli chopped finely
1 tbsp chilli paste
Olive oil


*Madras jarred Curry is supposed to be gluten-free. Check the labels to confirm!


Get cookin'!


1.  Cook 1 cup rice in  2 cups either water or vegetable stock.  If cooking on stove top remember to bring rice to a boil, stir once and then bring to a simmer for 50 minutes.

2.  Heat pan and add olive oil into the pan. Heat oil before adding in cubed chicken breast. Cook through on low heat.


3. Once chicken is fully cooked add in coconut milk, red curry, chilli, chilli paste & rosemary.  Allow mixture to simmer on low heat and stir every few minutes.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.


4. Add in pineapple about 5 minutes before removing curry mixture from heat to allow the pineapple to heat up without becoming mushy.


5. Once curry mixture is removed from heat add in the cilantro and fold it into the curry. 


6. Spoon out basmati rice and pour curry on top.

Enjoy!

The Urban Umbrella
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Valentines Day Inspired Outfits

I know, I know, Valentine's Day is not everyone's cup of tea but in my mind, it is what you make it so I make sure it is fun! 

 I love dressing up in flamboyant pinks and massive ruffles each Valentine's Day - even when I was single I would do this, why not - right?

Here are a few outfits that are giving me butterflies:

Dress & earrings from Mod Cloth

Valentine Purse

Shoes from Town and Shoes 

Dress from Nasty Gal

Earrings, bracelet, clutch & shoes from Aldo

 Dress & earrings from Mod Cloth

Clutch & shoes from Aldo

Did your stomach flip-flop too? 

My goodness, love at first sight.

So whatever you are doing, whether it be hanging out with your friends or having a romance-filled night with that special someone, try to just have a great time!

Plus, other than New Years Eve this is really one of the only days that lets you dress as over the top as you want and so I intend on taking full advantage of it! I certainly hope you do, too!

xx

The Urban Umbrella Follow me on: Bloglovin' Twitter xoxo

Greece: Here I come!

1. from Nasty Gal

2. Torquise earrings from Unknown

3. Ray Ban Sunglasses from Sunglass Hut 

4, 6, 7,8,9,10 all from American Eagle

5. Purse from Aldo 

So this past weekend my cousin & I booked our flights to Rome which is where we will be flying in/out of. From Rome we will make our way down to Bari which is where we will catch the ferry to Corfu. We will be staying in Corfu for a few days before making our way to Athens. We won't be staying in Athens very long, only a day or so before we are off to do some Island hopping. We plan to hop around Mykonos, Ios and Santorini before heading back to Athens and catching our flight back to Rome. Hopefully once we are back in Italy we will have some time to venture a bit around, see Naples or something. I am incredibly excited.

The items above are the items that I can image running around Greece in; Sipping on Ouzo, basking in the sun, visiting the ruins.... There I go again, daydreaming away! 





I AM SO EXCITED!

The Urban Umbrella

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Gluten Free: Pineapple Orange Rice Bowl

Ingredients:
1 Cup Pineapple, chopped
1 Orange, peeled & chopped
2 Gluten Free Turkey Breast, cup into slices
3 Beets, chopped in quarters
Beet Stems, chopped finely
Beet Leaves, chopped finely
1 Cup Gluten Free Rice <- cook in two cups vegetable stock for more flavour
1 Lime
Olive Oil
1 tsp Honey
1 tbsp Orange Juice
A pinch of chilli peppers


Cooking Time:

1. Cook Rice. If you're cooking rice on stove-top then bring rice to a boil, once boiling lower to a simmer and let simmer for 50 minutes.

2. While your rice is cooking begin working on the beets. Peel and chop of most the beet stem, leaving about an inch of the stem attached. Beets take about 10 minutes to boil. To check if beets are boiled through take a fork and see if you can penetrate the beet - if the beet is soft like a cooked potato then it is cooked.
* To keep the colour in the beet, keep about an inch of the beet stem attached to the beet while you cook it, also keep the beet "tail" attached while cooking. Remove stem and tail once fully cooked.

2. Once beets are cooked, drain water out and chop off the stem & tail. Add olive oil to the same pot you boiled the beets in and add in the chopped beet stem, chopped leaves, & chopped orange. Spritz 1 lime wedge on leaves & mix around so all ingredients are coated lightly in the olive oil & lime.  Place lid on top of pot and let stem for about 2 minutes, check and cook for long if needed. You will know they are cooked when the leaves turn a dark olive green and the stems soften and are less crunchy.

3.  Take sliced turkey breast and add it into a pan with olive oil. While one side is simmer sprinkle chilli peppers on the meat. Once cooked turn over and cook other side.  Once you notice this is almost fully cooked, add in the pineapple and fry quickly on each side.

4. Now for the dressing, mix a splash of olive oil, a tbsp of lime, a tbsp of orange juice, 1 tsp honey, and a few chilli peppers together.

5. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl.

6. Pour dressing over mixture and mix again to coat everything.

7. Dig in!

The Urban Umbrella 

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Gluten Free Meal: GF Rice with Dill Snapper

Gluten Free Lime Rice & Lemon Dill Snapper

Ingredients:
(for two people)

Rice:

1/2 cup GF rice

3 sticks of celery

Chop up a few sprigs of Cilantro

1 lime wedge 

If you do not have a rice cooker than be prepared to take some time to cook this rice. It took me 50 minutes to completely cook through this rice on stove top. First you bring the rice to a boil, once at a boil lower temperature so the rice is at a simmer, keep on simmer until 50 minutes is up.

Fry together celery and cilantro in pan, try to keep celery relatively crunchy. Add in other veggies if you'd like, adding in carrots and peppers would be a nice way to add more colour to the dish. 

Cook the veggies within the last 10 minutes of the rice, you want them to be nice and hot when you mix them together. As you cook the veggies squeeze time juice into the pan and coat the veggies with it.

Once this is all cooked, mix rice up with veggie mixture.

Rice Dressing:

1/2 a lime, squeeze and use juice
1 tsp sesame oil

soy sauce

This is super easy, all you do is mix it together. Taste it and see if you'd like to add more of any ingredient. Add to rice dish and mix around.

Fish:
2 Snapper fillets
olive oil
*Lemon Dill Dressing (see below)

Fry snapper within the last 10-15 minutes. Add oil into preheated pan and then add in the fillets. Once the edges of the fish turn from a translucent while to a solid white flip them over and cook the other side.  Cook approx. 5 mins on each side on high heat.

Fish Dressing:
2 tbsp low fat mayo
A sprinkle of fresh dill, add by taste
1 tbsp lemon juice

Another super easy dressing - all you do is mix it up and taste it to see if you need to add any of the ingredients in more.
**Tip: One way to get the dressing to really take to the snapper is to fry the snapper with the dressing on it. Apply a thin coat of the dressing to the fillet and fry.
Add dressing onto snapper once snapper is cooked.

Now plate and enjoy!

xx

The Urban Umbrella 

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xoxo

Where Fashion & Beauty Come Together: Hair Design

Aveda's Mission:

"Our mission at Aveda is to care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society. At Aveda, we strive to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility, not just in the world of beauty, but around the world."

I recently became aware of a scholarship contest giveaway that Aveda Institute will be hosting. They will be handing out full scholarships to five hair-savvy Canadian hopefuls that show the most enthusiasm, creativity and ambition for their career in hair design. If you're someone who loves the fashion industry and has a hair-styling obsession (like me) then this may just be the right career for you! Hair design allows you to show your creativity and inspirations in the ways you style ones hair, you become an active part of the fashion industry and you get to show your vast imagination in your day-to-day work,  how great would that be?


As someone who has had many bad experiences with my hair I am a true believer in great hair stylists and the magic they can work on your hair. Countless times I have dyed my hair and it has turned out to be nothing short of a disaster, what did I do? Did I cry and stay indoors? No! (okay, sometimes) I run over to my hair dresser and plead for her/or him to save my mangled mess.  


I am also a big believer in Education, though I do know the struggles of funding it; For this reason I decided to post the information regarding these scholarships, they can help achieve your dreams and land you career in a creative and fashion oriented industry.  The fact that five people will be able to get a top-notch education for submitting something they probably already love to do blows my mind! - Wait, I haven't told you what you need to submit yet, right?




Well, here it is:

1.  First off, you'll need to make a fashion forward two minute video about why you were born to style & make sure to blow the judges away with your creativity, originality, exuberant attitude and drive.  Show your enthusiasm and interest  in this field by acknowledging trends in the fashion industry that are inspiring your style. 
*You can only show Aveda products being used in the video so be sure that you don't sneak in any other products, you do not want to have to reshoot your video!!


2. Upload your video to  youtube.com and check out "www.avedainstitute.ca/scholarship" to enter the contest. Get your friends and family (& followers?) to show their love by supporting your and rating your video. Don't be shy!  
*In the description box make sure your say "This is my entry for Aveda Institute (City name) contest. I want to attend the school in (your city) because...." 
*Tag the video with "Hair school Aveda Institute"


3. Lastly, twenty lucky finalists will compete in a Hair Showdown during May 9th-17th, 2012.  Here is where you will show your skills by showing a complete look - head to toe -  in-front of the judges.  A inspiration board must be made to show the judges how you came up with your look. 


Contest Ends March 31st, 2012 at 11:59:59AM ET

so get your videos in before then!!!


After that, all you need to do is sharpen your scissors, mix up those dyes and get ready to see some hair fall. 
Pretty cool, right?






How does this effect me? / Why do I care?
Well, aside from the fact that I appreciate a good hairdresser, many of my friends took a program in high-school that allowed them to become hairdressers.  But all of them have complained since about how they would love to go back to school and learn more refined techniques, this is also why I posted this information. I know and understand the feeling of wanting to learn more, be more and try more and opportunities like this allow people to do just that! 
If you have friends, or family members who may find this interesting then forward it on to them because you never know - this may change their life!




MORE INFORMATION:


1. www.avedainstitute.ca/scholarship
2. Or download: http://avedainstitute.ca/scholarship/images/pdf/BTS_INFO_PACKAGE_DEC5.pdf
3. OR see their youtube video which explains it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCWC4ZXLv4g

Best of luck to you all!

Oh! & post your video links - I would love to see them & vote!

The Urban Umbrella 

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xoxo

Product Review: Luxe Box

1. China Glaze nail polish (Full size): I was so thrilled when I open up the package to see a full size nail polish in a fun and bright colour. The colour is called "Make Some Noise" and it is a bright coral red which I absolutely love. I've never owned a China Glaze polish and I was so impressed with how smooth the application was and how quickly it dried.  This is my favourite part of the whole set of items.

2. Yves Rocher "24 vitality anti-fatigue skin care": This moisturizer is supposed to be used both in the morning as well as in the evening and fights off fine lines and wrinkles, "revealing a more radiant complexion". I do really like this moisturizer, it did feel light weight and non-oily to me and  I did definitely notice my skin appeared smoother and softer, but I do not think I would use it twice a day. I will stick to using it once a day, or even once every few days, because the cream has a slight sweet smell & is quite thick it makes me a bit nervous that it could cause some blemishes if it was overused.. I also put a bit of this on Jeremy's skin because he needs some moisture after all his hours spent on the mountain and he also really liked how smooth it left his skin.

3. MyScent by loose button which includes: Prada "Candy", Prada  "Infusion", Nina Ricci "L'air du Temps", Nina Ricci "Nina", Paco Rabanne "Black XS for her", Paco Rabanne "Lady Million":  I was really excited to see all these perfume samples included in the box. I know a lot of people have complained about there being too many perfume samples but I honestly really enjoy receiving these; Receiving so many samples allows me to try them out without investing a huge amount of money into one  that I may end up disliking.

4. NYX Jumbo Eyeliner Pen (Full size): I really like this eyeliner and I have purchased it before so I was happy to see an old favourite. The colour came in "Mocha" which again, I love, definitely wearable and I will probably be carrying it around with me from now on.  The application was easy and I did really like that is went on lightly, &  though others have complained about its sheerness - I happen to really like it. It has a light golden look to I which I find very pretty.

5. Seattle's Best Coffee (Bonus): Totally happy about this. I just ran out of coffee so this is actually a Godsend.  Yum yum yum.


I really liked that there were two full size items in this box and I especially liked that they happened to be the two items I will definitely use up.  When the box first arrived I was so excited, it was like opening a gift. I love the pretty paper and print on the box, the little images of buttons lining the sides, and I absolutely adore how they put a sticker on the wrapping that said "Made for Bree".
All in all I definitely thought Luxe Box was worth the money spent. I am signed up for next month as well and I can't help but wonder what their February Box is going to look like - little heart shaped buttons, perhaps?


Plus, this month you didn't just get one box, you got two! This was a huge surprise to me and I basically was jumping up and down with excitment. Jeremy looked at me as if I was entirely insane.


Bonus Box:
"The Bath and Body Box"


1. Fekkai Shampoo & Conditioner: I have always loved this shampoo & conditioner so I was happy to see it in the second box. I really love the smell and how it leaves my hair feeling.

3. Schick Hydro Silk:  Again, I know people were complaining about this being in the gift set but I simply do not have a problem with it. This is a super practical and convenient item they've given and so I am actually pretty happy about it! I haven't tried it out yet but I am sure it will work just fine!

I am so excited to receive my next Luxe Box!!!

The Urban Umbrella 
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