Winter Wonderland and Packing Tips Pt. 1

Hi everyone and happy holidays! Sorry there hasn't been a post in awhile, I've been super busy at work and now I'm on vacation with my family. We are skiing in Whistler, Canada, and it's gorgeous here! The view from our living room overlooks the ski slopes; it's so snowy and beautiful.

So far, the skiing is great. There is tons of powder, which I love to ski, and the mountain is huge, so I don't think we will run out of trails!

I took this photo on the slopes yesterday.

I find that packing for a snowy vacation can be kind of difficult just because there are so many different types of outfits to pack. First, you obviously need ski clothes. This includes a lot of layering pieces so you can stay warm on the mountain. On top I typically wear Hot Chillys long johns, a t-shirt (dri-fit material), a quarter zip and a big ski coat. On the bottom I'll wear long johns, ski pants and thick ski socks.

Links below

I love the Under Armour semi-fitted short sleeve shirts because they are versatile and super comfy. I not only wear them for skiing, but I also lounge in them and use them as workout tops. I also like my down jacket versus a shell because I don't have to layer as much underneath.

If you're like my family and ski for a week at a time, remember to bring multiples of each item. I always have at least 2-3 of each clothing item.

Additionally, you will need a good pair of mittens or gloves (I prefer mittens with finger slots over gloves because they keep my hands warmer), a neck warmer/gaiter, a helmet and goggles.

Amazon.com: Turtle Fur Turtle's Neck: Sports & Outdoors / Swany X-Cell II Mittens - Women's - Free Shipping at REI.com / Smith Sport Optics Phenom Snowsport Goggles - Spherical Lens / Pro-tec Ace Skate Helmet

I wear Swany women's SX-3 mittens. I've had these for a few years but I don't think they make this specific style anymore since I couldn't find them on the site. However, the ones pictured are pretty similar to mine. My helmet is a Pro-Tec Ace and my snow goggles are Smith Optics Sport Optics Phenom Snowsport Goggles - Spherical Lens. I'm not sure the brand of my neck warmer, but they're all pretty much the same. Also, when it comes to gaiters, a lot of people buy the ones with the connecting head cover, but I don't like those because then I can't clip my helmet underneath.

I'm pretty boring color-wise when it comes to ski clothes. A lot of people wear bright colors and patterns, but my clothing is mostly black, white or gray. I do have a few colorful pieces though; a bright pink dri-fit shirt, bright blue under armour spandex and a burgundy and a red North Face quarter zip.

More on other outfits in another post!

The North Face Shirts & Sweaters WOMEN'S TKA 100 GLACIER 1/4 ZIP
thenorthface.com

Amazon.com: The North Face Womens Greenland Jacket Black Size Small:...
amazon.com

HOT CHILLYS Women's Bi-Ply Midweight Crew Top - SportsAuthority.com
sportsauthority.com

UNDER ARMOUR Women's Tech Short-Sleeve T-Shirt - SportsAuthority.com
sportsauthority.com

HOT CHILLYS Youth Bi-Ply Midweight Bottoms - SportsAuthority.com
sportsauthority.com

Thorlo Thick Cushion Ski Socks (Unisex) - Ever Socks Company
eversocks.com

Holiday Nails: Maybelline Metal Icon & Essie Set in Stones

I recently discovered a new nail polish combo that I am now obsessing over!

Maybelline Color Show in Metal Icon + Essie Set in Stones = Best holiday nail combo ever.

Metal Icon is a fabulous gunmetal/silver with multicolor shimmer, and Set in Stones is a chunky silver glitter topcoat. The Essie color actually reminds me of this blog's background...can you tell I like things that sparkle?!

More after the break!

Little Black Dress: Loft Ponte Pleated Sleeveless Dress & Mini Review

I finally found the perfect little black dress! Even though I own pretty much every article of clothing in black, I surprisingly didn't have a black dress. I first saw this dress on Loft.com, and it caught my eye in a different color, which was more of a cobalt blue. But, when I went to the store to find it they only had black. I still decided to try it on and I ended up loving how it looked!

Loft Ponte Pleated Sleeveless Dress, $79.50

Loft Paillette Skinny Belt, $34.50

J.Crew Bling-Button Cardigan, $59.50 (on sale)

J.Crew CeCe stud flats, currently sold out online

This dress definitely runs big. Well, I think Loft clothing runs large in general, but this dress was a size larger than that. At most stores I'm an 8 and at Loft I'm a 6, but I got this dress in a 4. I'm pretty self conscious about my mid-section, and the way this dress falls is very flattering and covers that area well. The dress has pockets, but they don't poof out and make your hips look large. Also, the material is really nice and thick - it's overall a well-made dress.

I like that this can be dressed up or down, worn with tights or bare legged and with heels or flats. It's super versatile, which makes it great for work, or a cocktail party! I definitely recommend wearing a belt around your waist, otherwise it looks kind of plain. The belt I chose is also from Loft and it's in the golden beige color. The gold sequiny detailing looks much more gold in real life, and it matched perfectly with the gold on my flats!

Burgundy & Neon OOTD

I finally received my Express order from Black Friday in the mail, so obviously I had to wear some of my  new items right away! I ordered two things, a jacket and blouse, but I only like the blouse. It is such a gorgeous shade of burgundy, and fits me really well. I like the slit in the back (hence the 'tux tails' name) and that it is hi-lo. I think hi-lo shirts are really flattering!

Here is how I styled the shirt

Tuxedo blouse
express.com

Rag bone
rag-bone.com

Knee length boots
ralphlauren.com

The necklace is from H&M. I bought it in the summer, so it's probably not available in stores now.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Metal Collection!

This post will be short and sweet, but I couldn't not write about this! I love the Maybelline color tattoos, so I was super excited when I heard of the new 24HR Metal Collection with 5 brand new shades! The best part is these are NOT limited edition. The collection is already out in Canada, and I'm sure it will appear in U.S. drugstores soon.

The shades are: 55 Inked In Pink, 60 Silver Strike, 65 Gold Rush, 70 Barely Branded and 75 Electric Blue.

Image via Warpaint & Unicorns

For more photos (including the display) and some swatches, visit Nouveau Cheap! Also, for a review of Electric Blue, Barely Branded, Gold Rush and Inked Pink click here.

7 Little Things (November 2012)

Happy December! Sorry this is a little late, but better late than never, right?! Here are my seven beauty favorites from November :)

More about the products after the jump!