NY

A (very) brief photo diary of my recent trip to New York with BITE Beauty and some beauty influencers. It was a whirlwind of running around, food, drinks, lipstick, selfies and snapchat. 

Photo by: @stephenesherman

Photo by: @lizclayman

Lipstick - BITE Beauty 'Persimmon' | Jacket and dress - H&M | Necklace - Up and Armed

Photo by @stephenesherman
Sunglasses - ALDO | Leather jacket - Danier | Sweater - H&M 

Had a New York street style moment which was pretty cool.

Photo by: @lizclayman

...And a photo of me in action! I don't get many of those, 'cause I'm usually the one taking photos, so this was pretty cool too. 

Photo by: @lizclayman

It was nice to be back in New York—the last time I was there was a few fashion weeks ago. Too long, if you ask me. I won't promise to post more—lord knows I've not had the time. I WILL try, though. I kind of miss blogging for an audience of 12 people. Hahaha.

ESSENTIALS

"Well damn, Bey. There go our collective wigs, snached up off all our heads."

(Real thoughts I had when Beyoncé declared, in her own flawless way, that she does, in fact, wakes up looking like the Queen Bey we've all come to worship.) 

An old selfie, but one that makes me look at least sort of approachable. 

Then it occurred to me that on top of actually just being Beyoncé, she also likely has a team devoted to keeping her flawless. 

Instead of getting bummed out about how we don't look like whichever celebrity we wished we looked like, I think trying to be the best version of yourself should be the thing we strive for. 

My best version doesn't include contour and highlight, not because I disapprove or don't need it—do you, boo boos. I simply lack the skill to attempt any sort of makeup look, even in the age of the Youtube tutorial. It is what it is, and  so most days, I actually wake up looking like this:

I don't spend a lot of money on cosmetics and "face stuff," because I almost never use it, or I use it once and forget about it. There goes my $$$. Instead, I've accumulated a few items that help me achieve that Glossier-approved "Skin first, makeup second, smile always" look. I mean, the smile part isn't really my thing, but you get the drift. 

First, "face stuff." I'm not married to specific line or product, 'cause I usually just try what's cheap or what I find in goodie bags from fashion events. *More shameless confessions coming up. Recently, I've been using products by Ole Henricksen, because I received some products as a work perk. (See? Shameless.) Anyway, I've been really into their cleanser, and my boyfriend says it makes my face smell good, which is a plus?

I can't remember where I read it, but someone said moisturizing your face is your number one anti-aging defense. I believe they said that if you haven't already, you should start in your early twenties, and I was 25 at the time, so after letting out a "Yikes!" I stole my mom's Clinique yellow moisturizer sample and got to it. Right now I'm using NeoStrata's 'Moisture Infusion 24hr Hydrating Serum' I got it in a Toronto Fashion Week swag bag, and I actually really like the stuff--it's hydrating without feeling like greasy, or like a heavy cream.

Next up, lips. Ladies (and gentlemen) know that chapped lips are an absolute no-no, and for Canadians like myself, the battle against cracked lips is real! The cold weather can do a number on you, so something like BITE Beauty's Agave Lip Mask is great for overnight repair. 

Brows. I know I said I don't wear a lot of makeup, and I guess brow stuff is makeup, but damn, sometimes you need all the help you can get. In real life, my eyebrows are pretty thick, but they always look almost invisible in photos. I usually throw on some Kat Von D 'Tattoo Brow' for definition, and Rimmel 'Brow This Way' to "fluff" my brows, per se, and help them look thicker. 

Then maybe I curl my eyelashes. I don't usually wear mascara because it always finds its way onto my eye bags. I feel like curling them makes me feel like I put in some sort of effort into my appearance, without actually having to apply product. Also I feel like curled lashes make me look more awake, even pre-morning coffee.

Then the most important step: LIPSTICK! 

I'm showing a tiny sampling of how much lipstick I actually own here. (My full collection will have to have its own post some other time.) 

The reason I own so much lipstick is because I feel like lipstick is THE easiest way to elevate your look/mood, as far as your face is concerned. Lipstick is so simple, and so easy to apply, and then suddenly you feel like you're all done-up, even if you're wearing jeans and t-shirt. 

Keep in mind, folks, that these are my essentials. These are the things that make me, in my opinion, look and feel my best. Whatever your routine is, whether it takes you no products, or 18 products to feel good about walking out the door every day is totally your call. 

No matter what, though, I think that whatever you wear or use on your face should be determined by your own wants, and not what other people are telling you you should look like. Period. 

And on an unrelated note: Have any of my American pals tried Glossier yet? They have lots of cool stuff, check out their tons of different beauty products. What are your thoughts on their products? I am absolutely DYING to, (so much so, that I wrote this entirely long post inspired by them) but I'm patiently waiting, along with my fellow Canadians for them to ship here! Fingers-crossed that'll be soon. 

Also, what are some of your feel-good essentials? I want to know! Comment below or whatever. Let's chat!

MY NEW GIG

There's always, well usually, a good reason why I disappear from the blogesphere. This time is no different.

I recently got hired on to become the Social Media Manager for BITE Beauty, and it has been a blast so far.

It's pretty tough to manage your personal social media accounts when you're managing someone else's at the same time, so naturally, my blog took a back seat when I got the job, but as I'm getting more settled into the role, I think I can start to get back into the swing of things with this wee blog of mine. Assuming of course, any of you are still reading it.

Here's a bit of a visual diary of what my day-to-day looks like.

This photo is 99% NOT STAGED. I did add my hand in there as an extra detail—I wasn't actually using the mouse.

Buttercream lipsticks.

Limited edition "Mauvember" lipstick.

There are so many exciting things going on all the time, and I don't even think I've mentioned the most obvious perk of this job: THE LIPSTICK. If you've ever visited my blog before, you know that my love for lipstick is SERIOUS—so much so that I named my blog LIPSTICK & Leather. Duh.

I'm so thrilled to be working in a creative environment again, and with something that I already had so much love for before! I've also added a new skill to my resume, as I'm basically a part-time hand model now. No big deal.

Keep an eye out for more blog posts, because I am definitely going to be sharing more with you very soon!

Oh, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat (bitebeauty)!!! Gracias!

WMCFW DAY 3

Clutch - American Apparel | Headphones - Happy Plugs | Lipstick - "Red Carpet Ready" by Charlotte Tilbury

 It's been a little while since my last fashion week, so I was happy to attend a few shows yesterday for #WMCFW. (Yes, I used a hashtag where it isn't applicable.)

I decided to leave my all black outfits at home for once, and opted for a skirt I bought at H&M (on sale for $15) a few months ago. I figured I could wear it now, while the weather is still cooperating, or wait 'til next year once the arctic tundra that is Toronto has warmed up again.

Leather jacket & boots - ZARA | Skirt & shirt - H&M

 I started the day with Finezza, which I unfortunately didn't get any good shots of, but rest assured, it was a great show filled with a British dandy/Southern gent sensibility that I was all about.

Next up, a show I'd been looking forward to: Narces.

How beautiful and feminine are those dresses and gowns?! Not my usual cup of tea, but I'm a sucker for great details, and this collection was serving great detail after great detail, it was like I was at an all you can eat buffet. 

I should have prefaced this post by saying that I didn't have to take my own outfit photos on this day. As some of you know, because I've mentioned it about a million times—I usually take my own outfit photos. So, when someone else offers, or I can ask someone else to take my photos, it's a good day for me. My pal Michael took these of me outside our office, and I have to give him credit because he made me look kind of approachable!

This skirt, though! I know I mentioned it earlier, but I never actually noted how much I love this skirt.  I was swishing around all day. Check my Instagram, I have proof!

Later in the evening, I had the Pink Tartan and Mackage shows: two very different aesthetics, and two very packed shows. The lines were insane! Note: fashion people are not afraid to throw elbows and push. 

Both shows were packed, and with good reason—the collections were amazing.

I didn't attend any shows today, and it's doubtful I'll be at any tomorrow, but hey, I got one good day, with many great collections. 

Have you visited the tents this season? Do you have any favourite designers/collections?

THE USUAL

I've definitely worn a very similar, basically identical, outfit before. However, a new leather jeacket deserves a blog post all its own, I think. It's only fair.

Lipstick - "Red Carpet Red" by Charlotte Tilbury | Leather jacket - ZARA| Necklace - Up and Armed | Shirt - JOE Fresh | Jeans - Urban Outfitters | Sneakers - New Balance