Deck the Malls

When the mall's Christmas decor is this nice, you can't help but want a photo. If you haven't checked out Halifax Shopping Centre's displays yet, you need to! Don't forget to see the reindeer outside of the food court and the giant tree in front of Zara.

Details

Sweater: Wilfred Free at Aritzia

Jeans: Harlow

Boots: Old Navy

Bag: H&M

Bag Pom: Topshop

Hat: Gifted

The key to mall shopping in December is to GO EARLY. We were there today at 10:30 and it was no more busy than any regular Sunday.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Benefit Brow Bar

When Benefit opened their Brow Bar in Sephora at Halifax Shopping Centre, I was intrigued. I lurked around a few times, seeing what it was all about. Then when I saw the sign that said all the proceeds from the brow wax services in May go towards womens' charities, I knew it was time to act!

You can make an appointment if you want, but I just walked in and was served right away. They have a dedicated spot near the back of the store. All the tools they need are right there, including a ton of Benefit brow products and concealers.

This was the "after" shot. It was spotless before she started on me!

Perched on my pretty stool, I let Madison go about her meticulous work of "mapping" my brows. She used various landmarks on my face to determine where my brows should start, end, and arch. Luckily, my brows are the right length naturally and generally well-behaved.

All mapped out!

Once my face was sufficiently drawn upon, it was time for the wax. Truthfully, it was almost painless, and my brows hadn't been waxed in many months (oops). Once my brows were shaped, it was time to conceal the redness and fill them in to perfection. The whole process took about a half an hour, which sounds long, but I MUCH prefer a precise brow wax rather than a five minute paint and rip routine. It's $24, tax and tip included.

The finished look

Benefit is coming out with a bunch of new brow products in June to add to their already extensive collection. If you want to get some great brows and help empower women as well, get your brows done this month with Benefit! Thanks Madison!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Me Day

A few hours on my own in the mall, and I definitely know how to spend them!

I'm pretty average in the make-up skills department. I love getting my make-up done by a pro and soaking up tips on how to use makeup to make it look natural. I especially need help in the foundation and concealer department since I've been using these more lately (thanks spotty skin). 

I had my face done at Sephora Halifax last weekend (free with my upgrade to VIB status), and I really loved my make-up artist Mary's skills. I have my eye on the few of the products she used, but I'm making a vow to myself to use more of what I have in my stick now before buying any more. I really liked the Urban Decay finishing spray. It made my skin look really fresh. My eyes were done with the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette.

Before leaving Sephora, I was sure to spritz myself with some perfume - Atelier Cologne Mandarine Glaciale. Usually, I visit the store during the week and I can't wear perfume to work. I haven't smelled the new CK2 yet, but I'm curious to!

After Sephora, I hit up the Aritzia sale (oops, I did again) and will be sharing a couple of new things I bought in a few weeks when I do my shopping budget post.

DAVIDsTEA was my next stop, to stock up on a few new teas to help get me through my 30 Days to Wellness (more on that in a later post). I picked up The Glow, Serenity Now, and Cinnimon Rooibos Chai (caffeine free).

Details

Vest: Club Monaco

Sweater: Old Navy

Hat: H&M

Pants: Uniqlo

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Bracelet: Gift

Boots: Town Shoes

All of that was accomplished in under two hours! A perfect amount of time to feel like I had a bit of a "Me Day".

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Opening Party at Aritzia Halifax

Some stores have a "quiet" opening. Aritzia is NOT one of them! Amongst nibbles, white cosmos, great music, and of course a ton of amazing clothes, they showed Halifax how a store should announce their arrival.

Aritzia is a gorgeous retail space with the prettiest hardwood floors (I notice these things since we built our house), a big marble sales desk, and a fun but relaxing atmosphere. The dressing room area is enormous, and it has a full size comfy couch that I may try to hang out on some day with a iced chai latte.

The hosts for the evening were fellow Halifax bloggers (yay Aritzia for choosing local talent to represent), and they have way better photos of the event than I do, so I encourage you to check out Kayla and Ellen's posts on the opening party.

I tried on a bunch of things, but told myself I was only allowed to leave with one item (boring, eh?). I ended up picking a super versatile striped long shirtdress and I can't wait to debut it.

It followed me home... honest.

Ellen and Kayla

Super blurry- Kayla and me

I know I'll be visiting Aritzia on the regular. Hope to see you there!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

It's Opening Day at Aritzia!

I've had a lot of people asking me if I know anything about Aritzia, opening today at Halifax Shopping Centre. When I lived in Vancouver (the birthplace of the chain) it seemed like there were Aritzia's everywhere. Unfortunately, I did a lot of window shopping at Aritzia as my rent and entertainment budget ate way waaaaay into my shopping budget. 

I don't know if there is a store in Halifax right now that Aritzia can be compared to. I'd describe their vibe as classy casual. They have a lot of drapey, super-soft pieces and some high end denim mixed in.  

On Thursday, June 4th from 7-9 PM there will be an opening party hosted by some talented local bloggers - Short Presents and lovebyelle. You'll be sure to find me and a lot of other fashion- conscious ladies checking out the new store! It's at Halifax Shopping Centre on the lower level. 

I've decided to share a few things I'll have my eye on in Aritzia. Seriously, the entire store will be filled with stunning pieces. It'll be very hard to be a good girl. 

Miller dress

I need some more tunic length things in my closet. I like the idea of being able to wear this with leggings, jeans, or on it's own. The sleeve length is awesome too!

Montana Blouse

Is this the perfect chambray I've been searching for? Perhaps!

Reve tee

What a simple but pretty shirt! I love all the detailing, and I'm missing a dressier blue tee in my wardrobe. My tried and true one from H&M has been worn to death (and suffered a hole). 

Let me know what you think of Halifax's newest store! 

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

Pretty Great Things Coming at Halifax Shopping Centre

Want the inside scoop on the giant renovation plans for Halifax Shopping Centre? You've stumbled upon them right here!

Cupcakes from Layers

On February 5, I joined the lovely HSC ladies and my fellow fashion gals for a sneak peek at the big changes. In case you haven't already heard, HSC has a 70 million dollar renovation project happening over the next two years.

Although there are no retailers confirmed for the new spaces, there will be about 75,000 square feet of new shopping potential. I have a long list of places I would like to see take up residence. If I had to narrow them down to my most realistic top three I would choose J Crew, Zara, and Nordstrom.

I'm so excited for the new food court, which promises to be a place that invites socialization. A gas fireplace, soft seating, and floor to ceiling windows are some of the features which will make it more inviting than the current space. One of the things I'm most excited about is a big open air patio, so shoppers can enjoy their meals outside. With the addition of heat lanterns, it will make outdoor eating possible well into spring and fall.

An outdoor feel will be created with a giant skylight over two-level retail stores. It's always nice for an indoor mall to have as much natural lighting as possible, in my opinion! Also in the works is a brand new main entrance.

I hope to have more info on specifics of the redesign as things start to shape up. As a very frequent mall user, I can't wait to see all the pretty great things coming. Congrats HSC, you're going to positively sparkle!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Big Black Bow Bloggers

What's a fashionista to do on Black Friday? Shop of course... that's a given. But what about when you're tired, hungry, thirsty, and need to re-charge?

If you're lucky, you get to hang out in the VIP lounge!

Halifax Shopping Centre generously invited some local bloggers to hang out in style last Friday evening. There were snacks (LOTS of them), various refreshing beverages, comfy couches, and a beautiful tree with a present under it for each of us!

Cupcakes from Layers.

Included amongst the shopping essentials and treats (lip balm, Red Bull, nail polish, and chocolate to name a few) was an HSC gift card. We were to hit the shops and pick out a great Black Friday deal. I had a really hard time choosing between a grey sweater at Banana Republic and the outfit I eventually purchased.

Details

Sweater: Hollister (c/o HSC)

Leggings: Smart Set (c/o HSC)

Boots: Aldo

Hat: Element
Watch: Guess
Scarf: Gap

In addition to the items noted above, I also bought a white layering tank from Smart Set. The total for three items was $52! I saved over 50% on my Black Friday deal.

A few of us bloggers: me, Kayla, Thanh, and Mo. 

Thanks HSC for the wonderful evening! I loved getting together with some of the other bloggers - we have few opportunities to hang out!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Rebel Without a Jacket

Does anyone else hate dragging a jacket around while shopping? It's just one more layer to slow a girl down in the dressing room. My last day in Vancouver, I was determined to be productive. I was heading to the Joe Fresh stand-alone store which is such a treat compared to my usual grocery store Joe experience. I admit, I was a wee bit chilly.

Details

Cardigan: H&M (current)

Shirt: Smart Set (on sale!)

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Shoes: BCBGeneration via Winners

Bag: Coach

Bracelets: Stella & Dot

Necklace: Tiffany & Co

Earrings: Gift

When I find a cardigan I like at H&M, I buy it. My most-loved and most-reached-for cardigans usually come from there. This Smart Set shirt was one of my choices for the Opposites Attract feature I did for Halifax Shopping Centre a few months ago, so of course I nabbed it when it went on sale!

Have a fabulous weekend!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Girly Day

Celebrating a little girl calls for wearing a skirt! Maybe I should've worn pink...

Details

Top: Club Monaco

Skirt: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target

Tights: Old Navy

Necklace: Gift

Bracelets: Stella & Dot

Boots: H&M

I wore this to a baby shower for my soon to be cousin-in-law who is simply glowing in anticipation of her baby girl. There were so many adorable gifts! Wow... kids need a lot of stuff!

I drew for my Halifax Shopping Centre gift card giveaway and the winner is Sarah over at Sunlight After Rain. Congrats Sarah! She has some great-looking Paleo recipes if you're looking for any. Thanks to those who entered!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Opposites Attract with Halifax Shopping Centre

It's alarming how many hours I spend in the run of a month at Halifax Shopping Centre. I work a very short drive away from the mall, so I often pop over at lunch to grab a bite and/or a drink and wander in a store or two.

When HSC asked me to pick some items for their Opposites Attract feature, I was more than happy to offer my choices for splurges and saves that are in the mall right now.



HSC generously gave me a gift card to bestow on one lucky blog reader. You get the chance to have $50 to spend at HSC if:

1) You leave a comment at the end of this post (please leave your e-mail address)

OR

2) Come over to Glitterary Girl on Facebook, like the page and leave a comment on my HSC post. The contest closes Feb 5/14 at 11:59 p.m. Winner will be contacted Feb 8/14.

You can sign up for The List here and get in the loop with contests, offers and fashion advice from HSC. I also have another few picks to share with those people who are signed up for the list.

Thanks so much to HSC for the opportunity to share my style!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl