STYLE FILE | Erika

This is my girl Erika. We met at church in Edmonton because her and her sister recognized me from my blog. haha. So funny how that happens...sometimes I forget people follow. Anyhow, it's definitely a blessing to know her and her family because they are my second family here. And I love their style. You can follow her on Chictopia here. (ps. Don't mind the background, it was taken in the coat closet at church ha)

How would you describe your style?  I would call it fashionably comfortable, I guess. Loose shapes balanced with some structure, accessorized with edgy pieces. 

What are you new years resolutions or goals?  Finish school, get a job and travel around Europe. That would be the life... I would also like to excercise more, try more new food, and take better care of my body. Sleep is my biggest goal. 8 hours would suffice. I usually get about 4. 

Favorite beauty products?   I love mascara! I never wear just one brand though, I layer about 2-3 mascaras on my lashes because each mascara is good for something else. Rimmel and Maybelline for mascaras are pretty affordable. I also love geo GiRL's Cream Blush, I have it in 'Eco Peach' I think...and it's fantastic AND all-natural. I use it for my cheeks, eyelids and on my lips when I'm pressed for time. I got it in Walmart, and I heard rumours that the line was kaput, so now I have to find a new brand. :( Wine lipsticks are also a must. My favourite is 'Bordeaux' by Rimmel. SPF 30 moisturizer from Olay is a must. Then I use St. Ives's Collagen moisturizer at night. And I use Neutrogena's Deep Cleansing Oil-Free Cream Cleanser. If your face is taken care of, you don't have to wear as much makeup. And when I exfoliate, I use St. Ive's Apricot scrub. For my hair I use Tresemme heat protector, Bath&Body Work's True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere Dry Shampoo, and straight up 100% coconut oil on my hair when I need to deep condition. And an array of perfumes. I love wearing different scents because I find that your body chemistry changes the scents of perfumes depending on the time of the month. Oh, that looks like a really long list...

What are your closet essentials?  Easy! Man sweaters, band/graphic tops, skinnies in different colours, maxi skirts, flats with interesting details, boots, and thick wool socks. I try to dress warmly for the typical Edmontonian winters, but I still want to look cute doing it, so these are pretty much my essentials. And since winters here last more than half the year, I just stick to those items. For accessories, I really like rings. A lot. The chunkier, the better. Especially if someone provokes you, that ring becomes an insta-weapon with a suckerpunch. 

You have 5 minutes to get ready, what do you put on?   I would grab jeans, a loose tee, and some flats. Depending on the weather, a sweater and boots. I'd make sure that the pieces I choose would have some graphics too. 

Currently topping my playlist...
Oh man this one's hard!  Umm...

    There She Goes - The La's 

    Intro- M83 

    Mat Kearney- Ships in the Night

    Lucy Schwartz - Porcelain

    Mree - Grow

    Mree- Walking in a Dream (Empire of the Sun cover) 

    Taylor Swift- Treacherous

    Taylor Swift feat. Gary Lightbody- The Last Time

    OneRepublic- Feel Again

    Imagine Dragons- Demons

If you could give one piece of style advice, what would it be?

Wait, can I have a top three? One advice is hard! 

a) Don't look at sizes. Try on a couple of sizes and wear what fits best. 

b) Never invest in passing trends. If there is a trend that I like and I feel like I can pull off, I try thrift stores first. 

c) Wear trends that work for your body type. I really like the look of those super duper long sweaters, but since I'm short, it over powers me. The goal is to look your best, and that works when YOU wear your clothes, and not your clothes wearing you. 

Recent obsessions..... Purple eyeliner, Eddie Redmayne. Mary Kate and Ashley movies, straight across bangs, chivalry, SKYPE and those double chocolate cookie crisps from IKEA. Just from the last two weeks...

What are your hobbies?  I love to sing, play guitar, make mixes. write. I also really like to paint, and make magazine collages, but I haven't done that in ages. I love being around people and I am definitely very social when I'm outside of the house, but I'm such a homebody. I love staying home, so most of my hobbies are things I can do inside.  And I feel like I'm always cleaning, so I guess it's a hobby too. Not that I want to clean all the time... 

What are your current favorite blogs?  Yours, obviously! I also really like cotton and curls, jaynsarah, apair-andaspare. and a Beautiful Mess.