365 project | february

February flew by this year, though it was more short than sweet. The severity of winter in Montreal can make the second month hard to bear. It gets so cold that the tears blown out of your eyes by the wind nearly freeze up on your cheeks. It stings the skin, chills the bones, and dampens the spirit. Hibernation seems like the best option.

Some nights, if my mood is brighter, I look out the window or walk in the cold and marvel at the beautiful, crystalline fantasy of February.

365 project: january

January is just about over - can you believe it? If, like me, you've spent most of the month hibernating indoors, you too might be surprised by how quickly the days have flown by. Well, with only about 8.5 hours of sunlight, they are pretty short days.

The most surprising part of my 365 project has been the photo diary aspect of the process. Since I didn't have any planned shoots this month, my photos were really just documents of what I was up to each day. I found myself feeling oddly exposed by this, as if anyone who viewed my photos would see how banal my life can be.

For the most part, the photos I post or am tagged in are a carefully chosen and edited collection of curated moments, the ones that we and our friends deem as moments worth preserving and sharing.

The quietest moments, the most humdrum days, the coldest nights: they are the things we seldom photograph. We keep them tucked away to gather dust in our memories, as the fleeting posed moments shine brightly in our digital albums.

Even though it makes me feel uneasy to share myself through daily photos in this way, I'm planning to stick to it for two reasons:

1. I want to force myself to practice my craft with discipline. I want to push myself to be uncomfortable as I struggle to find different subjects and different ways of seeing. I want to grow to be a better photographer with a more versatile style, and nothing makes you grow like discomfort.

2. This is going to be a busy year and, especially in the final months leading up to our wedding, I don't want to forget a single day.

365 Project

Have you heard of the 365 Project? To join, you take a photo every day for a year and share each one. Since I photograph at least something every day, I thought I'd make it official and join the project. The idea of documenting what will undoubtedly be a very crazy year appeals to me. Time moves so quickly when you're planning for big things, so I don't want to forget a single day. I'm hoping these photos preserve the kinds of moments that could easily slip from the mind.

Day 1 (above): This first photo was taken at exactly 12:01 am on New Year's Eve/January 1st as my friend Adam popped our first bottle of champagne.



Day 2: Daisy, Brian's parents' dog, watches us as we get into the car to drive back to Montreal after the holidays.



Day 3: Today was a really busy day. It's our first day back in the city after our glorious 2 week break and we had a million things to do. After we got home from work and errands, Brian entertained himself playing Goldeneye on Wii while I was busy wedding planning, uploading all my holiday photos, and editing engagement photos for my friends Roz and Kris. Today was also the day Brian taught his first university class.

montreal in winter

Remember when I was telling you how Montreal is amazing in the winter? Here is some hard (and cold!) evidence:

And last night, we drank mulled wine and boozy hot chocolate around the fire in the park near our apartment. It was freezing and kind of a blizzard all around us, but so festive and cozy around the fire.

holiday 2010 beauty picks

Welcome to my 2010 holiday beauty guide! Today's picks are the best products I've tried over the last few months, and plan on keeping handy for the holidays this year.

First up, Today was a Fairytale nail polish by Deborah Lippmann. I bought this to wear on my wedding day (and not because of the cheesy name, I swear - it matches my shoes), but I've kind of started wearing it already. You've got to test things out, right? Deborah Lippmann's polishes are generally quite fun, and many of them contain loads of glitter. Several of her polishes have been created with or inspired by celebrities (e.g. Bad Romance for Lady Gaga and Believe with Cher).  The thing I like about the glittery shades are that they give great coverage with only one coat. I find this shade in particular to be really festive, and great for the holidays.

I've been meaning to buy MAC paints for years. After bemoaning melting eyeliner and disappearing shadow, I finally picked some up to prevent both effects. Paints are silky creams that can act as powerful eyeshadow primers, or will stay put as long-lasting shadows. When I was doing theatre, I saw a lot of makeup artists and other performers use these paints as stage makeup, as they hold up even under hot lights. I love the easy-to-squeeze tube format, and I am impressed with how little you need to get great results.

I had never heard of Pixi until my mom brought me back a bunch of wonderful makeup treasures from Target after a recent trip to Georgia. This brand seems to be aimed at a younger market, but its products are of really good quality. I enjoy this Wakeup kit, as it's great for travel (hello, Christmas holidays) and has a good balance of natural and more dramatic shades. The shadows and blushes are highly pigmented, and apply really well. The lipstick shades are current and suit a range of skin tones.

Another Pixi product, Lip and Line, is not a particularly new product idea, but the execution is good. The colour of the product in liner and lipstick is an exact match (to avoid that dreaded lined look) but it provides the shaping and staying power of liner with the creamy, heavier coverage of lipstick. The pale pink shade has a great matte finish and looks awesome when worn with a smokey eye and a bit of bronzer.

Benefit's Magic Ink liquid liner is the BEST eyeliner I have ever used. It it jet black, beautifully fluid, and should win awards for its incredible staying power. It even lasted through a snow storm, with my awkward "fight the wind" face and resulting tears. It is practically indelible, but does come off easily with makeup remover, or even soap and water. A lot of my clients and friends look at liquid liner suspiciously, as if it might hurt them or force them into looking like a post-bender Amy Winehouse. Liquid liner is best when applied with a light hand, and although it takes a bit of practice to master, is definitely worth the effort. I actually only use liquid and gel liners now, but more on that later.

My new hairdresser used Aveda's Volumizing Tonic on my fine, straight hair after my last cut and it worked wonders. It is made with aloe and wheat protein, smells incredible, and it really does pump up the volume. This is a great product for dramatic hairstyles for holiday parties. It's also what I used to get Sara's hair up to such great heights for her recent photoshoot.

Mannequin Skin by Jemma Kidd was another one of my mom's Target treasures. A small palette containing four different concealers (green to neutralize redness, a beige to prime eyes and lips, yellow to lighten dark circles, and shimmery shell pink to highlight), it is a great fix-all kit. It's also a good tool to keep handy for days where you may not be feeling your most glowy or may have had a few too many holiday cocktails the night before.

Similar to Mannequin Skin, Smashbox's Photo Op Under Eye Brightener is all about making you look fresh. What sets it apart from most other concealers is its consistency. It relies on light-reflecting particles to deflect darkness from under the eyes, rather than heavy pigmentation to cover darkness. This is particularly effective, because it just floats gently on top of skin, rather than sinking into any fine lines around the eyes. A definite winner.

Last up today is my final Target treasure, Dramatically Defining Long Lasting Gel Liner by Sonia Kashuk. As I previously mentioned, I now only use liquid or gel liners. This is mostly due to my eye shape, and the fact that my eyelids move eyeliner all the place. Unlike kohl liner, liquid and gel dry and stay where they're supposed to. I also find the colours to be richer and more vibrant in gels and liquids, and for eye shadows to pop more dramatically when applied next to them.

l'hiver est arrivé

My Saturday morning routine consists of drinking lemon water (the surest way to a clean start after a few Friday night drinks) and browsing all my favourite photography, makeup, design and wedding blogs (which I don't always have time for during the week) while Brian sleeps for a few extra hours.

This morning I can hear a strange creaking noise, almost like old floor boards or squeaky door hinges, but much louder. Finally I realize that it's the great big maple tree that wraps around our balcony being blown by the furious wind. I can tell by watching it sway wildly in front of the brilliant blue sky that today is the first day of winter in Montreal.

When newcomers to Montreal ask me how terrible the winters are (because they already know they aren't gentle) I tell them the truth, but I also tell them the best thing I've realized after four winters here: this city is built for winter!

You can get almost anywhere you need to go underground, via the metro or underground walkways (downtown); many bars are equipped with fireplaces; cafés, tea shops and hot chocolate houses punctuate each block; also, as the mercury drops, cocktails are served noticeably stronger, or at least ordered more often. Most importantly, in Montreal, people's lives are not frozen by winter. The city seems to grow still more vibrant. We may be cold, but hibernating is not an option.

For the arrival of winter this year, I'm piling on the layers and heading to watch the Santa Claus parade, then baking cupcakes for Cupcake Camp Montreal before a night of food and wine for my best friend's birthday.

Winter, welcome to the city!

avenue mont royal, east of papineau

milk ad - rue sherbrooke

iron & snow in the east plateau

review: nuxe crème fraîche

This is the good stuff, folks.

I decided to spring for a slightly more pricey cream. I normally try to stay in the < $20 range when it comes to moisturizer, but my winter-ravaged skin was screaming out (read: flaking and swelling and turning red) for something more potent.

After a lengthy consultation with the cosmetician, I decided on Crème Fraîche by Nuxe. Formulated for dry and very dry skin, this cream lives up to its claim to moisturize for 24 hours. If I put it on before bed, I can skip moisturizing the next morning and my skin still feels great all day.

It's all-natural, paraben free, and packed full of plant milks, saps, and essential oils. I love the way it just soaks into my skin, soothing instantly. After just over a week of using it, I notice a huge difference in the quality of my complexion.

It's about $35, which is a few levels up from my usual Oil of Olay or La Roche-Posay favourites, but my skin is forcing me to have more expensive taste.

I would highly recommend Crème Fraîche as a salve for anyone who suffers from painfully dry and red skin, especially in the winter.

storm chasing

Most families spend Christmas day cozied up to the fire. In a family of photographers, however, someone is always going to venture away from the festivities in search of great photos. This year, my mom and I went to watch the waves. Don't let the lack of snow fool you - it was freezing! But the thrill was worth the chill.

window shopping

As the city empties of students, business people, and everyone else who's already left on holidays (including my boyfriend), I'm camping out with my Christmas tree and counting down the hours until I head home.

I'd like to say the seasonal flow of mulled wine and mimosas is keeping me afloat, but I keep encountering things that are detracting from the old holiday cheer.

1. Man behind me in line, yelling into cell phone to daughter:

"What the hell is the Jonas game?... A game? A religious board game?...How the hell do you want something for Christmas when you don't know what it is? Jonas WHAT? Are you stupid or something? I am not getting you a gift that you can't even describe to me accurately. Call all your friends who are all getting this too, find out what you actually want, and call me back when you know what you're talking about. (hangs up). Kids!"

2. When did" gift" become a verb? For some reason, phrases like "love these giftable goodies," "remember us when you're looking for gifting ideas," and "the best thing you've ever gifted" make me want to smash whatever trite trinkets are being horribly peddled in this sub-par ad copy. What happened to "give, gave and given a gift?" I blame the concept of "gifting suites" wherein celebrities en route to award shows are bestowed with gifts in a schmaltzy pit stop.

3. My own lack of creativity in terms of gifts this year. Any ideas? Help!

white frosting

Greetings from Montreal, where winter has been making up for lost time.

cusp of winter beauty picks

Alright folks, the air is starting to get dry just as our social calendars are starting to fill up for the seasons. 'Tis the season to slough off the dead skin, breathe some life into our dry hair, and put some rouge on our cheeks. I've been doing all sorts of testing (and online trolling) to bring you my beauty picks to whip you into tip top condition.

First up, Satin Sugar by Cake Beauty. If you're like me, cold weather and busy days see you waiting a little longer between hair washes. This sweetly scented powder (for both light and dark shades) soaks up oil, and leaves hair clean and fluffy. Toss it in your purse for a post-work touch up to your bangs before heading out.



On the subject of hair, I've been using this amazing Lush bestseller, BIG shampoo. It smells incredible, and it pumps an amazing amount of volume into your locks.



This amazing Ultimate Blockbuster palette by Sephora is fantastic. I was lucky enough to receive one from my friend Kate last year, and I have used the awesome array of colours for my own daily beauty routine, as well as for countless photo shoots. I tend to be skeptical about the quality of cosmetics in large sets, but all of the products in this set perform really well. At under $50, it's an amazing deal that will give you a lot of mileage.

More beauty picks to come soon.