Trend Trunk Blogger Fashion Week

Have you guys heard of Trend Trunk yet?
If not, go and look now!
We all have extra in our closets.  There's the top we couldn't live without, until we got it home and it didn't work with anything else in the closet.  What about the fantastic impulse buy handbag?  We all have things that are great, and in great condition, but we never use them.
That's where Trend Trunk comes in.

 

                                                                                                                                                                      

Trend Trunk is an online community where you can create a personalised "Closet" of items that are new, or almost new, for sale.  It's also a great place to grab some new finds!  You can browse other closets, create a "lust" list of your fave items, and shopping or selling couldn't be easier!  Everything is handled by the site.  So user friendly!
From December 9th until the 15th Trend Trunk is hosting the first "Blogger Fashion Week".  Every day several of your favourite bloggers and their closets are featured.  It's a great way to get to know a particular blogger better, and check out their style!  Some of the ladies featured are Elaine Atkins from Toronto Beauty Reviews, Anita Clarke from I Want I Got, Christie Ressel from Fashion Translated, and Sarah Francis from Real Life Runway to name a few of the ladies who happen to inspire me!
Here's a bit from the press release:

We have partnered with over 70 Canadian emerging and established bloggers (fashion, beauty, food, lifestyle, family and more) to create Blogger Fashion Week which is happening until Dec 15th.  It combines fashion, technology and social media...with a bit of fun and shopping!

We've created something unique and the first of its kind in the world...right here in Canada!

Check out Trend Trunk here.
Let me know how you like it!!!!

Donna Xoxo








here.

Youthful Makeup. How to Look Like You Have a Dorian Gray Painting at Home (Thank You Benefit!)

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I'm going to be 40 in February. 
40!!!!!
I'm a little stressed out about it, but not too bad.  I seem to be holding up fairly well as far as my skin and appearance goes.  I may feel like an old bag, but I don't look it!
I'm going to share my makeup secrets here today.  Some of them, anyways!
A girl needs some secrets!
I decided to pull my hair back for the pic's so we aren't overwhelmed by the giant shock of fire-red hair!
Skin prep is the best thing for looking healthy.  A good primer, as I always say, will make all the difference in the world.  I had a friend give me a bunch of goodies from Benefit, and "The Porefessional" primer was among them.  This is a killer primer!  Great smoothness and texture!
Next, find a foundation that leaves the skin looking plump and healthy.  Doesn't have to be full coverage, as long as you have a nice canvas.
Concealer is your BFF!  The formula of the concealer is really important.  A nice creamy consistency for the eye area, and some redness is perfect.  I also use a creamy one for acne too.  Spot treatments can be drying, so a little extra emollient is ok!  Benefit's "Fake Up" is fantastic!  It covers like a dream, and wears comfortably.
I'm a big believer in setting powder.  Makeup wears so much better with a light dusting, light being the key word here!  The right powder will diffuse fine lines and dark spots.  Make sure it's a translucent, or brightening powder.  Mineral powders can have a nice luminosity to them too.  I'm in love with Benefit's Box O' Powder in Dandelion these days!  Its a gorge pink that gives a subtle glow!  You'll love it!

A full, well maintained eyebrow is also mandatory for a youthful look.  Make sure its shaped well, while keeping a natural appearance, and not too dark.  As we age, brows lose fullness, so we want to make the best of what we have.  Benefit's Brow-Zing is the perfect brow definer!  A wax and a powder give great colour and hold.
Did I mention mascara? Because lots and lots is good!  Non-smudging of course!
I can not emphasize the importance of blush and hilighter enough.  A good hilighter will light up the eyes and diffuse darkness when placed on top of the cheekbones.  A bright blush placed high on the cheeks suggests young, healthy skin.  a softly sculpted cheek is the best trick in the world!  I like a hot pink like Tarte Amazonian Clay in Amused.  It doesn't go on dry like most powders.

As for lip colours, go for something rosey, or berry tinted.  Don't forget the SPF!  I'm wearing Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose, which is the perfect amount of colour to liven things up on the face!
All that being said, the real secret to looking youthful is prevention!  SPF and eyecream from the age of 18 is the best thing any of us can do for our skin.  Remember it's never too late!  And Sephora sells Benefit!
What tricks do you use to look healthy everyday?

Donna Xoxo

Almay Shadow Softies and Smart Shade Mousse Foundation. Softness Heaven!

I've always liked Almay makeup.  It's kind to skin, and the basics are great, but Almay has always seemed like a dependable safe brand.
Good product, not exciting.
Until now!
Almay has upped their game lately and I'm in love!
There is a new addition to the Smart Shade collection.  The newest formulation is a mousse which goes on white, and adjusts to the tone of the skin. 
I've always been a little skeptical as to how well this works, but I was very surprised at the way it did conform to my colouring.  You don't have to pick through twelve similar shades to find the correct undertone, so Yay for that!

This foundation feels creamy and fluffy at the same time. My dry patches liked the feel of this. It wears comfortably, but I found that it does need to be buffed in quite well.  Add a flat foundation brush, like the Sonia Kashuk one here, and the application is really beautiful!

The newest addition to their eye makeup line are the Shadow Softies.  These single pots feel soft and springy.  There's and airy-ness to the texture that makes them feel silky.  They're a cream to powder shadow which are quite pigmented and go on best with a dense brush.  The lighter shade, Crème Brulee, is a cream shade with a soft pink hue and some soft glitter.  Soooo pretty!  The darker shade, Smoke, is a great taupey-grey, like a dark mushroom.  (I took figuring this colour out quite seriously, didn't I?)  I'm not even sure if these are in stores yet, but if you see them, GRAB THEM!  They feel really nice, and build well too!
If that isn't enough to make you love Almay, it has the cutest story of how the company came to be!The founder was a chemist in the 1930's, who's wife had extremely sensitive skin.  At that time, cosmetics for sensitive skin where unheard of, so our Chemist, Al, formulated products to suit his wife, May. 
Get it?
Almay!
Adorbs!
What do you guys think of Almay?  What other lines have you fallen for lately?

Donna Xoxo

My Weekend at Spark Sessions

I have had the most interesting few weeks!
There's lots to share, so I'm going to jump right in!
On the 16th and 17th of November Toronto hosted Canada's first conference specifically for Fashion and Beauty Bloggers called Spark Sessions.  It was held at The Centre for Social Innovation on Bathurst. 
What a cool little spot!
As soon as I saw the exposed brick and mis-matched vintage-y furniture, I was hooked!

The agenda was packed with amazing content from start to finish!  First up, however, was Jeanne Beker!
She was a great speaker! Animated, interesting and really open about her life behind the scenes and the struggles to get where she is.  One of my favourite things that come to mind when I think of her is the way she changed the role of women in rock journalism as well as fashion journalism. I'm pretty lucky that I was able to actually see that while it happened!
The panels were bang-on for what I needed.  I'm so behind the game with tech stuff!  HTML, and SEO were not in heavy rotation in my vocab before then.  I'm getting very fancy learning all this!  It's been a big help!
The whole experience has been great for my confidence as well!  I was sure I wouldn't fit in, be too old or not pretty enough.  Within five minutes I met some girls who would make me comfortable and gave me the feeling that I absolutely belonged there!  (Thanks Ladies!!!)
There were so many amazing brands, and PR people that were there, that made getting your feet wet the easiest thing!  Just having a coffee, hanging with the PR Lady from Revlon!  No biggie!
Did I mention how spoiled we were?
OMG, the swag bag was bananas!  A gift card from Smart Set was tucked in there which is burning a hole in my pocket!   As if that wasn't enough, we all left with some of Almay's newest additions, along with some best sellers.  There's a post coming up covering my new toys from Almay and Smart Set very soon, trust!
During that weekend I met some great women, had my first gel Mani (thanks BioSeaweed Girls) and learned soooooo much about blogging as a business as well as an artform!  My only regret is that I had to leave early since I was starting to fall apart after the long day on the 16th.  I missed two panels as well as Elaine Lui from Lainey Gossip!
I have to say that after this conference I have so much rattling around in my head that I hope is going to make An Occasional Redhead a much better experience for everyone who takes the time to visit me! 
That's why I do this after all!
What would you like to see from my blog?

Donna  Xoxo

A Makeover For An Occasional Redhead! Update!

UPDATE!!!
What do we think of the Argyle and the shades of purple?
I'm kind of feeling this pattern this season!  So much for cleaner!

Sometimes a change is the best feeling!
For the last while, I've wanted a new look for An Occasional Redhead. Something a bit cleaner, while being feminine still.

The last format was cute, but the new Donna is all about a modern vibe!

And purple, apparently!

Why now, you might ask?

Because, Ladies and Gents, I'm pretty fired up!

I've been up and down in the last ten days, and I'm really excited to tell you all about it in my next post!

Just you wait!

Donna Xoxo

PS- The fab nails above are a small hint of what's to come!!!!

Style Love: New Jewels from Forever21

I don't know if you've heard, but Toronto is hosting Canada's only conference for beauty and fashion bloggers. Spark Sessions is being held November 16th and 17th, and the speakers are BANANAS!

Can you say Jeanne Beker?  Elaine Liu from Lainey Gossip?

So excited to be there!

But, Holy Sh!t, is this stressful!

With the speakers, and the amazing bloggers that will be there, I feel like I really need to up my game!

No easy feat!

That's where a really cool accessory comes in!

I found some gorge pieces at Forever 21 that will add something extra to my outfits!

Lately I'm loving the midi-ring!  Midi-rings sit between the two knuckles at the tip of the fingers. The gold and black-enameled ring in the picture was $1.99. 

The necklace in the above pic hits on a couple of trends; gold and spikes. It feels so Rock and Roll!  I love this with something a little girly, or casual. It gives a bit of edge to a look. I think I paid $6.95 for the necklace, so I've had more than my money's worth. 

On a side note, did you see how slender my neck looks in that picture!  Wish I could use that angle for every profile pic. 

However, I digress...

The newest trend I've been drawn to lately is the ear cuff. I really like how it can be a pretty, elegant look, or very tough and punk-y. The cuffs I have on below are more on the elegant side. I like how it's a statement earring without the heft usually associated with one. My face is small and can look roundish, so I'm not always comfortable in a larger earring. This I can rock like a champ!

Well, Ladies, what jewellery trends are your favorites this season?  Any trends you love/hate?  

And, seriously, doesn't my neck look slim?

Donna Xoxo

Ps. I will write a huge post all about Spark Sessions!  Can't wait!  If you're there, say hi!  I'll be the short terrified one in the great accessories!

Wake-up Make -up! How to Fake It When You Need a Nap.

The last month of my life has been Cray-Cray!
My days have been filled with surgery, babies, and toddlers.
I'm recovering like a champ, and my two new nephews are adorable! 
My 24 year old year nephew and his amazing GF had a baby boy three days before my BFF and her husband had their second son. 
I was looking after Tommy, the most adorable two year old on the planet, while his Mom had a c-section.
Let me tell you, parenting is hard! 
I was glad that I had a few tricks up my sleeve so I didn`t look as if I had died and just hadn`t laid down yet!
I have to share them with the world!
They work for lack of sleep due to babies, as well as due to late night boozing.  (Hopefully not on the same night.)

The secret to looking alive is all in the product choices.
When you`re tired skin tends to be drier, so go with a tinted moisturizer or bb cream.  The extra hydration will be way more important than the extra coverage of a foundation.  Odds are the finish would end up chalky.  Concealer is also your friend at times like these!  In moderation, of course.
As for eyes, keep shadow soft and warm.  I usually go for a pale to mid-tone gold on the lid, and champagne or soft pink on the browbone and inner corners.  Some brown liner and lots of mascara on the top lid of the eye will give a bit of a lift.  Don`t forget to fill in the brows!
The best cheek on a day like this will be fresh and softly sculpted.  Use a soft champagne hilight and a bright pink on the apple for a youthful glow.  Don`t be afraid of hot pink blush!  Something like Lancôme's Cosmopolitan Pink, pictured above, will leave the prettiest flush when applied with a careful hand.
A bright berry lip is the best thing to wake up a tired or dull face!  I wanted a lip that was a raspberry shade.  Almost wine, but brighter.  I used a bright pink-red lip-liner and a deep berry glossbalm on top.  Love the feel of the Naturelux Glossbalm by Covergirl!  It leaves a fairly opaque colour on the lips and feels comfy!
These are just the tip of the iceberg, really.  I`d love to hear any tricks you ladies have on looking way more awake than you feel!  I have the feeling I`m going to need them!

Donna Xoxo