Happy Back to the Future day (aka Future Day)!

Today is October 21, 2015 and this post is posted on 10/21/2015 07:28, which is the exact moment when Marty McFly travelled to the future to save his family in Part 2 of the Back to the Future trilogy.  I remember watching the movie as a kid (over and over again because they always replay it) and was captivated by the out-of-this-world storyline.  Everything from Doc's DeLorean time machine to the Marty's self-lacing Nike and Hoverboard wowed me.

Being a big fan of the movie, I have to dress for the occasion.  So I pulled out my BTF tank from Forever 21, paired it with an oversized 90s flannel, leggings, and Chuck Taylors.

Leaves are turning, the sun comes up a bit later than before, it's officially sweater weather.  Fall is definitely my favourite fashion season, because you get to layer, but it's not too cold yet for mini skirts.  But if you know me, I often go with cozy and comfy clothing, because it makes me feel at home even when I'm outside (I'm a hopeless couch potato).

So I'm excited to be pulling out my chunky knit sweater from boxes and wear them... Starting with this number...

Bucket bags have taken the fashion world by storm in the past few seasons and it's not going anywhere.  The highly coveted MANSUR GAVRIEL bucket bag still has a long waiting list in store and still sell out within a day upon release.  It's still a hot commodity.

Time to get your cardio in... Shopping that is! @MANSURGAVRIEL relaunches today! I love my regular Black/Flamma bucket & Rosa/Rosa mini bucket! #happygirlhappybag

A photo posted by Rica | The Office Chic (@eeenricaaa) on Mar 19, 2015 at 5:53am PDT

You might have seen me worn it all over my Instagram.  I can't help it.  After using them for over a year, I absolutely love the MANSUR GAVRIEL bucket bags.  Its simple design makes it appropriate for many occasion, which I appreciate.  The pop of colour is inside the bag, so it's subtle enough but it does make an impact.

But if the MG bucket bag is not your cup of tea, there are also many kinds of bucket bags available on the market right now from ZARA to J.Crew, from Baggu to Mackage.

Puella Turtleneck Swing Tank (CA $68 / US $58) photo courtesy of Anthropologie

We've seen it all over runway (and all over the Kardashians' wardrobe).  I have to agree with Kim though, "I love turtlenecks".  Maybe not in the hot Summer, but I definitely love it in the colder months.  It's cozy, it's comfortable, and it's functional.  In fact, I already wore it 3 times in the past 2 weeks... Oops.

This past Summer has been weird.  It's hot, then rainy, then cold, and hot again.  We didn't get as much nice weather as we would like.  Nonetheless, we're now here, first day of Fall, Summer 2015 is officially behind us.

I go to Sherway Gardens a lot.  I like that it's close to downtown, there's a Holt Renfrew, a Sporting Life, a Sephora (like what more do I need lol)... I also like how the mall is natural light filled.  Except for the past year or two when they were under construction.  But finally, part of it is complete!  The North expansion is opening today.  I was able to get a sneak peek of the new wing last night.

Happy April!



March is done meaning Spring is near.  You know what that means, Spring wardrobe shopping.  Now I'm not saying you need to throw everything out and get an entire new wardrobe, but it's nice to add some new items to your collection to replace some old, worn out pieces.  And if you're in the Greater Toronto Area, you're in luck!  Nordstrom Canada is having their first warehouse sale this Easter weekend, presented by Style Democracy!

WHERE:
The International Centre (Hall 6, near Entrance 1 & 6)
6900 Airport Road, Missisauga, ON L4V 1E8


WHEN:
Thursday, April2, 2015 – Monday, April 6, 2015

Hours:

• Thursday: 10:00AM – 9:00 PM
• Friday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
• Saturaday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

It feels like Fall but the beauty and fashion world is already thinking about the next season!  Linda Cantello, the Creative Director for Giorgio Armani Beauty, has created two looks for the Giorgio Armani Womenswear and Emporio Armani SS2015 runway.

Canadian National Exhibition, aka CNE or the Ex, has been a Toronto tradition for over a century.  Many Canadians or even tourist will come to this annual 18-day fair for the shows, exhibits, food, casino and so on.  This year, for some reason, the man was very excited to go to the Ex, so we walked all the way to the venue and spend the evening there last night.  This is our photo diary... or better known as Rica's food diary...  I also included my OOTD here, CNE style :).  Hope you enjoy!

When everyone has the same skirt, what do you do to add your personal twist to it?  This conversation came up a little while ago soon after the 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection was launched.  Maria from Beauty and a Bite (@MariaAguilar), whom I had the pleasure to meet, saw that I was wearing the Animal Print Skirt and told me that she had the same skirt.  We bonded over our same camera and same skirt, and we start chatting how everyone in the fashion world is styling similarly, especially when it's paired with the pieces from the same collection.  So we thought to take the challenge and showcase how we would wear it and make it our own.

Isabel Marant is known for her effortless Parisian, and this year, she has collaborated with H&M to offer the Isabel Marant for H&M collection that is much more accessible for the general public.  Emily and I got to attend the VIP pre-sale party at the Bloor Street store in Toronto.  We were 3rd/4th in line so we pretty much got everything we were looking for!

We were 3rd/4th in line and got quite a good view at the collection before the rush

I got the following pieces from the collection...


And here're some demos of how the clothes fit on my boyfriend and myself... Yes, we had a late night mini shoot... haha

Girls Sweater in size 10-12Y CA $69.95

The World MasterCard Fashion Week SS14 has just wrapped up, and it would still be a little while before we start embracing the 2014 Spring and Summer trends.  However, there was one special show on day 4 of WMCFW that we can all dive right into—Target Holiday 2013.  Let's back up a little and talk about the preparation right before the show.

Check out Maybelline's backstage media lounge:

One of my most frequent places is a CHANEL counter near where I used to live.  I still go to the area once every few weeks and I always stop by the counter.  It takes me a while to pull myself away from it, but this time, I couldn't; I was bad and I left with two things, which saddens my wallet.

The lovely people at Debenhams has asked me if I would like to style and accessorise inspired by British style icons using items sold on Debenhams.com.  For those of you who are not familiar with Debenhams, it is a UK based retailer that carries products from fashion to beauty, home to electronics.  While having over 240 stores in 28 countries, Debenhams is also available online for 70 countries shipping internationally (including North America).  Being a huge Harry Potter fan, I have, of course, chosen to use Emma Watson as my style inspiration for this challenge.

While known for her glamourous red carpet looks, Emma Watson is quite "laid-back/relaxed chic" when it comes to her off-duty style.  She said in her recent interview with Net-A-Poter's The Edit that her personal wardrobe is much more comfortable (than her red carpet attires) for her everyday style.  I absolutely agree with Emma and I, too, usually would go for comfortable clothing when I shop.  In this post, I am going to show you how I get warm-and-cozy-Emma-style for this year's Autumn and Winter using a few pieces found on Debenhams.

Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel Appliqués in Gilded Mosaic Jewelry from Bauble Bar & J.Crew Factory

A little while ago, I blogged about the nail art collaboration between Revlon and Marchesa.  Now I got quick sneak peek of the Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel Appliqués (US $9.99 / CA $8.95).  I can't tell you how excited I am to try them out, but I'm going to hold it off until I get my macro lens so it will do the detail on these appliqués justice.  Meanwhile, let's take a first look at 6 out of the 8 Nail Art 3D Jewel Appliqués, along with some jewelry pairings that I put together.

I have had this crochet dress since early summer (first instagram'ed here), but I still haven't had a chance to wear it until yesterday.  I'm glad it got some use on the first day of fall :).  It was quite chilly outside, so I threw my chambray shirt on and put on these Forever 21 leggings (they are so darn comfortable and warm).  Huge shout out to Emily from THISWASFOREVER, who helped me got the Mini Satchel from the coveted 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection!  I'm loving it!

Since it's officially Fall, I have to start shopping for winter leggings and tights.  I need to be more prepared this coming Winter because if history was to repeat itself, I won't have the time to do that when January rolls around.  I got some great deals from Forever 21 last year, hopefully they will bring back those thermal lined tights :).  Where is your favourite place to shop for leggings and tights?
On another note, I also started posting on LOOKBOOK.nu, well, this is my first post haha.  Go check it out as I'm sure I will have more outfit post coming up :).

Until next time,


x Rica

I may have skipped a couple months of favourites because the past Summer has been incredibly busy for me, so I've been keeping my makeup to the minimal.  So it makes more sense to accumulate a few months of favourites into one, even though it would make this post incredibly long... So let's jump right in.

Complexion

L to R, T to B: Dior Diorskin Airflash Spray Foundation, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, Jouer Matte Moisture Tint, BECCA Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector

BECCA Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector
It's a perfect primer for you all oily skin gal out there.  You can use this before or after makeup because it acts like a liquid blotting paper.  I like that it keeps my face matte for hours.  My face is definitely less oily throughout the day.  I do, however, need to touch up if I'm going to have an extra long day.  I would rub some between my fingers and pat onto the face, easy piecey.

Dior Diorskin Airflash Spray Foundation
This stuff is actually great.  I was surprised because I always thought it was a gimmick, but it gives a beautiful satin finish and pretty good coverage.  If you're in a hurry, you could spray this on and blend it out with a brush then you're good to go (for the face anyway).  I like to spray on my face once and spray some on the back of my hand and use a brush to add extra coverage if I need to.

"This is like the Hunger Games", one of the hundred shoppers at Target this morning remarked.

Image Courtesy of Target

Maybe it was not THAT crazy, but pretty darn close if there exists one in the shopping world.  I mean, 1 minute in, every bag is gone.  Did I mention I almost got hit with the metal rack because people were pushing?  I'm glad that I'm alive and writing this post!

The 3.1 Philip Lim for Target collection was named the most anticipated Target collaboration since Missoni, and it definitely lived up to his name.  Being the first major collection since Target's arrival in Canada (if you don't count the Kate Young one, which by the way, nobody lined up for that), it didn't disappoint.  I checked out a lot of the pieces, touching and feeling them.  The pieces are pretty well made and well worth their price tag.  So I'm not surprised everybody is so excited for it.

The line when I arrived... it doubled or tripled close to 8AM

As for me, I wanted the Mini Satchel with Gusset so bad, but I didn't line up early enough to get it.  I went to the East York store at 7:10AM, and there was already about 50 people in front of me.  Some people manage to grab more than one of all the bags.  Why?  To mass resell.  I can understand when people sell stuff because they bought it, thought about it and didn't want it after all.  But shame on those guys who went there just to resell.  All of us hopefuls lined up to try to snatch what we want but were left disappointed because of those greedy bastards, pardon my French.  Plus, people were literally fighting for the bags.  It was vicious!  Anyway, I could rant all day, but let me show you what I got.

All ready for Winter! L to R, T to B: Boom Sweater Dress, Navy Sparkle Sweater, Navy Sequin Dress

I manage to get one of my must-have, the Navy Sequin Dress, which is still available through the US online store.  My mom always says "if you find a dress you like, get it immediately because when you need a dress, you could never find one you like".  This happens to be true for me.  I knew I had to get the dress when I first lay eyes on it.  I also got the Boom Sweater Dress, which wasn't really on my list, but it looked cool in person.  I would probably remove the black fabric at the end though.  Lastly, another wishlist item, which is the Navy Sparkle Sweater.  It's perfect for Winter, I know I would get so much use out of it from work to out and about.

One of my blogger BFFs, Emily @ THISWASFOREVER was nice enough to help me get the Mini Satchel I wanted.  Unlike me, she has a very successful trip.  So make sure you check out her posts so that we can all live vicariously through her post hahaha.

Did you brace the cold and line up to shop for this collection?  Leave me a comment, tag me on Twitter or Instagram (both @eeenricaaa) to show me your haul!

Until next time,


x Rica