February Favourites!

I can't believe its the end of February already! To wrap up, here's my favourite products- makeup, hair and skincare - of February! 

Let me know what your favourites this month were! 

Fashion Blog Favourites: February!

Welcome back! It's hard to believe that it is the end of another month already. But I can't say I'm upset, the start of March means that Spring is almost on the horizon! Even through this seemingly endless wintery weather, there were so many fashion bloggers that really stood out to me this month. Click "read more" to see my favourites from this month! 

1. Financial Diet 

Although this is not really a fashion blog, its definitely a favourite for this month. I discovered this blog through a plug on Hank Green's Facebook page. It's a great blog for any young adults, but especially for students- its all about staying on a budget, but still doing the things you love. I totally recommend you check it out!

2. Cupcakes and Cashmere

I've been following Cupcakes and Cashmere for a while now, but this past month they really stood out to me. I found myself clicking on their beautifully minimalist photos on Bloglovin' before anything else. This blog stands out with really helpful and creative posts about fashion and beauty- the beauty ones are my favourite in particular. 

3. Boho Chic Cafe

I love the homemade charm of this blog. She includes really cute DIY ideas, and beautiful, yet practical outfit ideas. This is just a really great, well rounded blog in general, and perfect for any fashion blogger who wants some "boho chic" inspiration. Definitely recommend!

Spring Wishlist!

Here's a peek at what I'm absolutely loving for spring this year! 

1. The jacket, from H&M, is a great transition piece from Winter to Spring. The pink paneling brings in the new season, while the leather sleeves still keep you warm.

2. This Hourglass palette has been on my mind all winter long. If there is one makeup splurge I'll make this summer, it will be on the Ambient Lighting Palette.

3. This bag from Call it Spring is perfect for spring outings, or even just running errands. It's light, and well structured.

4. I'm loving this top from Aritzia. Although it's a bit of a splurge, I think it would be the perfect statement piece for Spring.

5. The Better Than Sex mascara by Two Faced has been one of my favourites since I got a trial size in the Favourite Things palette by them last Christmas... My goal for this spring is to actually purchase a full size!

6. This watch by Kate Spade is to die for! I think it would work perfectly with any spring outfit.

Let me know what you're lusting after this spring in the comments!

Top 5 Dream Travel Destinations for Winter!

Welcome back to my blog! This week, I wanted to share with you my most coveted winter travel designations. Although I won't be visiting any of these this winter, I hope some of you might be able to! Enjoy! 

1. Cape Sounion, Greece

Photograph by Virgil Cheung

"Situated at the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula, Cape Sounion is best known as the site of the ruins of the ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea. The remains are perched on the headland, surrounded on three sides by the sea. The site is a popular day-excursion for tourists from Athens, with sunset over the Aegean Sea, as viewed from the ruins, a sought-after spectacle." 

Read More Here 

2. Pura Tanah Lot, Bali

"The temple of Tanah Lot stands on a rocky island just off the southwest coast of Bali. One of Bali's most sacred sea temples, Tanah Lot is dedicated to the guardian spirits of the sea. The temple itself is said to be guarded from evil by the sea snakes that inhabit the caves below." 

Read More Here

3. Cape Town, South Africa

“Cape Town is a city of great beauty shaped by its history, people and in particular by its natural setting and cultural resources. The city has a rich heritage of buildings and urban environments, places of memory, struggle history sites, as well as natural, rural and cultural landscapes." 

Read More Here

4. Machu Picchu, Peru

"Embedded within a dramatic landscape at the meeting point between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin, the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is among the greatest artistic, architectural and land use achievements anywhere and the most significant tangible legacy of the Inca civilization." 

Read More Here 

5. Phanom Rung, Thailand

"What a location, perched on top of an extinct volcano it presides from a position of power and offers superb views of the surrounding countryside into Cambodia, looking east towards the original Khmer Capital of Angkor." 

Read More Here

I hope you enjoyed the post, and that is possibly gave you some travel inspiration to beat the winter blahs! 

Beat the Winter Blues: Playlist!

Sometimes in the mid winter blues, you just need some music for a pick-me-up to keep you going again. And so today I share with you my favourite music for this time of year, and some new songs that I have been loving recently!  Hopefully this will give you some music to laugh, cry, and be productive to. Enjoy!

Listen to the playlist here! 

1. Fire - Kina Grannis

2. Sing - Ed Sheeran

3. Girls - The 1975

4. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

5. Up We Go - Lights

6. Latch - Sam Smith

7. Blank Space - Taylor Swift

8. Jealous (Gospel Version) - Nick Jonas

9. White Winter Hymnal - Pentatonix

10. She Looks So Perfect - Five Seconds of Summer

11. Shake it Off - Florence and the Machine

Hope you enjoy! If you have any seasonal song recommendations, let me know!

Follow Me On Bloglovin'! Updated Page!

Due to technical issues (i.e. a change of domain) I have a new page on Bloglovin'! Be sure to go follow this new, updated page! 

Follow Me Here: BlogLovin'

5 Easy Ways To Stay Organized: University Edition

As a university student, I know that life can be extremely hectic and how hard it can be to stay organized. But, today, I will shed some light on the issue by disclosing my top five ways to stay organized! 

1. Clean room, clear mind.

One of the best ways to feel on top of things, and like a Real Organized Adult ™ is to keep your room looking clean. Especially when you're living in a small dorm room, laundry and text books can easily get piled up, like a visual representation of being behind on work. So, even if you are behind on your work, keep your room clean, and you won't feel like it! 

2. Schedule, schedule & schedule!

The best way to keep on top of you work is to write EVERYTHING down. Seriously. Everything. Write down when and where you will do your homework. Write down if you're going for coffee with a friend. Write down when you're going to watch Gossip Girl and when you want an hour Tumblr break. If you're really busy, this kind of specificity really helps. Of course, you don't need to write down every little detail of your life, but AT LEAST write down appointments and when assignments are due. Also, colour coding can be a big help. 

3. Make (realistic) to-do lists.

The best way to feel like you're getting things done is to have a visual check list, where you actually cross things off as you do them. It's like a bit of a reward, every time you finish a task. The important thing is to not be too ambitious, because then trying to finish your list seems futile. So just add everything that is necessary to accomplish in your day and work on that first. 

4. Set out your outfit the night before.

Just like Mom used to do! Now, it might seem silly, but really, having your clothes picked out the night before really makes the next morning less stressful. Plus, if you pick out your outfit when you're not dead tired, you're more likely to make cute, creative choices! Which means more awake, and more fashionable! 

5. Plan which days you shower...

And which days you're going to do your hair, and which days you plan to wear full face makeup, etc, etc. Basically, what I think is so important about this particular step (even though it seems funny) is that it really helps you know what to expect in the morning- which can usually be one of the most rushed times of the day. If you know the night before "Okay, I am going to curl my hair tomorrow," then you will know to get up slightly earlier, and therefore there won't be any panicked rush when you decide last minute to curl your hair. All in all, it saves you from a hectic morning, which will make you feel more ready to take on the day. 

I hope these few tips helped you to feel a little more organized this week! Let me know if you have any special tips to staying organized and keeping ahead of your work!

Until next time,

How to Create a Custom Navigation Bar

Welcome back to Thought Couture! Today's topic: HTML coding & photo shop! We're making custom navigation using photo links for your blog! Click Read More for the full instructions! 

1. Make a plan 

As silly as it may seem, this is one of the most important steps. Questions you need to ask yourself before you begin 

1) How wide is my blog? 

2) What colour scheme do I want to use? 

4) What font(s) will I be using?

Once you figure out the answers to these questions, then we're really cooking with gas.

Hint: To find out how wide your blog is, go to customize blog template, and select "adjust widths"  you need to make your navigation bar as wide as "entire blog." 

2. Create the navigation bar in Photoshop. 

Open Photoshop, and select File > New. Create a file with the same width as your blog, and a height that is roughly 60-100 pixels, depending on the look you want. 

Then, create the headings you want in your navigation and space them out along the bar. 

3. Separate the bar into links 

So, since every word is going to link to a different page or label, they need to be separate images. To begin this process, you'll need to create sections with rulers. This can be done easily by clicking on the side bar rulers, and dragging across the screen to the desired point. 

To make all of these selections different images, you will need to use the selection tool. 

1) Use the rectangle selection tool, and select the area within the blue lines. It should automatically snap to the rulers. 

2) Once selected, and the dotted line is surrounding the desired selection, hit CTRL C, then, CNTL N. This will copy your selection, and create a new document. 

3) Once the "New Document" box pops up, simply hit ENTER.

4) And then, on the new canvas, hit CTRL V, to paste selection.  

You will need to do this for each of the separate boxes on the navigation bar that you wish to be links. It's easiest later on if you label them either 1, 2, 3, etc, or an abbreviated version of the word, like FASH for instance, instead of Fashion. 

4. Uploading the Photos

Following the above process in Photoshop, you will need to upload these photos to a Blogger post to begin the next section of the process. 

Upload the photos as you usually would, and add all of them. (Preferably in order which you want them to appear on your navigation bar). 

It is also important that you go through and select "Original Size" for all of them. 

5. Arranging the Code

Next, open the "Layout" design tab in Blogger. Create a new gadget, and choose HTML/Java Script. 

Now, being to copy and paste the HTML code for the images into the gadget box, in order.

Select ONLY the image code, which I have shown highlighted above. 

This is what it should look like once you have all of the image codes pasted in order.

 6. Adding the Links 

Next we need to add the link code next to the image codes to complete the navigation bar. 

At the beginning of each image code add, 

<a href="http://URL HERE"> <img border=....

So, you will end up with something like this... 

<a href="http://www.thoughtcouture.com"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TVsA24SR2i8/VM-pG5JtKYI/AAAAAAAAA-g/hd-9DhkE2zk/s1600/link1.png" />                                                                         

Once you have all of the code in order, hit SAVE, and then go to the "Template tab" 

7. Adjusting the Widths 

So, when you first see your blog, you may be troubled to realize that the boxes don't line up, like this: 

But worry not! Just select "adjust widths," and drag the bar until the entire navigation bar lines up. 

8. Finished! 

And that is the final step. Now all you have to do is go to your blog URL, and ensure that all of the links are working, and after that, revel in the glory that is your custom navigation bar! Congratulations! 

Until next time, 

Best Valentines Day Lip Colours!

Valentines Day is upon us, and of course that means romance, chocolates and cute makeup! In today's post I wanted to share with you my favourite lip colours for this season of love, and the best, longest staying lip products I have (which should last you through your romantic dinner date, and a goodnight kiss!)

That's all for this post! Hope you enjoyed, and of course, happy Valentines Day!

Cozy Winter Makeup Look!

Check out my latest video, a hair and makeup tutorial for cozy, winter days! Be sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel, and as always, if you have any requests, be sure to let me know!

Until next time,

Top 5 MUST Know Design Tips for Blogging Beginners

The top five most important design tips to keep in mind when you're building a blog! 

1. Keep it simple!

Don't let the worlds of endless possibility get the better of you. Make a plan and stick to it. Don't fret over your design being "too simple," ever. Especially if you're a food or fashion blog, let the photography speak for itself. 

One of my favourite examples of simplicity in design is The Urban Umbrella. Despite the simple, sans serif title, the blog still has a certain style and vibe to it. Click the image to check out the blog!

2. White backgrounds are the BEST backgrounds

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that "white is boring" or "so unoriginal." White backgrounds provide the best blank canvas for other design details. Especially when you are new to design, having a plain white background can be essential to making your blog as professional looking as possible. Look at these totally unique and professional looking blogs, all with white backgrounds. 

The Good Owl is a great example of a blog that uses the white background technique, but manages to keep a very unique style. The black and white title are perfect, because they match whatever colour scheme your photos might have!

3. Pick an accent colour. That's right, ONE. 

Trying to juggle too many colours at once can end up looking confused, or worse- totally early 2000s. The best blog designs- particularly fashion blog designs- have one accent colour that works its way in to the rest of the design. 

To Vogue or Bust is not only one of my absolute favourite travel and fashion blogs, but also has a genius design. The turquoise colour is used throughout the blog, and ties the theme together. Even better, her display picture and about me page pictures have an outfit to match!  

4. Let your personality show. 

Although it is absolutely essential to keep your design clutter free, don't be afraid to show your personality. Don't feel like your blog has to look a certain way just because that's what is most popular. A blog that has a cohesive design and theme to posts is the most visually pleasing blog- so, if you let your personality show in your posts, let it show in your design as well! 

Gal Meets Glam is such a cozy, girly, and fun blog to read. Everything about the photos and the theme work together to create a really cohesive vibe, that shows off the author's personality.

5. Posts above everything else. 

Above all, remember what the purpose of your site is, to showcase the posts you make. So make sure that the rest of your design doesn't distract from the posts. If you do have ads or widgets, remember that they always play second fiddle to your posts, and organize your layout with that in mind.

Coco and Vera is exactly what it looks like, a chic, French inspired Fashion blog. Not only does this design show off the author's personality, but it also does a really great job of highlighting the posts- which are the most important part!

So, those are all the design tips I have for you today. Let me know in the comments if you have any extra advice, or if you want me to make more posts like this! (And, if anyone is reading this whose blog was featured in this post- PS I love your blog!!! Thanks for reading!) 

Until next time,