I discovered some products this summer that I really wish I had known about while I was still in school—so this one goes out to all the students!

Here are my top 5 products that you need this back to school season.

Jack Black Deep Dive Glycolic Facial Cleanser*

I find that every time fall comes along, my skin just decides it’s a good idea to shrivel up and die and I develop sebum bumps on my forehead and chin. This happens every time there’s a drastic change in weather between seasons but it’s especially bad between summer and autumn.

I started using the Jack Black Glycolic Facial Cleanser as a face mask a little while back and have been using it once or twice a week as a mask rather than as a cleanser. And yes, this is okay (it says so on the back of the packaging).  The clay helps the mask stay on your face and suck out all the nasty, dirty stuff that accumulates throughout the day. This guy is also gentle enough that it doesn’t strip my skin of any more oils than it needs to.

On days I feel like my skin is looking a little dull and I’m finding more sebum bumps on my forehead, I’ll apply this mask 5-10 minutes before I hop in the shower and just wash it off once I’m in there. It’s a super quick and easy process which is great for someone who usually hates spending time doing masks. ??

STIL Classics

I can’t explain to you how obsessed with this agenda I am. I was using my Leuchtrum bullet journals as weekly agendas before this. I love the creativity that writing or planning on bullets give you. I still use my bullet journals every day for idea planning and meeting notes but my STIL Classics agenda has definitely taken the lead in the actual agenda front.

My favourite aspect of this journal is actually NOT the design (although it is every minimalists’ wet daydream) but the amazing weekly layouts. Each month starts off with a goals and to-dos page and then a monthly view and weekly views.

Here’s the part that gets me excited: It has two separate layouts for each week. One is a checklist (with checkboxes and everything!) for each day of the week. As someone who likes to write to-do lists in my agenda, this is a genius idea to me. They also provide you with a week-at-a-glance layout that has the days divided into different time frames; Morning, Day, and Night. THIS is great because it shows me my weekly schedule and I can quickly look at which time slots I’m busy and which time slots I’m free. How AMAZING is that? I am a stationery lover so this stuff is right up my alley (hence the excitement).

CaseApp Cases*

Without rhyme or reason, I found that I dropped my phone the most often when I was in school. In the lecture halls, in my labs, in the hallway, in the caf…somehow my phone was always the first thing to slip out of my hands. I mainly purchased cheap phone cases all throughout high school and university (b***** please, spend $60 on a phone case? How about NO) but most of them have been huge let downs and did not protect my phone from the drops.

Dropped screens are a lot more expensive than a $60 phone case.

CaseApps recently reached out to me and sent me 2 of their customizable phone cases and MAN…I would’ve saved myself a lot of money and trouble if I had one of these babies during school.

I chose the “Tough” case for my iPhone 7+ and it wraps around the entirety of my phone perfectly and has raised edges to protect it from front drops. They’ve also got loads of designs to choose from as well as a customizable option where you can choose to print any image of your choice, in either matte or glossy, onto a phone case and get it shipped to you!

Most of their cases are only $34 each which is a STEAL for the styles and protection that it provides. I, of course, had to pick out a palm leaf one and a grey-coloured design because it’s me and everyone knows I can’t stay away from either of those prints.

If you want to try out any of their cases or create you own, you can use ‘SPEAKOFTHEANGEL20’ for 20% off until October 10! 

Lush Mouthwash Tabs*

These are a lifesaver mainly because on countless occasions I’ve ran out of my house, forgetting to brush my teeth beforehand. Don’t lie, we’ve all been there. My professors took attendance extremely seriously so I was NOT about to sacrifice some grades for fresh breath.

Thankfully with these babies, I won’t have to.

These are also amazing for traveling as well. All you have to do is chew the tab and then rinse your mouth out with water. And VOILA! Mouthwash on-the-go. 

Bobbi Brown Contour and Highlight Sticks

I’ve pretty much retired my powder bronzers ever since I purchased these sticks in the middle of summer. They are a dream to apply and blend and give me so much more precision with my contour. I’ve been using them every single day since I’ve picked them up and they’ve already jumped to the top of my holy grail items list.

Save yourself the trouble of ordering KKW beauty contouring sticks and just pick up these babies instead. I promise you, you won’t regret it.

What are your back to school necessities?

Until next time,

If there was ever a time to say “I literally can’t even”, this would be it. This dress is the epitome of back-to-school comfort and I see the danger of over-wearing this during the school year. But thankfully it’s actually a cute piece along with being cozy, and I think I could actually style this a couple different ways so it doesn’t seem like I’m wearing the exact same thing every single day. 

I can see this dress coming in handy during midterms/finals season because it’ll be a no-brainer outfit that I can even sleep in! And that, my friends, is a MAJOR KEY to exam season success. 

You can find the Bench sweatshirt dress here ! It also comes in a dusty blue colour that I feel like I should probably cop as well. If you’re wondering about sizing, I actually went up a size in this dress so that it’d be EXTRA over-sized and sleeping-bag like. I’m 5 feet 8 inches tall and weigh about 125 lbs and I went with a medium in this dress. Hope that helps if you’re planning to order online!     

So that’s all for today! Hope you guys enjoyed this post!

More soon, 

Something else that I’m super excited about is actually my collaboration with Maison Simons. They let me shop their Twik line, which is one of their more junior house brands, and pick out some back to school essentials! So here’s my first outfit for back to school! 

Both the sweater vest and the sleeveless top are from Simons. I’ve been obsessed with vests for fall and this one is right up my alley. I love that it’s light grey and the knit is super light which I think is perfect for throwing over a light turtleneck or long sleeve shirt. It was actually kind of warm today so wearing it with this sleeveless top was perfect. 

As for the white top itself I chose it mainly for tucking into trousers or skirts for a clean, preppy look. I love how it pairs with the Buffon trousers from Aritzia. 

I know everyone wants to be comfortable for those early morning classes but I think you could definitely still look cute while being comfy and cozy. This would be a perfect example of a ‘cute scrub’ outfit that I would throw on for those days I don’t want to bother with denim and leather and whatnot. I definitely saw a lot more items at Simons that I would want for school or for just everyday so I’m going to be making another trip there soon! 

Also did you know that they carry some hard to find brands in their contemporary section as well? They sell Acne Studios and even Comme de Garcon! (I’ve been eyeing down the Comme de Garcon and Converse collabs for a long time so I think I might have to pick them up there!)

Let me know how your first day of school was and what you wore! 

Until next time,

School is officially in full swing, and my outfits have definitely been geared more towards comfort and warmth than fashion. I’m still trying to avoid sweat pants and UGGs as best as possible, but who knows how long I can keep that up. 

One way I keep “stylish” at school is by dressing super monotone. I find that it helps ensure that you look put together. When in doubt, wear all black. It makes it seem like you put more effort in your outfit than you actually did. 

Another great fall trend that I have found works great for school are fur vests. The one I’m wearing in this outfit is actually from Zara kids (HA). I saw it while browsing the kids section for my younger sister a few years ago, and liked it so much I bought it in a size large. And guess what, it fit perfectly and was WAY cheaper than the adult fur vests. Who would’ve thought?! Wearing a fur vest with a sweater underneath looks on-trend and keeps you DAMN warm and comfortable. DOUBLE WIN. 

Let me know how you keep fashionable at school! I’m definitely going to run out of ideas soon and start binge-wearing flannels and sweatpants. SOS. 

Outfit details : 

Sweater: Topshop

Jeans : Citizens of Humanity (purchased at Aritzia)

Necklace : Tenth Muse Jewelry

Bag : Auxiliary Silo Bag (purchased at Aritzia)

Sneakers : Lanvin 

Until next time, 

Another adventure in beautiful Gastown. My friend Thomas invited me to join him and his friend, Uno, on a photo-walk. It was  perfect timing because Vernice and I were actually getting some filming down in Gastown that same day. 

One place Uno introduced us to was the rooftop level of a parking lot across from the Woodward’s building. The lot was mainly empty while we were there, so it was perfect for photo / filming ops. I really do appreciate it when people can show me hidden gems in Vancouver, and take me to places I’ve never been. I’ve been trying to get more creative with my photos, as to really capture the gorgeous city that I’m lucky enough to live in. I’m making it a goal to use my blog and Instagram feed to inspire people to get active and explore their cities more, whether it’s Vancouver or somewhere else. I hope to inspire people to find something they love doing, and pursue it !

One big inspiration to me is my friend, Vernice. She made the huge decision this Summer to quit her job and chase her passion and dream. She is a social media influencer (Youtube, Instagram, Twitter etc.) that creates amazing content. Although it was tough in the beginning, she really has pushed through and is seeing rewards to her hard work now. It has brought her many amazing opportunities, and she has only just begun making it into a career. I’m so extremely proud of how well she’s doing and hope to be as bold as her one day ! 

For now, let me just take my baby steps and keep working on my IG feed ! 

Go and check out her feed @vernicet and her youtube channel www.youtube.com/msbeautyinabox

and mine as well !

@speakoftheangel_ 

www.youtube.com/angelzhng

More soon,