Meet my newest bikini discovery — Soulstice Swim. They are a gorgeous Canadian company, who really know what’s up when it comes to swimsuits. Totally obsessed with their brand, and not to mention the founders of Soulstice are probably the cutest people I have ever met. Soulstice is all about exploring, traveling, and finding new places to cross of our bucket lists. This speaks directly to my heart, as I find travelling to be one of the most rewarding cultural experiences you can possibly have. Want to go on an adventure? I’m your girl. 

I am also a major sucker for anything pink, so obviously I had to have this Kali top and these Jessy bottoms both in the “Bloom” print. It is definitely my favourite print they sell so far. 

Want to pick up your own little piece of adventure at Soulstice? Click here to check out their other cheeky suits! 

x,

This. Recipe. Though.

I am obsessed. 

It is so good it is almost impossible to stop eating. Often when I cook I make bigggg portions, then use the leftovers for a few meals after (because, laziness.) This time was no exception. I made a huge bowl of my Mushroom + Arugula Quinoa with plans of keeping it for leftovers. Needless to say, leftovers didn’t end up happening. Licking the plate? That may or may not have happened, but a lady never tells. (K fine I licked the plate. Sue me.) 😉

This Mushroom + Arugula Quinoa is the perfect meal to make if you have a big batch of quinoa/brown rice leftover. So simple, and ohhhh so flavourful. 

Here are the ingreds:

• ¼ cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tsp of finely chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cups (ish) of crimini mushrooms
• 2 cups cooked grains (brown rice or quinoa are best, I used TruRoots Organic Sprouted Rice and Quinoa Blend)
• 2 handfuls of baby arugula
• Fresh ground pepper
• Salt
• Grated parmesan cheese for topping

Let’s get crackin’. 

Step 1: Prep all your ingredients. Cook your grains if they are not already cooked. Then, wash and slice your mushrooms and get the garlic & thyme ready.

Step 2: Cook mushrooms, garlic, and basil in a medium heat pan with a few glugs of EVOO until they are softened and browned. The mushrooms will start to squeal (yes, squeal…) so listen carefully. When they do this they are almost done! 

Step 3: Transfer mushroom and basil mix to large bowl with quinoa and arugula in it, and stir to combine. Add lots of salt and black pepper.

Step 4: If you know what’s good you will smother this beautiful mixture in parmesan cheese. 

This dish makes a fannnntastic lunch or dinner. It tastes freakin’ bomb, so you should probably go and make it, like, yesterday.

Enjoy!! 🙂

x,

My goal here at Skinny Belle is to share my favourite tips and tricks on how you can live your best possible life. A big part of being your most beautiful and exuberant self is feeling HAPPY! A smile is worth a million bucks, and in the famous words of Audrey Hepburn, “I believe that happiest girls are the prettiest girls.”

So today I bring you Skinny Belle’s 5 Simple Ways to Be Happier. These are all things I do in my everyday life, and have found to put me in an awesome positive mindset. When you set out to conquer the world, you want to be happy. Negativity is like a disease that brews and grows inside you and ultimately affects your outside life. Happiness is a mindset, and we are all in control of our minds. There are many things in life that you can’t control, but what goes on in that big beautiful brain of yours is all up to you!

Ladies, let’s take on the world together. And be freakin’ happy as hell while doing it. 😀

Without further adieu, here are 5 Simple Ways to Be Happier.

Eat Right

You are what you eat. Eat like shit, feel like shit. Eat like a queen, feel like a queen. What you put in your body has a serious impact on how you feel! Think about the last time you crushed a pint of ice cream or sat at home and ate a large pizza. Chances are you did not feel very happy after. When you eat a wholesome nutritious meal you will feel satisfied and happy because you know you have done something good for your body.

**To learn more on my perspective on eating, read about the Skinny Belle Lifestyle. Need some healthy recipes to make? Lurk the Skinny Belle Food section. 

Dress Well

Dress for success. Why does it matter what you wear? I dareee you to tell me you don’t feel happy when you look fabulous. (Tell me!!) Really, who doesn’t have that extra bounce in their step when they know they are looking fine AF. When you mindfully put yourself together, you will have an aura of confidence, happiness, and success about you. It feels good to look good, so take an extra minute to put together something decent to wear and happily feel like a #GIRLBOSS all day long.

Workout

I am alllll about them endorphins. Seriously, I get high on life from working out. (Yes, I am that person.) Even if it is just a power walk/jog, it feels SO good to get your body moving. You will become more alert, feel great, and have a huge boost in your mood!

“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t!”

– Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

Be Social

Hang out with positive, awesome people who make you want to be the best version of yourself. Surround yourself with only people who make you smile. After all, nobody likes a negative Nancy. Friends who just want to bitch and whine? Cut them outttt girl. You don’t need those people killing your positive vibes! The best friends are the friends who can laugh with for hours. I don’t know about you guys, but when I hang out with my besties I legit can never wipe that stupid smile off my face because they make me so damn happy.

Pump Them Tunes!

Hit up your Spotify and blast the happy tunes! I am a big fan of just throwing on a “feel good” or “girl power” playlist, and rocking out by myself. (Super cool, I am aware.) Dance around your apartment like an idiot, and feel fantastic. I legit have no shame with this haha. I cant sing, am an average dancer at best… But putting on happy songs and dancing about puts a smile on my face like no other.

A happy mindset is a mindset for success. So try these 5 Simple Ways to Be Happier, and set yourself up to feel and look great. 

Which tip is your favourite? Do you guys use any of these in your daily life already? Comment below!!

x,

It is officially that awkward time of year in Vancouver where it still feels like it is summer but the temperatures are significantly chillier. Like, it’s not quite time to be pulling out the all-black-everything winter sweater/boot outfits, but it is definitely too cold for full on summer clothes.

Hence, the magic of the sweater dress.

Sweater dresses are the perfect piece to carry you from summer to fall. And they are cozy AF. I am basically wearing socially acceptable pyjamas. And everyone knows that wearing anything that feels like pyjamas in public is pure winning.

Also can we talk about my necklace for a minute? So. Bomb. I ordered it from this sweet company in Berlin called Happiness Boutique. You can order your own by clicking here!<3

x,

Oh. Hell. Yes.

LADIES make this for your man and he will love you forever. No joke. Well I am not actually sure if that’s the case but ya’ll can test it out and let me know how many proposals happen after this meal. K? K. 

My Roast Pork Tenderloin with veggies is the perfect Sunday night dinner to cook and enjoy with a nice glass of wine or 6. 

Let’s get started. Here are the ingreds you will need:

Meat stuff

• 1 or 2 pork tenderloins
• 4 (ish) rosemary sprigs, stripped and finely chopped
• Balsamic vinegar reduction (My fave is Nonna Pia’s Strawberry Fig)
• A few generous glugs of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• Coarse ground sea salt
• Fresh cracked pepper

Veggie stuff

• 1 zucchini
• 1 yam
• Fingerling potatoes! (<– the exclamation point just felt right)
• 1 yellow onion
• 8 cloves garlic (because f it you only live once and these taste like heaven when baked)
• Coarse ground sea salt
• Fresh cracked pepper
• EVOO
• 4 (ish) sprigs of rosemary finely chopped

Babes, it’s on. Do you have your wine ready? K good. Me too. Let’s do this.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 500 F and get two oven-safe dishes out.

Step 2: Wash veggies and chop up into about 2 inch cubes. Make sure the zucchini is cut in way larger pieces than the rest (very necessary because it cooks quicker than the other veggies.) Peel your garlic, chop off the gross hard bits (lol) and throw the cloves whole into the mix. Yes, whole cloves of garlic. It will be SO GOOD trust me.

Step 3: Put all your prepped veggies into a large bowl and cover with EVOO, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Step 4: Trim all the gross white/fat/silver skin stuff off of your tenderloin babies. Place them loins (lol) in your oven-safe tray.

Step 5: Once your loins (I don’t think I will ever be mature enough to not find that hilarious) are safely in their dish, cut a few small slits into the meat and disperse big chunks of garlic into the meat. Sweet baby jesus. Now coat them with a few tbsp of that delicious Nonna Pia balsamic vinegar reduction, and rub the vinegar into the meat. Take your final ingredients (salt, pepper, rosemary) and rub them over the tenderloins. 

Step 6: Put veggies in the oven first. They will need about 35 – 40 minutes total to get nice and roasted. 

Step 7: After the veggies have already been in the oven for about 15 – 20 mins, pop your prepped pork tenderloins in there too for 20 minutes. Once 20 minutes is up, take the meat (and the veggies) out of the oven and transfer to a cutting board to “rest”, then slice and serve.

Anddd you can await your impending marriage proposal. 😉

One thing to note about my recipes is you really should tailor them to your own taste! For example, I often cook with tons of garlic and way more fresh herbs than necessary, because I love really strong flavours. But you might prefer your food to be a bit less intense on the flavour front, so adjust accordingly. 🙂

Okay but for real, you guys need to make this. And buy that balsamic reduction because it tastes so good on everything, like these Goat Cheese Figs. (<–also, yum.)

Hope you enjoyed the recipe today! Talk soons <3

x,

Hey guys! A few mixed snaps for you from my Sunday funday yesterday. Spent the day making brunch with the girls, and hitting up a beautiful spot in West Vancouver after to catch some rays. Totally was the perfect way to end a great week! 

Hope you are all having a great start to your Monday. Stay tuned, there is lots of great stuff coming your way this week! 

x,

Ladies, it is time to talk makeup. Get your game faces on, we are doing this live.

If you haven’t seen it already you need to check out my 5 minute makeup routine post. That shit is the only reason I get out of the house every day looking half-decent and not like Gollum from The Hobbit.

Today’s topic builds a bit more on that 5 minute makeup routine. Contouring is literally is the best thing I have ever learned. Okay, maybe not literally the best thing ever…. but it makes me pretty happy haha.

Without further adieu…. let’s talk contouring.

Contouring is basically adding shadows to your face in certain places to enhance your natural bone structure, and give more shape to your face. It looks amazing when you do it right. Notice I said “enhance” and not “paint.” Makeup in general is meant to bring out your natural beauty, not cover it up like the icing on a cake. Remember ladies…. LESS IS MORE! Nobody likes a cake-face.

There are two main steps to contouring my face. AJL & KKC. (“Angelina Jolie Lips & Kim Kardashian Cheekbones.”) You will thank me later 😉

Today I am just going to go over the AJL contouring I do, and I will save the KKC for another day. 

AJL (Angelina Jolie Lips) Contouring Steps!

Step 1: Take your fave bronzer and eyeshadow brush, and right below your bottom lip in the centre apply a nice amount of bronzer. BOOM. Angelina Jolie Lips achieved. This will make your lips looks fuller and more luscious than they already are. I am obsessed with this trick and legit do it every day. 

Step 2: Take the same brush and bronzer and apply bronzer to the underside of your nose. (Like…. where the nostrils are. Sounds gross, looks great.) This will make your nose look a bit smaller by shortening it. I usually just bronze from the bottom of my nostrils up to the curve of my nose and leave it at that. If you want to be extra spicy you can pull the bronzer up a bit higher to make your nose look even more slim. (Slim? Sure.)

Step 3: With a TINY (key word: tiny) amount of bronzer, we are going to make your nose more defined. Start at your eyebrow, and alone one side of your nose draw a light shadow with your brush. Basically you want to draw on the bridge of your nose, but over to one side. Do the same on the other side. 

Step 4: Take your big powder brush and blend alllll this in! Be sure you don’t put too much on otherwise you might start to look like Picasso, and that ain’t cute. 

These tips are legit game changers, and I am so stoked to have finally shared them with you today! For your reference, the brush I use to do all this is the Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow Brush and my Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder for my bronzer. 

What do you guys think?! Will you use these contour tips? Stay tuned for my KKC tutorial coming soon! <3

x,

I always feel so awkward when I wear a short dress. Honestly, I have no idea what it is but I am just SO uncomfortable the entire time. The fear of some ungodly body part falling out at any time is SO REAL. Swim suits? Completely comfortable. Short dresses? Run for the hills. (Who knows lol.)

So you are probably like why the hell would you even buy something that you don’t feel comfortable in, foolish girl. Well, FASHION my friends. I am literally the worst for this sometimes. If something looks cute and is the right price I will pretty much buy it no matter what. I am the ultimate consumer haha.

This dress was picked up at that Zara sale that happened a few weeks ago. Anyone else know the one I am referring to? If you live in Vancouver you know that the Zara on Robson St. pretty much looked like a scene from hunger games after us ladies had our way with the sales. Blood, sweat, and tears were shed in that store. But alas I came out alive with a few winning picks. 

So tell me, have you guys ever fallen victim to wearing something that looks super cute but actually makes you feel really uncomfortable?! Comment below I need to know I’m not alone here!!

x,

Allllrighty. Today’s topic is one that will probably hit home with a lot of you. Lifestyle slip-ups.

Remember my post on the Skinny Belle Lifestyle? Where you eat healthy 80% of the time and treat-yoself the other 20%? Yes, that one. If you missed the post check it out by clicking here, it’s good stuff you if you ask me. 🙂 So anyways, sometimes we all have lifestyle slip-ups. (Notice I am not saying the word “diet”, refer to the Skinny Belle Lifestyle post for more info on this.) I am talking about when you overindulge for a few days… or weeks… <— if we are being honest here haha.

Lifestyle slip-ups can happen for a world of reasons. Vacation, travel for work, birthday parties, holidays, you name it. It happens to the best of us.

I want to share with you what I do when I have a few days of crap eating. Because I am not perfect, nobody is, and life happens sometimes. You should never live with regret, and slipping up can just be motivation to treat your body better than you ever had before!

Here are my top 5 ways I like to get myself back to eating clean and healthy (80/20) after a slip-up:

Mini Juice-Cleansing

Mini juice-cleanse your mornings. I don’t really like to do multi-day or even day-long cleanses… because hangry is not a pretty look on anyone haha. (And let me tell you girl gets real hangry.) What I like to do after a period of poor eating is to do mini-juice cleanses in the morning for about 3 – 5 days. This means I will have a fresh pressed green juice (read more on green juices by clicking here) for breakfast and avoid eating lunch up until 12 – 1 pm. This gives your body time to rest and recover from all the junk food over the past few days. When you do eat your nutrient-packed lunch (whatever it may be) it will taste even better because you have let your stomach settle for the morning. Plus the green juice will provide you with all the nutrients you will need for the day, so yay green juice!

Light Exercise

Getting back into a healthy lifestyle is fully a mindset. I find just engaging in light exercise like power walking or interval training is enough to put me in the “healthy mood.” When you take the time to do something good for your body, you will be more likely to make healthy choices for the rest of the day.

Rest Up

We all know how important it is to get our beauty sleep! Sleep has a huge impact on your cravings and how your body feels. More sleep = healthier body. To learn more about beauty sleep click here. 

Eat Clean 

Eat CLEAN! The more natural the foods you eat are, the happier your body will be. Avoid eating refined white sugar and aim to eat raw and whole foods. Eat things like lots of whole grains, big leafy vegetables, and fruits! 

Hydrate

Drink as much water as possible! Your body will need the extra hydration after a few days of salty snacks and sweets. The water will also help reduce cravings for more sugary sweets like you had on the weekend. 

And there you have it! These are my top 5 tips on how to recover from a lifestyle slip-up. Make sure no matter what you don’t feel guilty about over-indulging with your favourite food for a few days. 

As I always say, this is just what works for me! Make sure you do your own research and find out what works best for you to live the healthiest lifestyle possible.

Lots of love <3

x,

Just me myself and I. And my Nikon. And the pool. 

Literally the most perfect day I have had in a while. Girl just needed to chill out and not do anything for a day. And you would not believe how hard it is for me to do that. Doing “nothing” needs to be scheduled into my world, and I have to be super strict and force myself to just do nothing haha. Anyone else have this problem? I feel like it’s the curse of being a “type A” personality.

Anyways this was fantastic and totally what I needed to recharge myself. A nice quiet day of pool, netflix, and food. Hell. Yes.

What do you guys do when you need to just chill out for a little bit? Tell me in the commentsss <3

x,