#BTS - Forever 21

Forever 21 is just one of those retailers I love going to for trying out new trends, because they pump out all this fast fashion items, which makes experimentation with style affordable. They have also have an amazing selection of accessories, while branching into the world of shoes and beauty products. Forever 21 is definitely a go to place to shop at for back to school and with a $200 budget, anyone could pick out almost an entire wardrobe, but these are the things I would get.

#BTS - Smart Set

Not only being affordable and stylish, Smart Set offers styles that would work for a huge range of ages from being in school to being at work. From being a teenager to being a mom. They are stocked up to the rim with pieces that will last and you can wear them years to come. They're trendy for now, but they will test time so you can wear them years to come. This makes them an ideal store for me to go to for back to school shopping. With $200, this is what I would get.

#BTS - Dynamite

When it comes to Canadian brand Dynamite, I think of classic pieces mixed up with cooler and more modern designs that can keep any wardrobe looking fresh. Their price range is also quite affordable relative speaking to a lot of other stores that hold similar items. With school coming around the corner and a hypothetical $200 budget to spend at Dynamite, these are the items I would pick up.

#BTS - Aritzia

It's one of the biggest Canadian stores with its own brands and other brands. It's grabbing the attention of people world wide, especially on the street style front. Aritzia has really nice clothes and also has a higher price tag, which doesn't make it the most affordable, but people are willing to splurge anyways. They have a lot of basic styles that are so versatile, that you can keep things minimalistic or jazz it up with accessories. With a $200 budget for back to school, I chose some gorgeous basics that will be a canvas for accessories or to just be worn alone. I'm steering away from most of the typical pieces that you see people wearing (like TNA parkas, TNA bowler bags, Wilfred cocoon sweaters, etc.)

#BTS - Nasty Gal

Where trendy and edgy are two words that sum up everything. Nasty Gal has a pretty decent selection of clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty, and home items, while holding some of the coolest brands, like Jeffrey Campbell, Champagne, and Shoe Cult. I'm a huge fan of the things that they have on their website and for back to school, there are quite a few items that I'm eyeing from them. Although, I'm limited to a $200 budget, I also have to keep in mind that Nasty Gal is an American retailer so USD will have to be converted into CAD at the end. Customs won't be included in my budget, because it's difficult to assess that.

#BTS - Zara

Zara is one of the biggest fashion brands out there that makes everything from basics to fast fashion with a more affordable price tag compared to designers, but still a little more expensive compared to all the other fast fashion brands. Personally, I really like the clothes from Zara. They are on trend, always. They are also pretty good quality for what you're getting, which sometimes helps me justify some of the price tags. For back to school, if I were to have a $200 budget, these are items I would get.

#BTS - Aldo

Aldo is definitely a must go to for back to school in my opinion. Besides the fact that they have a massage sale going on right now and they have a location at Dundas and Yonge, which is filled with sale shoes in the back like an outlet store, you can find pretty good deals on their regular priced shoes too. They also have been expanding quite a bit on the accessories and handbag front, which is a section that I really enjoy shopping through. Overall, they help you complete any outfit with pretty good prices. For back to school, if I had a $200 budget and had to only choose full priced items (with sale items, you can definitely get a lot more), these are the items I would go for.

#BTS - Sephora

Usually late elementary/junior high is when a lot of girls get into wearing makeup, especially now when access to makeup tutorials on YouTube. I think when going back to school, you want to go with something more basic, but you also want to have options to experiment and have fun with makeup. Personally, I got into makeup pretty late, but these are the items I would get from Sephora for back to school with a $200 budget. I know that Sephora is expensive, but a lot of times the products can last you a long time if you don't use them everyday. I personally don't think you should wear makeup everyday anyways, because your skin needs some down time to breathe too. Also, I chose a lot of sets, because that's an easy way to try out different products for a lower price.

#BTS - H&M

More than half of the year disappeared and most of the summer is over. Everyone's been talking about it and I can no longer be in denial. School is coming back in less than a month and it's time to start cracking on my back to school series like I did last year. What I do is I dedicate a post to a different store I would shop at for back to school with a hypothetical $200 budget and curate a shopping list on things that I would get for back to school and explain my thought process behind it. The $200 budget does include tax and will be worked into with Canadian currency and exchange rates (if online shopping from the states). I will be posting this series for the rest of August, every single day before returning to my Monday beauty, Tuesday food, and Thursday fashion posts. To kick off the series, I'm starting with H&M, which is perfect for affordable pieces that are classic or even fast fashion.

$100 Challenge - Summer White Out

One of the freshest looks right now is going monochromatic. It's so easy to just go all black, but I'm going onto the other side of the spectrum. The head to toe in white looks bright and refreshing, even though it's a trend that's been around for a while. I've created 3 very different looks that are under $100 that will help anyone with a jump start into this trend while incorporating other trends (sheer, sporty, proportions, etc.)

Review - Say Cheese

There's another grill cheese restaurant in town and the name is just so adorable. Say Cheese is located on Bloor and St. George, which makes it a great spot for students and professionals alike. I wanted to try it out, because I'm a sucker for foods with cheese in it and it's at a location that I can access easily.

Review - Sana Make Essence Eye Concealer

It's been pretty recently when I've been getting dark circles under my eyes, no matter how much sleep I get. I figured that I should probably find a concealer to cover those dark circles up when I have to go to work. Considering that I've tried Sana's BB cream and really liked it, I thought that I would give Sana's concealer a try.

Review - Boscia Konjac Sponge

Konjac sponges are all the rage now when it comes to skincare. They are natural roots that help draw out impurities out of the skin. I heard a lot of good things about the one specifically from Boscia, so I decided to try it out.

$100 Challenge - Pineapples for Summer

Pineapples. They're seasonal to summer and they've been a huge trend this year. They were introduced few years back but they weren't as popular as this year. Taking one of the summer's favourite fruits and turning into a motif into fashion, I've adapted the trend into 3 looks that are $100 or less.

Monthly Favourites - July

Officially, more than half of 2014 has flew by and I've been in Hong Kong for around and month and a half.  A lot of what I've been loving and getting more into has been influenced by my trip here and getting to know the culture more.

Review - JaBistro

Sorry for missing out on a food post this week. I'm here to make it up to you with a review on JaBistro. JaBistro is part of the Guu family and has been getting a lot of attention from gorgeous plated food that's seen as art and a delight in the mouth. I went to Guu as a date, hence why there is so much food, and these are my thoughts.

Review - Physicians Formula Mineral Airbrushing Powder