Let's be honest, most of us buying chocolate advent calendars end up eating the entire thing the same day we bought it. I mean... who has that sort of self-control to wait anyways. Sounds familiar? Yup, should've just went to IGA and bought a chocolate bar instead.

But who says they only have to contain chocolate? In fact, there are several brands starting to offer advent calendars customized to their products and Sephora definitely did not skip the trend this year. I was lucky enough to try their 24 days Winter Wonderland Advent Calendar packed with various makeup, beauty, bath and random accessories.

Obviously, I think the key to not being disappointed in advent calendars is not to expect too much from each slot. Just like how you probably know the chocolate in them are usually lower quality, I knew the products in this one would be closer to sample size than full size. If you're looking for specific products or generally dislike surprises (why would you smh..) then I don't think advent calendars are made for you. But otherwise, who doesn't get excitement from opening a gift every single day, no matter how small or irrelevant it is? If you want to know everything in this one, scroll down for the full list. Overall, I would say most of the products were meant more for testing purposes and mainly for fun. It's a great gift if you wanted to introduce a brand to someone or just to give something way more exciting and original than a gift card.

Additionally, as part of their winter holidays collection, Sephora also introduced a few palettes are UNDER $20. Not only is their packaging adorable, but for that price, there's a very generous amount of product in each palette. I have yet to try any of them, but I'm already in love with the colours. They will be gone soon as they're all limited edition so what you waiting for?



Merry Christmas everyone! Wishing you all the very best holidays xoxo
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The calendar includes:
Sleeping Mask in Lotus
Creamy Body Wash Capsule in Cotton Flower, Lagoon, Peony
Fizzing Cube in Cotton Flower
Express Eye Makeup Remover Wipes
Fingertip Eyeliner in 01 Smart Black
Eye Pencil Liner to go in N09 Intense Black
Removable Eyeshadow Pan in N298 Tiramisu
Universal Brow Freeze in 01 Clear
Blush in N05 Sweet On You
Lip Pencil to go in N03 Classic Red
Cream Lip Stain Lipstick in 01 Always Red
Nail Polish in L43 It-Girl
Instant Nail Polish Wipes
Ribbon hair tie
Pocket mirror
Ribbon
Post-it stickers
Badges
Nail file

 SHOP THIS SEASON'S BEST-SELLERS



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The reason why I love Montreal so much is how its slow pace allows you to explore and appreciate the city. Even after living here for over 17 years, I still discover new interesting spots around the city every week. From murals to new restaurants or cafes, Montreal is laid-back yet ever-changing. While living in the same place for so many years, it's easy to fall victim to the same routine and risk taking for granted everything that the city has to offer. My advice: take a day every week (most likely on a weekend for most) where you cross out that routine to-do list and give yourself the freedom to explore or try something new in the city. Perhaps it could be finally trying that brunch spot you saved on your Instagram or just walking by the colourful houses near le Plateau Mont-Royal. In my opinion, part of living a good life is stepping out of your daily routine to discover or learn something new about your surroundings.
I'd love to know what good living means to you. Share what a good life is to you with the hashtag #MadeForGoodLiving and tag @FrankAndOak for a chance to get featured on their Instagram. Feel free to click into the tag if you're also interested in seeing what others have written too!

Have a great end of the week and best of luck on finals to anyone else in my shoes!

Pants from Frank and Oak



WEARING
ARITZIA Sweater 
FRANK AND OAK Burgundy Trousers (SHOP HERE)
ZARA Grey Coat
ALDO SHOES Ankle boots
MEJURI Necklace

GET THE LOOK


Photos by Dany


I'm of course referring to the pattern and not the song. Not gonna lie, I was unsure if it was spelled gingham or gangnam ... I blame PSY lol. One thing for sure, this checkered gingham pattern is definitely a timeless trend especially for the fall. I found this cute summery top online from Popcherry, they're one of Australia's largest online retail stores and their prices are honestly very good for the clothes you get. I also ordered three other things from them and they were all true to size. One of the pieces had a completely different texture from what I expected (it was rather flimsy). However, same goes for every other online retailer, it's important to pay attention to the photos and description to know what kind of material to expect. A great thing about Popcherry is that each item listing actually a pretty accurate "Details" section. It usually provides information on whether the fabric is sturdy or flimsy which I totally didn't pay attention to at the time. Online purchases can always be a miss-or-hit but you can definitely avoid many misses if you set your expectations in the right direction by being well informed. By the way, wouldn't it be great if one day there was a way to see how every outfit from online shops actually fit on you using virtual reality? C'mon technology! Anyways overall, I was satisfied with my experience with them and would recommend it (note that delivery to Canada usually takes a little less than 2 weeks since it's shipped from Australia).

I also recently added this corduroy jacket from The Cords Co to my fall staples. It definitely adds some texture to this outfit so I don't entirely look like a black blob. I think it's a great idea to play around with textures when you're only wearing one or two solid colours to make every piece stand out. To be completely honest, this is probably the only corduroy piece I own but I'm absolutely in love with it. I was never a fan of corduroy to begin with because I feel like it usually looks slightly too washed off and easy to stain. However, there's something about the material for this one that makes it look lustrous while also keeping that vintage vibe that we associate to corduroy. It may be slowly growing on me... hmmm.

Finally, if you know me well or have been reading my blog, you probably know I usually don't wear much jewelry. If I do wear some, it's 99% of the time very minimal and subtle. This is why I picked this small wishbone necklace from an online store called Thea Winston. It was actually recently launched by a friend of mine (hi Sean). There are still a limited selection of items available but I highly recommend you stay tuned for what's to come! If you're interested in any of the pieces and are in Montreal, feel free to message me and I can probably arrange something with him to save you the shipping. You could also save 10% off your entire purchase (use "PING10" at checkout) if order directly before Dec 2nd.

ALSO, I've partnered up with Daniel Wellington from now throughout holidays season so you guys can still get 15% off until end 2017! 
New code is "PINGGYU15" at checkout. 




WEARING
POPCHERRY Gingham top
THE CORDS CO Corduroy Vest
THEA WINSTON Wishbone Necklace (SHOP HERE)
ALDO SHOES Ankle boots
ZARA Jeans
DANIEL WELLINGTON Watch (get 15% with "PINGGYU15" at check out)

GET THE LOOK



Photos by Dany


October's right around the corner but temperatures are rising and fall doesn't seem ready to hit just yet. Am I complaining? I'm not even sure. Half of me misses the cold (yep.. I'm Canadian after all). The other half still wants eternal summer, or perhaps the feeling of still being on vacation.

SHOP THE COAT HERE.
 

WEARING
SHEIN Sleeveless Blazer (SHOP HERE)
ARITZIA Crepe Top
ZARA Suede Skort
ZARA White Blockheels
DANIEL WELLINGTON Watch (get 15% with "PING15" at check out)

GET THE LOOK



Photos by David


I've always had a love and hate relationship with white clothing. As clean as a white dress look, it may as well be the next victim of a spaghetti meatball sauce. Hopefully, this one pulls through longer than a summer.

SHOP THE DRESS HERE.
   

WEARING
MAKEMECHIC Dress (SHOP HERE)
STEVE MADDEN Heels
DANIEL WELLINGTON Watch (get 15% with "PING15" at check out)

Photos by Dany


It was around mid April, when I knew I only had a few weeks left in Asia. I wanted to do one last trip before going back to Montreal. Like many others, I had a list of places I wanted to go that were left unchecked. Korea was one of them. Just a week before, I met a friend in Bali who had already booked a solo round-trip to Seoul in May. The only downside was that upon looking at the return date, I realized I had a pretty important final exam one day later. After not much thinking, I did what most exchange students on pass fail would've done and just like that, I landed in Korea.

We stayed at a cozy hostel near the cultural district of Seoul, close to both Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung palaces (I can't recall the number of times I have butchered these two names while trying to ask for directions). As we were walking down the streets from our hostel, we saw several people wearing Hanboks, a type of traditional Korean dress. Our hostel offered a Hanbok renting service so we thought, why the hell not. For 15000W (roughly 17$CAD) for three hours, you get to pick a dress and a matching cover-up. Wearing one also grants you access to all the palaces without a fee and it's definitely a different experience. If you have the chance to visit Seoul, I would recommend renting one. They are beautifully made and there are also choices for men! You can easily find many Hanbok renting places pretty much spread out around the palaces and Bukchon Hanok Village. This area was perfect for pictures and filled with cafes, art galleries and shops.

As short and spontaneous as this trip was, it was the perfect last one. Despite having never been to Korea before, the environment felt both familiar and refreshing. Locals were extremely friendly and always willing to help. I would definitely come back one day to stuff myself of kimchi and rice cakes again. And oh, that flavoured soju.

Until next time, Seoul.
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If you're interested in my hostel, itinerary or places visited in Seoul, shoot me a DM/ email and I'll gladly send it over.


All photo credits to Parklynn (insta)
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