Kate on the Lake

Paint It Black

2013-12-11T07:49:00.000-05:00

I finally got my hands on this Black Milk piece, The Judge 2.0. This draped top is so wonderfully designed. I love the fact that it has long sleeves and an amazing bat wing effect - it's sooo flowy. I bought it to be paired with leggings, bit it's so nice on it's own, I wanted this look to just focus on the top. You'll definitely see this again in future posts.

The top is sheer so I paired it with a black skater skirt and a bandeau. I don't often wear all black because I love colourful things too much, but this outfit is killer! Plus my hair brings colour to every outfit anyway.

Outfit Details:

The Judge 2.0 Top / Black Milk Clothing

Skater Skirt / Topshop

Bandeau / Brandy Melville

Doc Martens

Lips / Poisonberry by Limecrime

Tulle and Velvet

2013-12-10T07:20:00.001-05:00

The photos don't do justice to this outfit. The velvet top is a beautiful dark berry shade and I think it compliments the tulle wonderfully. I never did ballet, but this skirt makes me feel like a ballerina. I absolutely adore it, and it's a treat to wear. I wish I had some ballet inspired flats with ribbons that tie around the ankles; I think they would be the perfect match for this skirt.

For a quick update to what's going on in my life: I probably will not be doing any more outfits posts after this week until 2014. I'm going to be very busy travelling! On Friday, I'm heading out to Germany for five days and then I'm off to Canada for Christmas. I'm very excited! If you want to see what I'm up to, just follow me on Instagram :) @themerzak

Oufit Details:

Velvet Crop Top / Forever 21

Tulle Skirt (old) / Shopruche.com

Zooey Flats / Tobi

Lips / Poison Berry by LimeCrime

Crazy Cat Lady

2013-12-09T07:06:00.001-05:00

I may or may not be a crazy cat lady.... Okay, I definitely am a crazy cat lady and I have been one since birth. I like to share my crazy love with the world, making cat-haters everywhere cringe when they see me.

Skater dresses are great pieces because they look great just on their own. Unfortunately it is winter and skater dresses are not appropriate on their own in the cold weather (unless you like being frozen). That's why I layered the dress over a long sleeved top. I think this looks great, especially with a collared top. Tights and maybe an extra cardigan, and you're good to go out in the cold.

Outfit Details:

Crazy Cat Lady Skater Dress / Black Milk Clothing

Sheer Top / Forever 21

Zooey Flats / Tobi

Lips / Narcissus OCC Liptar

Any Colour You Like

2013-12-07T08:23:00.002-05:00

Dark Side of the Moon is probably Pink Floyd's most popular album other than The Wall. Most of the time, when you see Pink Floyd-related clothing, it's Dark Side of the Moon. I own a few DSOTM pieces because Pink Floyd is my all time favourite band. I wish there were other album covers on clothing, like Animals or Atom Heart Mother. I read that Black Milk tried to get a licence deal with Pink Floyd once, to put all the cover art on leggings... Unfortunately they were unable to get it. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, seeing as I probably would spend all my money to own them all.

Outfit Details:
DSOTM Crop / Forever21
Acid Wash Skirt / Nasty Gal
DSOTM / Converse

Mike Wazowski

2013-12-06T11:48:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before how much I love Monsters Inc. It's definitely my favourite Pixar film. I also really enjoyed Monsters University. Seeing as I'm one of those people who wear clothing that depicts things I love, I had to have this sweater. Mike Wazowski is definitely my favourite character in the series. I paired it with this beautiful velvet skirt from Black Milk. Velvet is huge at the moment, and one of my favourite fabrics. A lot of stores sell velvet skirts, and maybe for cheaper than the Black Milk version, but I got to say... This skirt is the best velvet material I've ever seen/felt. The quality is just flawless and I don't think I'll ever take it off.

Outfit Details:

Mike Wazowski Sweater / Romwe

Deep Blue Velvet Skater / Black Milk Clothing

Juju Jellies / American Apparel

Le Café

2013-12-05T10:32:00.000-05:00

Lately it's been difficult to take outfit photos due to the unpredictable weather and poor lighting situations. Today was a cloudy and rainy day, so I had to use artificial lighting which is why the photos seem a little yellow. Oh well, what are ya going to do, right?

Today I wore one of my favourite pairs of Black Milk Leggings - Van Gogh's Le Café. When I discovered Black Milk, most of the art pieces were already in the museum. Luckily, I was able to snatch these off a sharkie from Black Milk's trade and swap facebook group. I love this painting! I actually have a print of it hanging on my wall in my flat.

I also want to talk about this cocoon cardigan. Holy uber bat wings. Although it's sort of confusing to actually find the arm holes and put on, I like this sweater because it's like wearing a drape-y blanket. Super comfy outfit, I gotta say!

Outfit Details:
Pleated Blouse / Forever 21 (old)
Vivian Cocoon Sweater / Tobi
Le Café Leggings / Black Milk Clothing
Booties / Call it Spring (old)

Favourite Fall/Winter Trends

2013-12-03T12:56:00.000-05:00

Fall is here and winter is approaching fast. It's time to layer up and get cozy! Fall is one of my favourite seasons - the leaves start changing, you can wear cozy sweaters and scarves, and Christmas is just around the corner! Nothing better than to curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee or tea, light a candle, and watch movies , shows or read a book. I'm absolutely loving some of the trends I'm seeing this year, here are some of my favourites:

Topshop//Romwe//Topshop

Mint, pale pink, lilac, periwinkle. Seeing a lot of pastels this winter is refreshing. It gives a bit more interest to an outfit rather than just black on black on black. There's something about wearing pastels while there's snow on the ground that's so beautiful to me. I think they look great blended with white neutrals or contrasted with blacks and greys.

Topshop//H&M//Sheinside

This coat is a dream. It goes perfectly with any outfit and just looks so sophisticated every time. This is just a staple piece that anyone with any style can pull off.

Bittersweet Clothing//Shelfies

It's no surprise I'm in love with these sweaters. They're exactly something you'd find in my wardrobe! Fun, bazaar, and just out-there prints! They're so realistic and printed in such detail, you'd definitely turn some heads while wearing it. These sweaters make a statement so effortlessly, that it makes getting dressed in the morning very easy.

Catastrophic

2013-11-29T09:37:00.000-05:00

Meow meow meow! Yes, I have an obsession with cats. Maybe I need to stop buying everything cat related? Nahh. This skirt was in my last haul post and it's absolutely adorable! I paired it with my "meow" shredding t-shirt (how fitting) and Doc Martens. I've also decided that I need blue lipstick in my life.. Like a darker cobalt blue shade. Let me know if you know any companies that make this! For this look, I just patted some blue eyeshadow on Airborne Unicorn by Limecrime.

Outfit Details:

Shredded Meow Tee / Forever21

Five Cats Print Skirt / Romwe

Doc Martens

Winter Flowers

2013-11-28T08:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I spent a lot of time improving my blog, mostly the side bar. I decluttered it, hopefully making it easier to navigate and follow. I'm quite pleased on how it turned out.

I strayed away from my usual colourful look today and went for something more monochrome. I love the idea of florals in the winter and this skirt was perfect! Even though this whole outfit is black and white, there's still some interest with the floral details and the cutout back blouse. As you can probably tell, I actually have a flat iron now! I prefer the way my hair looks curly, but it gets so tangled, I never can run my fingers through it. First world problems?

Outfit Details:

Cutout Heart Blouse / Tobi

Dainty Floral Skirt / Forever21

Amanda Booties / Tobi

Unicorn Party

2013-11-27T07:31:00.001-05:00

I absolutely adore this skirt, but I bought it a size too big! Whenever I wear it I have to pin the sides for it to stay up - boo.I have styled it with this adorable sweater with a kitten wearing a cape and a unicorn horn. It's a perfect match. Metallics are amazing in the fall/winter, especially coloured metallics. Shine on lovelies!

What are your favourite trends for fall/winter? I'm thinking pastels, tartan, shiny metallics?

Outfit Details:

Electric Metal Teal Skirt / Nasty Gal (similar)

Unicorn Kitty Sweater / Forever 21

JuJu Jellies / American Apparel

Lipstick / Airborne Unicorn by Lime Crime

'scuse me while I kiss the sky

2013-11-26T15:49:00.001-05:00

Usually I wouldn't style leggings with a crop top due to some of the weird curves on my body, but I thought I would give it a try. I didn't want to cover these bad boys up - just look at them with all their shiny holographic glory. They are the perfect colour and wearing them is like riding a unicorn over a rainbow. Yes, they're that magical. I think these are officially my favourite pair of Black Milk leggings. They also match my hair, which I re-dyed finally. I couldn't wait any longer.

Outfit Details

Purple Haze Leggings / Black Milk Clothing

Crop top / Brandy Melville

JuJu Jellies / American Apparel

Lilac Sunnies / ZeroUV

New-Ins!

2013-11-25T09:37:00.000-05:00

I've been treating myself to a little retail therapy over the last couple of months - online shopping can be a dangerous thing, but some things are hard to pass up. Lately I've been obsessing over velvet, tartan, holography, pastels, and of course.. cats. After this haul, I think it's possible to say I own too many cat-related items of clothing. Here are some of the things I've bought over the last month or so.
Mike Wazowski Sweater from Romwe.
It's obvious that I absolutely love the print on this sweater, it's the reason I bought it. I'm a huge fan of Monsters Inc and Monsters University and am obsessed with anything related to those movies. The quality of the sweater is surprisingly good. I find it can be hit or miss with Romwe, but when it's a hit, it's probably one of my favourite items in my closet. I ordered a size small (which can be risky on romwe, I usually order a medium to be safe) and it fits great! The sleeves are plenty long enough, but the only weird thing is that the waist band is a little tight causing the fabric to bunch a little (you can tell in the photo), but it doesnt cause any discomfort while wearing.

Lame Sweater from Romwe.
My wardrobe was lacking warmth.. I needed more staple long sleeve shirts to wear when it gets cold out and I thought this shirt was great. It fits well, it's warm, and its print is pretty and fun.

Unicorn Kitty Sweater from Forever21
I had to have this. A combination of two of my favourite things: cats and unicorns. It's a cat dressed like a unicorn! I love everything about it: the colours, the print, and the warmth (it's lined with fleece!).

Crazy Cat Lady Skater Dress from Black Milk Clothing
I was so happy when Black Milk released something with cats. Not only is the print absolutely amazing, but the skater dresses... Oh my! This is my first skater dress from BM and it will not be my last! These dresses fit like perfection. They're extremely flattering and comfortable.

Blue Velvet Cutout Dress from Romwe
This dress is very flattering on my body. The front is very plain and elegant while the back has most of the details with the bow and low-back cutouts. The only thing I need to pull this off perfectly is a backless bra - a bando or bra just does not work with this dress. I think this might be my Christmas dress.

Tartan Scarf from Front Row Shop
After a lot of searching, I found the perfect tartan scarf. The colours are exactly what I was looking for and it's the perfect size. Thick, warm, and cozy!

Purple Haze Leggings from Black Milk Clothing
If you follow my instagram, you've seen these described as lilac holographic goodness. Not only are they my favourite colour, but they shine rainbows! These are seriously magical on my legs.

Five Cats Skirt from Romwe
Another print I couldn't say no too. How cute are these kitties? The skirt look better in real life than on the website, the colours are deeper and the print is crisp.

Dainty Floral Skirt from Forever 21
I thought this was a great floral piece for fall/winter. This monochrome skirt would look great with all black or all colour - very versatile for a floral.

And that's all folks! Thanks for reading.

instagram//facebook//bloglovin//tumblr

*This post is NOT sponsored

Rocky Raccoon

2013-11-18T10:33:00.002-05:00

Soon I will be wearing beanies in all my posts. My hair has sadly faded and the purple parts are nearly all gone, but the pink is still going strong (pink is pretty much permanent in my hair). I can't decide whether I want to re-dye it quite yet since I'm currently looking for a job. In meantime, I will probably try to maintain the silver-ness of it. I do apologize for the dark photos.. The sun never came out today.

Anyway, I'm wearing a pretty cozy outfit. A casual business-like raccoon riding his bike to work. It's a rather odd print but I like it. The raccoon reminds me of Canada because we have heaps of them.

Outfit Details:

Sweater / Thrifted in Toronto

Skirt / F21

Shoes / Call it Spring

Flamingos

2013-11-13T09:33:00.001-05:00

Can you guess what my favourite colour is? This swimsuit was one of my first purchases from Black Milk. I can't help myself when it comes to lilac things. I think it's one of their most beautiful pieces and I'm glad I got it while it lasted. Their latest Christmas collection has the most amazing pair of holographic lilac leggings, and of course I had to compulsively buy them - I can't wait for them to come in!

Outfit Details:

Flamingos Swimsuit / Black Milk Clothing

BDG High Waisted Shorts / Urban Outfitters

Hoodie / American Apparel

JuJu Jellies / American Apparel

Lipstick / D'Lilac by Limecrime

Empire Sloth of Mind

2013-11-12T08:35:00.000-05:00

I've noticed that in the UK, there are a lot of well-dressed people. Girls tend to wear skirts, dresses, and tights as an everyday look. In Canada, it's a lot of sweatpants, Uggs, jeans, and sweatshirts. Whenever I would wear a skirt or dress people would ask why I was dressed so fancy. Why not? It's a nice change that I find quite inspiring. You British girls are so classy - I love it!

I wouldn't call this particular outfit fancy, but it's a spin on a classic graphic tee. I temporarily stole this amazing shirt from my boyfriend. Sloths are such funny creatures. If you haven't watched youtube videos of baby sloths, you're seriously missing out! I like a boyfriend fit tee because it's long enough that you can pair it with some cool tights instead of plain ol' jeans.

Outfit Details:

Sloth Tee / Modcloth

Burned Velvet Leggings / Black Milk Clothing

Shoes / Call it Spring

Socks / Primark

Lipstick / Lovecraft - Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.

Area H20 Shampoo and Conditioner Review : Battling Hard Water Hair

2013-11-11T08:39:00.000-05:00

After moving to the UK I noticed something very alarming about my hair. It wasn't the same. I washed it a few times and blow dried, and it turned into an utter disaster. My hair was dry and straw-like, as if I had just fried the crap out of it! Even though I do bleach my hair, there was no way I had damaged it that way. It had been about a week since I had done my roots, and still, it was my whole head that was a mess... It was completely fine and soft before I moved. It couldn't have been from my dye job, so what could it be from? After doing a little bit of research, I think I found my problem: Hard Water.

Depending on where you live, there are different types of water: soft, medium, and hard. Hard water is when there is a high level of mineral content. What does this do to your hair? Awful things. The mineral deposits build up on your hair making it feel rough, tangled, and dry.

When I lived in Canada, I didn't really have this problem, but here in the south of England, it's pretty bad. You can use this map to see whether your area causes hard water hair:

source

After finding out the problem with my hair, I set out to find a solution. I read about washing your hair with rain water, using vinegar rinses, and changing your shower head, but could I really be bothered? I wanted an easier solution that didn't interfere with my daily routine. That's when I came across clarifying shampoos and conditioners, specifically Area H20. I'm very careful about the shampoos I use, making sure they're sulfate free and won't damage or strip the colour from my hair. Area H20 offers a large range of different products in order to combat hard water including a colour friendly shampoo and conditioner. How does it work? This is what they have to say:

"Metal ions, present in all types of water, react with shampoo to form mineral deposits that cling to your hair. AreaH20 shampoo is designed to act as a magnet, attracting mineral ions and allowing you to wash them away far more easily. This means your hair will feel noticeably cleaner, smoother, shinier and less flyway"

The instructions say to "use sparingly" since the product is concentrated so I generally mix a bit with my regular shampoo and conditioner. If I don't do this, the shampoo seems to lack the lather and I won't get nearly as much conditioner as I like. I don't mind using it sparingly either due to the price. I've tested these products for about two weeks now and have noticed big changes. My hair no longer blow-dries into a giant puff ball. The fly-aways and frizz has gone down a lot. It styles easier and I can actually run my fingers through it! The feeling of my hair has improved but isn't perfect, but I believe that it's just a matter of more deep conditioning and perhaps an oil repair mask of some sort (I've been eyeing the maroccan or macadamia oil treatments). Area H20 also seemed to be friendly with my colour and I didn't see any purple or pink washing down the drain.

Overall, I have to say that this product was definitely worth the money and convenience of battling hard water hair. It's going to be an England beauty staple for as long as I'm living here.

I purchased mine at LookFantastic for £17.50

Do you have any secrets to battling hard water hair? I'd love to know.

*This was not a sponsored post. Product was bought and not gifted.

Shoe Lust

2013-11-06T16:01:00.001-05:00

1//2//3//4//5

When I moved to the UK, I could only bring a couple suitcases weighing 50lb each. It might seem like a lot, but shoes and boots are heavy! I ended up having to leave a lot of my shoes behind, so as you might have been able to tell from my recent outfit posts, I don't have a huge shoe collection. Luckily, most of the shoes I had left behind were very worn out and almost falling apart. In the past few years, I only seemed to buy cheaper knock-off shoes instead of the real deal. I have a very hard time spending over 100$ on shoes, which is ridiculous considering my Black Milk collection. My two last real shoe investments were a pair of Hunter wellies (essential for England weather, I reckon) and my Doc Martens - both these boots were over 100$ and I have absolutely no regrets!

Considering I am still job hunting at the moment, I'm not gonna go online and order a boat load of expensive shoes.. but I have been lusting. I'm pretty sure as soon as a real income starts coming in, so will my collection of beautiful -good quality- shoes.

Here's my current shoe-lust list:
1. Purple Velvet Converge Combat Boot by Nasty Gal Shoe Cult - Look at the velvet! I saw a girl wearing red velvet oxfords once and they looked killer! These would be great when my docs are just not cutting it.
2. Helga Heels by Deandri - These heels are amazing! I absolutely love the wooden detail - it makes them a little different than your average platform heel.

3. Lacey Oxford by To Be Announced - I love these so much, I can't even choose a colour! These are the most beautiful holographic shoes I've ever seen. Which colour do you like the best?
4. Mondo Creepers by TUK - I feel like these are a staple that I just don't have.

5. Bravery Heels by Jeffery Campbell - An oxford heel with a twist. These just look good with anything really. You could wear them to a job interview or a club! So versatile.

What shoes are you currently lusting over?

The Fellowship

2013-11-05T08:06:00.002-05:00

As a huge fan of Lord of the Rings, this is what pushed me to buy my first pair of Black Milk leggings. They are probably the coolest item of clothing that I own. I paired them with this super high-low top and my trusty old docs - just a comfy-lounging-around type outfit.

Outfit Details:
High-low Top / F21
Fellowship Leggings / Black Milk
Doc Martens

Shine On!

2013-11-04T10:27:00.002-05:00

Here's a shiny outfit for you. I bought this dress ages ago, but never had the confidence to wear it alone. With any body-con dress, I must throw on a jumper or skirt to hide half of the dress. I feel like I have those awkward curves in the wrong places and anything skin tight just looks off. Well, here's to flaunting those curves and wearing what I want.

Outfit Details:

Dress/ F21(old)
Cardi / F21
Booties / Tobi

Meow or never

2013-11-01T09:01:00.002-04:00

Today I'm trying out the monochrome trend. I absolutely loved this kitty collection H&M did not too long ago. It reminds me of an anthropology dress I used to swoon over but could never afford. I paired this skirt with a velvet crop top to make the outfit more autumn appropriate, even though it still screams summer. I really need to buy myself some sheer black tights to transition my summer outfits better into fall.

Oufit Details:

Crop Top / F21

Skirt / H&M

Booties / Tobi

New-Ins: Sunnies for winter?

2013-10-31T12:13:00.001-04:00

I know it probably seems silly to buy sunglasses right after summer is over, but for some reason, it all made sense to me. Sadly, the only pair I owned were left back home in Canada, so I had to fill that void. It doesn't matter that it's not very sunny here, or that there's not a lot of blinding snow in the winter time (sun reflection off snow can be killer), I will still wear these all season! I'm one of those people who get major headaches from squinting all the time. It's actually worse when the weather is cloudy because you're still squinting but do not feel the need for sunnies. Sunglasses are a true headache preventer for me.

I've seen a lot of bloggers wearing trendy sunnies from zeroUV, and when I took a look at the site I saw that they were only 10$ a pair! I figured I might as well stock up. I choose a classic black pair, a lilac pair (my favourite colour), and a really cool mint green pair with an awesome blue-green mirror effect. According to the site, these all offer 100% UV protection. For that price, you can't go wrong! I like that I can play around with super trendy sunnies and not have to worry about paying a fortune for something that might not be a classic style. I can't wait to try these out, and maybe I'll have to go back for more in the summer.

*This is not a sponsored post.

Space Cat

2013-10-30T11:04:00.000-04:00

Here's another outfit featuring another pair of my Black Milk leggings. As I've said before, these things are an addiction. I'm really excited for their Adventure Time and Christmas collections, even though I probably already have too many pairs. Let me know if you want to see a Black Milk collection post or video!

Anyway, there's not too much going on in my life right now. My bus pass has expired so I'm sort of confined to my flat for now. I've been spending my days blogging, working on my resume, and job searching. Fingers crossed.

Outfit Details:

Rainbow Galaxy Leggings / Black Milk Clothing

Meow Shirt / F21

Shoes / Spring

Cat Ring / Etsy

Cassette Earrings / Unknown

Lipstick / Kat Von Dee Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Backstange Bambi

November Wishlist

2013-10-29T13:16:00.000-04:00

1 // 2 // 3// 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

These are just some things I've been craving lately. Velvet, candy, cats, pastels.... Can ya blame me?

Oh Sweet Nuthin'

2013-10-29T09:53:00.000-04:00

"Rock ‘n’ roll is so great, people should start dying for it. You don’t understand. The music gave you back your beat so you could dream. A whole generation running with a Fender bass… The people just have to die for the music. People are dying for everything else, so why not the music? Die for it. Isn’t it pretty? Wouldn’t you die for something pretty?"

-Lou Reed

Today let's be thankful for great music, great artists, and amazing words.

Oufit Details

Velvet Dress / Shopruche

Rose Headband / Urban Outfitters

Cut-out Booties / Tobi

Lipstick / Poisonberry by LimeCrime

Bracelet / Tobi

"Really F*cking Cute" Necklace / In God We Trust

I was born a unicorn

2013-10-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't said goodbye to summer quite yet. I will probably wear pastels all year long. Today I'm lounging around in this wonderful unicorn top I got in Chicago - it's definitely the most comfortable crop top I own. Don't mind the wrinkles in my skirt, I couldn't be bothered to pull out the ironing board today.. Just having a stay-inside and relax type of day. I still have a lot of things to get done around the flat to be officially settled in.

Outfit Details:

Unicorn Crop Top / Akira

Skirt / Romwe

JuJu Jellies

Lipstick / Airborne Unicorn by Lime Crime