Wednesday Chillout Session: Our Favorite Iced Tea

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.  When temperatures on the rise an afternoon glass of iced tea can be the one thing keeping the Canvas team on point and style ready.  Megan and I both love our iced tea variations, but this one shared by a friend continues to be a favorite. The lightly sweet and earthy flavor of the Equal Exchange Organic Rooibos is perfectly refreshing with lemon or a brightly flavored nectarine. 

Stay Stylish,

K&M

Ingredients

• 1-2 Equal Exchange Organic Rooibos Tea Bags 
• 5 Cups Boiling Water
• 2 Table Spoons Agave Nectar
• 1/2 Lemon or Yellow Nectarine Sliced
• 1 Mint Sprig (for garnish)

In a large pitcher add tea bags (I use one but like a lighter tea) and boiling water. Cover, steep for five minutes and refrigerate 1-2 hours to chill. When chill add lemon or nectarine and serve with mint spring for garnish. Enjoy!

New Podcast: How to Recharge Your Hair for Fall

Guys and Gals, have you had a fun summer full of pool time, sunshine or travel?  By the end of the season, its likely that your hair has lost some of its luster. 

In our latest podcast we sat down with Lena Garcia of Steel&Lacquer Salon to talk about the ONE thing you can do to prepare your hair for a new season.

Listen To Our Podcast Now

**Podcast Product Information

label.m Deep Cleansing Shampoo

Holiday hair must-have to remove seawater and chlorine Sodium Chloride free

It's in the Bag: What cool things are we toting this Summer?

The last few weeks have been hot by San Franciscan standards, somewhat alarmingly so. Leaving the house in the morning without a scarf and jacket tucked away for later has been liberating.  However, like some scientific based equation, we've found new "must have" items to fill our bags with.  

What are our THREE top items we've been toting to beat the heat? 

Kimberly-

1. TiZO3 Mineral Based Sunscreen: This is my go to facial sunscreen that blocks out all the harmful rays.  It acts like a good primer under foundation and sometimes I wear it alone in place of make up.

2. L.Florem Collection, Pulse Point Roll-On Parfum, Flora Di Mare Stronger scents tend to hold up more in the heat and I like this white flower based parfum with sea salt and wood notes that keep it fresh and not overly floral.

3. Tatcha Aburatorigami Japanese Beauty Papers (Blotting Papers): There is a fine line between the fresh dewy look and too shiny.  A good blotting paper midday will keep you in check. 

Megan-

1. elf Mineral Primer- It covers pores and locks makeup in place.

2. iPhone with Nicolas Jaar on SoundCloud

3. A Tupperware of frozen grapes as a sweet treat to cool off outside.

New Podcast: Unmade- Key Makeup Tips to Keep You Flawless

Wondering how to keep your makeup looking fresh in the late summer heat? For our latest podcast we teamed up with Angela Womack, a local Bay Area makeup artist and Laura Mercier pro, to find out what items every woman should be stocking in her makeup bag.

Listen To Our Podcast Now

Angela shared her three makeup must-haves for summer. Shop her favorites below.

1. Translucent Powder

Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder, $34 

2. Skin Brightening Pen

YSL Touche Eclat Brightening Pen, $42

3. Colorful Lipstick

Laura Mercier Paint Wash Liquid Lip Color, $28

August is All About Fearless Fashion at Canvas

For August, we’ve decided to be FEARLESS! To follow up on being intentional about what we DO wear, we are focusing on those outliers in our wardrobe that may not get enough air time. 

The best style often comes with pushing the envelope a little. So we'll be challenging ourselves to try things that we normally wouldn't wear, incorporate lots of bright colors into our daily style and say YES to more adventures along the way!

What would you wear if you had no fear? It's time to find out! Join us and share your FEARLESS fashion using #CanvasFearless.

Continue to follow us on Instagram (@CanvasStyling) and Facebook (Canvas Styling) for regular updates and inspiration with a daily dose of fearlessness sprinkled in. 

 

Behind the Scenes: High Style Exhibit

Every month the Canvas team plans an offsight for inspiration and general wellness.  It's a great time to step away from the racks and focus on the Canvas big picture.

This month we knew we had to check out the High Style exhibit at the Legion of Honor in SF. The setting of the museum is stunning and always a welcome backdrop to the beauty inside (not to mention Megan had never been before!).

The collection on display is from the Brooklyn museum (now living at the Met in NYC) and contains 90 of the most important fashion pieces and accessories from 1910-1980. 

Check out the photos below for some of our favorite pieces. We "ooh'd and ahh'd" our way through the exhibit and were beyond inspired by the grace, elegance and panche of the designs. So many have of these pieces have influenced designers and remain surprisingly relevant to today's fashion!

A great quote by Charles James.

This red dress was a showstopper.

These dresses from the 1920's were the first pieces we saw when we walked in. 

Charles James "Clover Leaf" ball gown, 1953. Silk, satin, faille, shantung with lace.

You wouldn't believe how much this weighs!

This lace gown was breathtaking.

We loved the detailing in the back. Especially the folded down sections at the top.

Elsa Schiaparelli. Dress, Winter 1937-1938. We couldn't get over how bold and before her time Schiaparelli's designs were. Her use of emerging materials (plastics) and custom designed textiles were a testament to her treatment of fashion as an artistic expression. This green number particularly caught our eye. The wood-grain printed fabric is underlaid with gold to mimic a tree and beautiful juxtaposed with a industrial zipper up the back.

Made of cotton jersey with detailed draping, this was one of our favorites.

Christian Dior sequin dress.

Pietro Yantorny,Twelve Pairs of Shoes,1914

Going Green: Easy DIY Aloe Vera Skincare

At our weekly Canvas meeting, we were talking about some of our favorite skincare hacks for when the summer heat hits. Kimberly likes to keep her face masks in the fridge so that they are cool when she puts them on (love this idea!).

For me it's all about my Nana's homemade aloe recipe. Aloe is known for its healing, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, which keeps pores clean, moisturizers and precent oiliness and can slow down the signs of aging. I remember being a little girl and her putting the aloe soaked pads over our eyes for a little bit of pampering. This recipe is simple, quick and incredibly soothing. Plus, it leaves your skin glowing!

Ingredients:
- Aloe plant (Aloe Barbadensis in the most popular and widely used variety of aloe vera)
- Distilled water
- Cotton makeup pads
- Resealable glass jar or plastic container

Directions:
Break off a 2-3 aloe vera leaves and slit down the middle (don't cut all the way through). Place in a small pot and fill with enough distilled water so that the leaves are covered - usually about 1-2 cups is plenty. Very slowly bring the water to a gentle boil and then turn down the heat and allow to simmer for several minutes. The water may change color slightly - that's ok. Remove from heat and let the liquid cool. Remove the leaves and strain the liquid into a glass jar or plastic container filled with cotton makeup pads (baby food jars work great for this!).

Place in the fridge and use the pads for puffy eyes, sunburns, irritated skin or as a daily toner all over your face. The liquid will stay good in your fridge for up to 10 days. You can also pour the extra into ice cube trays and freeze for later.

We want to hear your favorite DIY skincare recipes!

Easy Summer Braid Tutorial

Looking for a quick way to pull your hair back this summer that's more stylish than a ponytail? We love this easy swept braid tutorial by The Small Things Blog on YouTube.

Three Cheers for the Graduate!

Whether you are celebrating a grad finishing high school or college here are our favorite gifts to mark the occasion.

1.) Personalized Stationery & Ink- Papersource offers a colorful and wide range of stationery styles including letter press printing.

2.) Watches- We love the simple lines and handsome leather of the Jack Spade Stillwell for gents (or gals) and the ability to change the band of the sporty Daniel Wellington depending of your mood.

Jack Spade Stillwell Cream Watch, Bloomingdales, $328

Daniel Wellington Classy Winchester, Nordstrom, $175

3.) Wallet/Money Clip - Classics in the grad gift category, don't be afraid to make these personal with color or a custom design.

Furla Classic Extra Large Leather Zip Around Wallet, Nordstrom Rack, $79.97 (reg. $178)

Money Clip with Epoxy Top, Personal Creations.com, $16.99

4.) Dry Cleaner/Laundry Service Gift Certificate- Practical and oh so helpful to as your grad transitions into his/her next stage of life. There are many services out there today, Laundry Locker and Rinse and Washio are three to explore. 

5.) Food Delivery - Healthy living and a balanced meal are success makers. Food delivery services, like Blue Apron make at home cooking fun and simple.

J'adore "Dior and I"

I have not been able to stop talking about "Dior and I" since I walked out of the theater (it was all Kimberly could hear about at our meeting earlier).  I admit that I'm a sucker for fashion documentaries, but this one is special. It takes the focus away from the celebrity that surrounds fashion and focuses on the art and skill that goes into creating couture clothing.

The film chronicles the grueling 8 weeks leading up to Raf Simons first runway show as creator director of Dior. Raf comes off as lovely and humble and a true genius. But the breakout stars of the movie are the ateliers who hand stitch each item. Some have worked at Dior for more than 40 years! The love and passion they put into the pieces is just inspiring. Watch the trailor below.