HAIR | Carina Organics Citrus Shampoo and Sweet Pea Conditioner

 

Purchased by me

Local love has been a focus of mine since the pandemic started and though I have shopped from Sephora and other American sites here and there, I have tried my best to keep it local (also I don't like the exchange rate!) and more importantly to products and brands that I truly enjoy. Carina Organics was started in North Vancouver back in 1972 and is still family-owned and run! Their claim to fame, at least when I first heard of them, is their shampoos and conditioners which are pH-balanced, vegan, cruelty-free, safe in rivers, lakes and oceans AND made with ingredients sourced locally! It really doesn't get better than that!

NAILS | The Elves Have Come Out to Play! #CBBxManiMonday

Some press samples

I mentioned in yesterday's #SheetMaskSunday post that I wanted to take control of December and not let it stress me out or make me feel pressured in any way and though I am not entirely sure of how I will do that, I felt pretty good about myself yesterday. I stocked up on canned goods and groceries that will last as I will not have time to go out to get food much starting tomorrow. I also got the kitties some extra canned food and also started planning out my meal deliveries as I will be on my own on Christmas Eve (don't feel sorry for me as people in retail generally want to be alone to decompress on this day) and want to do as little cooking as possible since I will be working until 5:30pm that day. This little bit of preparation has made me feel better and then later today, I am going to get one gift for a coworker just so I don't have to go on the weekend when it might be busier. I have also made a small to-do list for the week which I can hopefully accomplish, but have told myself that it's ok if I don't as nothing on it is life or death.

SHEET MASK | Physiogel Daily Moisture Therapy Cream Mask

Purchased by me

I did not mean to take such a long break from the blog this past week, but I was still playing catch up at work and was coming home feeling just spent from the day! This upcoming week is going to be a busy one with our new Chaumet boutique opening, but I would like to be as in control of this week and really the month of December as possible! Maybe that should be my mental hashtag for the month, #TakingControlOfDecember and I will try to do something every day this month to stay present as I also try to survive retail during the holidays since it always ends up being a bit of a gong show leading up to Christmas!

NAILS | Purple Polka Dots #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

This doesn't look like a Fall manicure, but both of these shades are from the OPI Fall Wonders 2022 collection! There is also a bright coral shade in the collection as well so it just goes to show that sometimes Fall collections aren't necessarily all vampy shades. With losing a week to Covid last week and playing catch up at my day job, the blog has been a hard one to maintain and now with the holiday season revving up, I doubt I am going to be able to get back into the swing of things for blogging. I have one or two holiday things to discuss, but other than that, I have left it all very open-ended as I don't like to put a ton of pressure on myself for December. Getting sick for the first time in a long time was enough of a reminder to take care of myself!

NAILS | Chocolate and Gold #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

I have a good excuse this time for such a late #CBBxManiMonday post and that is that I finally caught the Covid. I started feeling under the weather over the weekend, but tested negative and then progressively developed a sore throat, cough and more congestion and then by Sunday had my two lines. As of yesterday night, I am still testing positive, but feeling a little better. It probably was the worst week to get sick as there is just so much going on. I just dread the amount of catch up I will have to do when I get back to work as there was only so much I could field at home through email feeling how I felt the first few days. Today is the first day where I have been able to stay conscious for more than a few hours without wanting to crawl into bed.

SHEET MASK | Pyunkang Yul Black Tea Revitalizing Mask

Purchased by me

Pyunkang Yul has been on my to-try list ever since its launch in 2016 because of their holistic take on skincare and their gentle, but efficient products for all skin types. The other reason I was interested in the brand was because it was created by the Pyunkang Korean Medine Hospital, a Korean traditional medicine clinic in Seoul specializing in atopic skin disorders. I always find it fascinating that there are a number of Korean skincare brands born out of clinics or hospitals. If only there was a L'oreal Medical Hospital!