LIFESTYLE | What I Learned About Myself and Money in Quarantine and My Plans for 2020

Remember at the beginning of this year when 2020 still seemed like it was going to be ok? We can all agree that every month this year has been intense with all of us having to do some major self-reflection and serious thinking about our futures and how we plan on conducting ourselves. Bad things happen in the world all the time, but COVID-19 shut down THE GLOBE. Every single person on the planet has been united and affected by this incredibly contagious disease and I count my blessings every day that myself and those closest to me are still healthy. While I have been back at work for the last 2 months, being without work for 7 weeks gave me some much needed clarity and I know I am not alone in that. I never thought in my working life that I would have this amount of time off and after freaking out for about a week, I pulled a Carrie Underwood and basically said "Jesus, Take the Wheel". Whatever will be, will be and if I'm going to be at home with nowhere to go, I may as well do what I want on my own terms and in my own time.

NAILS | Holo Ikat #CBBxManiMonday

Today's manicure was somewhat frustrating in that summer heat makes polishes pretty goopy and very rarely do I remove the base colour and redo manicures, but that's what I had to do with this Ikat design. Not only did I have some issues with creating the design, but the application of Holo Taco Lemon Sucker as well. Holo finishes can fix most of my nail polish grievances, but in this case I am really not sure when I will use this shade again other than for a photo prop.

All polishes purchased by me

SHEET MASK | Mediheal Line Friends Edition

I have a feeling that by now, a large portion of you have seen this rabbit, bear and chick in various places. Originally developed for use as stickers or emojis for the messaging app LINE, Cony (rabbit), Brown (bear) and Sally (chick) now have a following of their own similar to Hello Kitty and the Sanrio gang. Though I consider myself fairly "Canadianized", I will admit that I have sought out LINE friends paraphernalia like cell phone cases and household accessories. When I first picked up the Mediheal Line Friends edition of their bestselling sheet masks, I just thought the packaging was cute and did not know about the characters. I thought this packaging was limited edition, but I have seen it sold in-store and online with updated expiration dates so it looks like you can get them anytime!

 Purchased by me

NAILS | Holo Taco "Orange Drink" Swatch

I know that an entire blog post to this ONE colour is totally unnecessary, but the Holo Taco Rainbow Collection deserves all the attention! Each and every nail angle is just pure nail porn and with our summer finally hitting Vancouver two weeks ago, I am going to take advantage of every shred of sunlight I get just to watch my nails sparkle! I thought about doing nail art, but orange is sort of a tough colour to work with and I didn't want to use black and have this be a Halloween nail art post (though I cannot WAIT for Halloween manicures!). With regards to Halloween, the other thing I cannot wait for is wearing a fun face mask to work! We have to wear company-provided surgical masks, but on Halloween I have been all cleared to draw some lips and fangs out of cardboard and stick them on our masks to have a little fun! Yes, I know COVID is terrifying and if we get a round two in the Fall, I might not be so perky about the whole thing, but for now, it's a way of staying positive. 

Purchased by me

SKINCARE | COSRX Hydrium Moisture Collection

Up until this point, I had only tried two COSRX products even though they are such a cult favourite when it comes to Korean skincare. Their product line is extensive and I think I just felt overwhelmed since EVERYTHING looked good. With a focus on skin health at an affordable price, COSRX consistently uses ingredients that have been proven to actually DO something. The packaging is simple and the purpose of each product is clear while allowing the user to cocktail and create a skincare regime that suits their lifestyle.

PR gifted

NAILS | Summer Fruit Slices with Ella + Mila #CBBxManiMonday

It's officially summertime once I get fruit on my nails! It's also an exciting day because I get to try a new nail polish brand that I have only gotten a chance to admire through swatch videos on YouTube or on Instagram. Say hello to 7-free, vegan and cruelty-free ella+mila, named after the twin daughters of founder, Narineh Bedrossian. These polishes are geared towards all, but especially for young kids who want to spend some quality time with their moms and paint their nails! 

Polish provided by PR