NAILS | The First of Fall #CBBxManiMonday

Happy first official Fall #CBBxManiMonday! After doing this manicure, I remembered why I don't often do vampy nails - the bloody-looking cuticles. Maybe it works out because Halloween is coming, but I don't think you will see this colour again on my nails... 

Essie = Press Sample and Chanel = Self Purchase

Originally, I wanted to show off this pretty Chanel purple glitter in the shade Spectaculaire 429 from their Summer collection, but it was pretty sheer so I thought layering it with a vampy purple would really bring out the glitter! 

SHEET MASK | The Pure Lotus Leaf Masks: Soothing and Brightening and Wrinkle Treatment

Press samples. Affiliate links.

Here we are officially into Fall! I swear that the temperature dropped sharply right on September 22nd and has only continued! This morning, we hit single digits and soon they will be negative single digits (hopefully not negative double digits)! I know I keep saying this, but I am so freakin' behind on my reviews for pretty much everything, especially my beloved sheet masks and today's reviews for The Pure Leaf Lotus Masks are part of that group. Slowly, but surely right? I know I sound like a broken record, but I am getting older and I don't have that 30 year old stamina anymore. I am hoping that I get a second wind in my 60s and 70s!

BODY | L'Occitane Cédrat Deodorant Stick

I admit that I really put my deodorant through the ringer as it needs to start working the night before my workday! I take my showers at night and I read a tip a few years ago to apply both my deodorant and dry shampoo the night before and it has actually worked wonders! I wake up feeling more fresh and anything that cuts down on my morning "get-ready" time is one I am totally onboard with!

 

Gifted by Butterly

While this is not a new product, the L'Occitane Cédrat Deodorant Stick deodorant has gotten a makeover in brand new packaging that to me, looks less masculine and more soothing to the eye. The old packaging felt like it was part of a completely different brand! 

NAILS | Limited Edition Dior #628 Lucky Swatch #CBBxManiMonday

I honestly do not know what is happening to my nails, but they were constantly breaking in Montreal and then started looking super dry. I have a feeling living in AC conditions contributed to both my sore throat and my dry nails that week and I am still recovering - on both fronts!

Purchased by me

LIFESTYLE | First Montreal Visit Since 2018!

The last time I visited Montreal was all the way back in 2018 if you can believe it! I skipped 2019 and then of course there was 2020 where the whole world came to a halt and then air travel just looked overly complicated until around 2022. As someone who does not fly well already, routine is really what makes me feel better and having not flown for a few years at this point, I did not feel like doing it anymore. I had to fly to Paris in 2023 for work so that kind of got the juices flowing again, but since then I haven't flown - until last week and all in all everything was fine other than the usual air travel discomforts like Premium Economy being the same leg room as regular economy, delays at take-off and just weird people who treat the plane like its their own.

This visit was all about seeing family, especially our new nephew! We saw him our first full day in Montreal and he is a cutie! We stayed with my mother-in-law so we were well-housed and well-fed and from there it was just catching up with everyone, lots of socializing and lots of eating!

SHEET MASK | Anua Niacinamide TXA Serum Mask (K-Pop Demon Hunters Edition)

Purchased by me

As I write this, I have been back from Montreal two days and I am still struggling with the jet lag. I was up at 5:17am PST and could not fall back asleep so I went with the flow and just decided to get up. If I had been working, I would have stayed in bed as I am still feeling tired, but not tired enough to sleep as I just want to hit the ground running with catching up at both work and in the house! I made sure to do as many household tasks as I could before leaving so that we didn't come home to a messy apartment. We had a cat sitter come in once/day for the cats and she left everything really neat and clean so we were truly able to relax right when we got home.