NAILS | Bright Veil Nails #ManiMonday

Let's pretend it's still Monday and I'm NOT late with the timing this post. I got it up on Instagram yesterday which still counts right? This week is going to be another crazy, but fun one as I am headed to Las Vegas tomorrow for my day job which I will probably be sharing a little bit of on IG stories as we will be catching Cirque Du Soleil's "O" and of course going shopping for a couple of hours at Sephora between training times!

For this week's manicure, Renee, Trysh and I decided to keep it simple and stick to "Brights" and though I was stumped for a solid day of what to do because the possibilities really are endless, I decided to try Veil Nails again, but this time with a white base and some bright summer shades. All I can say is that Veil Nails DEFINITELY work better with a light base!

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SKINCARE | The Face Shop Goodbye Smile Fold Modeling Gel Patch

I have been having the most BRUTAL time the last two weeks trying to blog. I don't often struggle with it because I have always said that writing is an escape and a joy, but I have been physically and mentally drained with work and mandatory afterwork activities in the last week. I have had a few press events in the middle that have been a pure joy to attend, but even the long weekend felt a bit stressful because I just wanted to sit and veg out. The vegging led to less blogging than usual and a larger than normal backlog which then stressed me out. I haven't even done my nails for over a week which is a HUGE deal for me!

Seeing as how I like to amuse myself with all types of face masks, I thought I would try to have a bit of fun throughout this tiring week with a hydrogel mask from The Face Shop. Although I haven't been smiling all that much this week, I do smile other times which has led to some slight lines around my mouth now that I am older. I picked up the Goodbye Smile Fold Modeling Gel Patch not because I thought it would the cure but because it looked rather amusing!

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MAKEUP | Clarins Spring 2018 Collection with Swatches and Look

I know we are already getting whiffs of the Clarins Summer collection, but I thought the Spring collection was so pretty that I needed to share before we start moving into the bronzed goddess looks of the summer. What I have loved about this year's Spring collections is the dose of pink we are getting! I have chatted about the launch of Clarins SOS Primers which also launched in Spring and I am grateful that they are not going anywhere just yet, but for now let's talk about the other stuff!

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NAILS | Oooh! It's a Red Holo! #ManiMonday

I wore this holo in the hopes that the sun would come out today for me to take one of those epic holo photos where all you see are rainbows on your eyeballs. Alas, it is bright, but cloudy today in Vancouver so we will have to contend with the ringlight and my telling you that this is the shade Gamma Ray* from the Born Pretty Holographic Holo Series. I have two red holo polishes and though Gamma Ray is nice and juicy, I had some issues with application.

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HAIR | Mugler Alien Beautifying Hair Mist

Fragrance is definitely one area of beauty that I do not feature a lot on the blog and it's not because of lack of love, but more so the lack of knowledge on how to even brooch the subject. Fragrance is more about storytelling than about ingredients. Yes, I can tell you about the notes, but that is literally one or two lines of information. The rest is purely emotional which let's face it, for those who know me, is not me. I am the typical stoic Asian when it comes to my emotions so trying to seduce someone with a story about how a fragrance makes you feel is not my strong suit.

Though today's product is not solely a fragrance, I will do my best to romance you all. We have all heard about Mugler Alien. This is one of the most iconic fragrances of the Mugler and really fragrance world and it was one of the first scents I was introduced to when I started by fragrance collection. Alien is a warm floral and has a unique blend of: Jasmine Sambac, Cashmeran Wood and Amber Gris and to this day is a scent that I have not smelled anywhere else. This scent can be strong for some and I have my moods for when I use it, but for days when I just want a hint of it I have been using the Mugler Alien Beautifying Hair Mist* ($50.00 CDN)! 

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SKINCARE | Avon Anew Firming Sheet Mask #AvonForMay

I really wanted the long weekend off and I got it, but needed to work Monday to Friday like a good part of the working world. I don't know how you all do it, but if I had to do it all the time, I would dread Mondays SO MUCH. I also felt pretty spent by the afternoon and avoided being seated by running around doing little things around the office. I had full intentions of blogging, but the last few days have been a whirlwind especially going to Stars on Ice last night! I worked all day and then we didn't get home until 11pm, but it was SO WORTH seeing Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue skate live!

Since the week has been a bit busy, I really had to make a conscious effort to use my sheet masks and with this month's personal focus being on Avon, I decided to pull out the Anew Firming Sheet Mask* for both a little TLC and in the hope that it wasn't quite as tacky-feeling as the Anew Brightening Sheet Mask that I reviewed last year.

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MAKEUP | All 39 MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Pencils Swatched! Use Them on EVERYTHING!

It has dropped. The first pencil that is actually intended for eyes, lips, blush, contour, rainbow freckles so that if you have always wanted your blue eyeliner to literally match your lips, now it can! The brand spankin' new MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Pencils* ($23.00 CDN) have now landed in Sephora and MAKE UP FOR EVER boutiques and can be worn on their own for a true monochromatic look or layered to create boundless makeup looks. Each pencil has a matte finish and is a blend of silicone, vegetal and crystalline waxes allowing for glide across any surface, but not so creamy that the colour will slide off wherever you decide to put it!

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NAILS | Pastel Punk Leopard Print #CBBxManiMonday

See, I told you there was more leopard print in the works! I had a couple of packages to pick up over the weekend and since I work a very erratic, all over the place schedule, I wouldn't have had time to pick it up for another 2 weeks which is what husbands are for! My husband dutifully picked up three packages and then made me dinner when I got home from work. What a keeper, huh?

One of the packages contained the all new Canadian exclusive Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Pastel Punk Collection which had the perfect shades for a gradient! The gradient was beautiful, but the leopard spots I totally made the wrong shape and size which was unfortunate, but because I am teaming up with Renee and Trysh again I did not want to let them down!

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HAIR | LaCoupe Naturals Collection with Fresh Avocado Frizz Control

I have been using a lot of different hair products lately and I feel like every product I try has slight upgrades from the last! I go through phases where I really don't switch up my hair care too much and then phases like right now where I am ploughing through different products every 2 weeks. I have a feeling it has been because I haven't been able to change my skincare for the last 45 days (for review purposes) so the itch to try new things has moved to another area of my body!

I have used LaCoupe once before, around the time I started blogging, and actually wrote to the company almost 10 years ago to say how much I liked their ORGNX shampoo and conditioner! With the recent interest in green beauty, LaCoupe has introduced the Naturals Collection featuring four lines specially curated for your hair's needs all while being sulfate, silicone, paraben, propylene glycol and petroleum-free! There is Moroccan Rose which gives volume to fine or thinning hair, Coconut Milk which softens and nourishes damaged and dehydrated hair, Royal Honey to revive overprocessed hair and Fresh Avocado to fight frizz and hydrate curly hair.

NAILS | The Neutral Leopard Print #AvonForMay

Ever since I did my Lisa Frank-inspired nails, I have been on a leopard print bonanza. Don't believe me? Check out my Pinterest board! I wanted to try a more neutral leopard print and in pastels, but I feel I may have gone too neutral? This won't be the last you guys will see of the leopard print as I have a few more colour combinations that I really want to try!

BATH | Lush Mother's Day 2018 Collection

How is it coming up to the middle of May? Once it hits June, it will be the summer and then half a year would have gone by! I STILL have stuff from December that I want to blog about that feels recent...tell me I'm not the only that is still trying to get organized! While I was fumbling my way through filing my taxes last month (filed on April 29th!), I realized that there was something special about May and that was Mother's Day! Lush has again blown it out of the water when it comes to new and sweet-smelling things so let's dive in!

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NAILS | Inspired by JGoldcrown's "Bleeding Hearts"

When I reviewed the Sephora x JGoldcrown Bleeding Hearts Brush Set, I looked at the multi-coloured hearts on the brush handles and knew they would make perfect nail art!

MAKEUP | The "Just OK" BECCA Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder

I was painting my nails one night two months ago and had left YouTube to play from my now massive subscription list of beauty "gurus" and Tati popped up with a "WTF Review" of the new Becca Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder. Though I don't watch Tati's videos quite as often as I used to, her WTF segments have introduced me to some interesting products and though I wasn't looking for a new setting powder, this one caught my attention because it is made of 50% WATER. Like, what does that even MEAN?!

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SKINCARE | Beauty Bioscience R45: The Reversal

When it comes to the term "anti-aging", most of that can be addressed simply with hydration which is what most skincare products on the market do, but for those who wish to raise their skincare regime to another level, there are what I call the more "fun" or technical products that go the extra mile with ingredients and need some instructions for use. I know that might not sound fun for everyone, but as I have gotten older, I have steadily been making my way into the world of peptides, retinoids and bears, oh my!

Retinol, or vitamin A, is one of the few things that those in the derm, academic and beauty world agree is a great wrinkle-fighter with its ability to even out skin tone, increase firmness and diminish the look of fine lines and even repair UV-damage skin. It is one of the more volatile ingredients so I am always hesitant to use it consistently in my skincare routine. What interested me in the Beauty Bioscience R45: The Reversal* routine was that it was ONLY to be used for 45 days, 2-3x a year. MAX. I like the idea of giving my skin a gradual boost and then having the freedom to go back to my other skincare routine after. I have never been on a retinol-based product continuously for such a long period of time, but I really wanted to see what effect it would have on my skin so join me on my 45 day journey!

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SKINCARE | Avon Anew Ultimate Gold Peel-Off Mask #AvonForMay

Though the CBB has monthly brands and themes to help with blogging inspo, I tend to do my own themes as well if I feel like I have been neglecting a brand I love. After planning out my bullet journal for May as well as Mother's Day posts, I started thinking about Avon and what the brand has meant to women around the world. It has come so far since I was a kid and I did not think I would be using their products as an adult so my personal brand of the month will be none other than Avon!

I have a very intimate relationship with masks and though Avon has a number of products for literally everyone, it seemed only fitting to launch #AvonForMay with the Anew Ultimate Gold Peel-Off Mask*!

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