SKINCARE | Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask #KBeautyJune

I hesitate to talk about Laneige much on the blog only because this is a Korean beauty brand that has really exploded now that it is available in Sephora and I would rather feature KBeauty products that are not readily available here. Though there are a plethora of Laneige products that I have yet to discuss, I wanted to jump the gun with a product that I started using right away when it appeared at my doorstep - the Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask* because it is just a fascinating one!

Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask Review

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BEAUTY | SureThik Eyebrow Thickening Fibers with Before and After and Even a Goatee!

Whenever I mention the brand SureThik, people look at me all confused, but then when I say, "you know the powder that you shake onto bald spots so it looks like you have hair", people go "Oh, in the blue and white packaging! The thought of creating hair where there isn't may seem a little hokey, but I have a much older grandmother aged coworker who uses this stuff to keep her permed her looking full and dense. I actually didn't know she was using SureThik until I told her I was reviewing the Eyebrow Thickening Fibers and she said that her hairdresser sprinkles this powder onto her more sparse areas. You may still think this stuff is odd with this introduction, but by the end of this post, I think you might be a believer!

SureThik Eyebrow Thickening Fibers Review

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NAILS | Mermaid Scales #CBBxManiMonday

This week Trysh from Prairie Beauty Love suggested an aquatic theme for our CBBxManiMonday which actually had me stumped for a day or two before I settled on a set of nails that have been done in a number of different ways, but also gave me a chance to use my mermaid scale decals from TwinkledT. I don't often use decals because in order to get the manicure finished, the base colour has to be FULLY dry in order to apply the decal or else be prepared to cry over your ripped up base coat. 


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SKINCARE | Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrogel Mask

Did you know that Neutrogena is the CBB Brand of the Month? I personally use only two Neutrogena products regularly and that is their Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen and their Makeup Remover Wipes, both of which I think are fabulous, but they aren't sexy and new like the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrogel Masks! You guys know that I am a sheet mask fiend with my masking almost every night and even though North America is a little late to the hydrogel trend, I am always curious to see how they compare to the Korean versions. Typically, I don't find hydrogel masks as effective as cotton or biocellulose masks, but they sure feel good AND are pretty entertaining to apply! 

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrogel Mask Review

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BODY | Avon Skin So Soft Comforting Shea Collection

It's the last weekend in June and we can officially say hello to summer! My birthday is next weekend on Canada Day so even though I look forward to turning 35 I am also terrified. Moreso than when I turned 30. I think it's because now every ache and pain, I can't just dismiss. I am officially entering a zone where aches and pains in odd places and times DO matter! Wish me luck guys as I navigate this time in my life where I have to officially check a different age range box.

Though I have outgrown certain things in life, one thing that has remained constant is my love for the scent vanilla. As a kid I loved sniffing the extract before baking and when I discovered that The Body Shop had a Vanilla perfume it was my go-to. I wouldn't even wear it. I would just sniff it like aromatherapy! Earlier this year, Avon released the Skin So Soft Comforting Shea Collection which features vanilla wrapped up in sandalwood and musk and it smells just positively DIVINE. 

Avon Skin So Soft Comforting Shea Collection Review

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NAILS | Happy Summer Polka Dots

I think for the next 10 weeks expect to see only bright manicures from me! It doesn't seem right to wear vampy shades while the sun is shining and the temperature is above 20 degrees. I was browsing Pinterest, as I often do for nailspiration, and came across this pin and loved the colour combination of orange with the neon green studs. I guess I liked the pineapple too, but I didn't feel like more fruit this week...

Orange and White Polka Dot Nail Art

MAKEUP | Dior Cool Wave Summer 2018 Collection

I haven't been doing a lot of makeup looks this year mainly due to time, but it's funny how once you get started you just get in the zone and go. It's how I am with my nail art too because you guys should hear the dialogue that goes on in my brain when I have to take off my current nail art and start something new "Whyyyyyy?!" Then I start painting and 3 hours goes by in a heartbeat! I have a soft spot for blue eyeshadow so when I saw that the Dior Cool Wave Summer Collection had a gorgeous limited edition blue 5 Couleurs Eyehadow Palette the 80s child me was instantly interested!

Dior Cool Wave Collection Review Swatches

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WELLNESS | Sleeping Deep with Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Balm and Bath Salts

I am not the most easygoing person and there have been many times in my life where nerves and stress have not gone over well. I can't really handle alcohol or "drugs" all that well so I am always looking for natural alternatives to relaxation and stress relief whether it is journaling, prayer, music or aromatherapy. I think a lot of bloggers can relate to this because we all seem to be cut from the same cloth when it comes to how we handle stress. Obviously we like to write and we see it as an outlet and from my observations over the years, most bloggers are quite introverted or are like me where I have forced myself to be more social in small doses with recharge times in between. I do love meeting new people and trying new things, but it's easy for me to psych myself OUT just before I am about to do them!

I discovered aromatherapy and the healing properties of scent around the time I started blogging while I was finishing up my computer science degree which I found INCREDIBLY stressful. I would cry and get headaches all the time because coding was the ultimate bane of my existence. Don't get me wrong, I love reading code especially when it is written elegantly, but holy crap writing and then DEBUGGING it made me crazy! Now that I am done with school, it can be hard to block out the noise of the day and being a night owl does not make it any better so I have been very open to natural sleep remedies to help calm the chatter in my brain.

Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Balm and Bath Salts

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NAILS | Summer Fruit Nail Art #CBBxManiMonday

I have been craving fruit salad the last week or so ever since our Vancouver heat wave started and because I haven't had time to go grocery shopping yet, I will have to settle for fruit on my nails! For this week, Renee, Trysh and I decided to go with fruit (they both have SUPER cute manis that you NEED to check out!) for ManiMonday and it was pretty fun to do! I used this tutorial from LovAndy which was a good summary of all of my favourite fruits though I do also love oranges, but they weren't quite as interesting to draw.

Summer Fruit Nail Art

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KBEAUTY | The Face Shop Simpsons "Homer" Sheet Mask #KBeautyJune

I just had to laugh when I put this mask on. This is The Face Shop Homer Character Sheet Mask and compared to Marge (here), this mask is quite a bit bigger though it says "One Size Fits All". The Face Shop x Simpsons Collaboration came out last year and though I missed out on the Lisa mask, the Marge and Homer sheet masks have given me enough amusement to convince me that my purchases were worth it! Do I consider these REAL skincare? Well, no, but let's talk about what happened with Homer shall we?

NAILS | CND Boho Spirit Dotticure

I don't normally post manicures on the blog a week after Instagram, but I guess I was so excited to share the manicure with you all that I didn't get a chance to synchronize with the blog. I have also had kind of a funny last two weeks at work that have left me feeling a little more jaded than I normally am, but also empowered to take control of situations that have bothered me for years. Way to be cryptic huh? I don't mean to be and if anyone messages me about what the hell I am talking about I will be more than happy to oblige, but for now let's keep it as "work issues" where I will emerge victorious.

Last week there was an event celebrating the launch of the new summer tribal-themed CND Boho Spirit collection, but because I was on my lunch break, I didn't have time to get any nail art like the leopard print I got for the CND Chic Shock collection so I did the art part at home. What the lovely ladies at Onyx Aesthetics DID do for me was get me started with three coats of CND Vinylux in Uninhibited.



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KBEAUTY | LABIOTTE Wine Lip Tint with Swatches #KBeautyJune

When it comes to the lip tint, I feel the Koreans do it best because if you have ever looked at Asian makeup, it's generally A LOT of tints. Not that lipsticks aren't used, but the gradient lip look has long been the standard for sweet, natural-looking beauty and it makes perfect sense that tints would be done best in the Asian beauty world! I have a couple of tints from various KBeauty brands and to be honest they are all kind of the same shades of reds and pinks, but who can resist Asian packaging?! I know I can't, so when I saw the LABIOTTE Wine Lip Tints in miniature wine bottles with a formula containing actual wine extract, I just had to go for it because of well, cuteness overload. 

LABIOTTE Wine Lip Tint Review with Swatches

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NAILS | Going Purple! #CBBxManiMonday

I feel like I haven't been here in awhile! Today is my half weekend and I promised myself that instead of running around like a crazy person that I would take today to chill and be a bit of a hermit as the last couple of weeks have been rather social even on my days off. Yesterday, Trysh, Renee and I decided to do purple-themed nails for ManiMonday and even though I agreed to join in, I was actually asleep at 10pm after a super long day at work, but realized I didn't to miss out on ManiMonday fun! 



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KBEAUTY | RiRe Bubble Bubble Lip Mask #KBeautyJune

Every month, I try to have personal themes that I stick to blogging about like back in February when I focused on Asian brands for the Lunar New Year. If I am stumped, I turn to the CBB for monthly ideas or I do a combination of the two if I really want to get a good amount of content out. I find themes really helpful as I can feel overwhelmed with products and I am often ashamed to admit how incredibly behind I am or how long I have had a certain "new" product on my hands. One area that I really haven't moved through fast enough is my KBeauty collection. I have A LOT that I have purchased and I am a little sorry to say that purchased products tend to fall to the wayside in favour of PR samples, so for this month I will try to have at least 2-3 KBeauty items/week that I have found amusing and/or totally cool starting with the RiRe Bubble Bubble Lip Mask!

RiRe Bubble Bubble Lip Mask Review

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HAIR | Phillip Adam Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Conditioner

Have you guys heard of hairdresser Phillip Adam? I feel like I should have considering that not only was he a Vancouver-based hairdresser for 50 years, but his haircare line is still family-run, based in Vancouver and is carried at over 700 retailers! All Phillip Adam products are: paraben-free, biodegradeable, vegan (except for ONE product which is vegetarian), cruelty-free, gluten-free, SLS-free and GMO-free with the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Shampoo being THE #1 seller!

I don't often use hair care products with ACV because when I think vinegar, I think "stripping" which my dry, colour-treated hair does not need any more of. It already goes through the ringer when I have it coloured so I try to use products that have the words "hydrate, nourish or repair" in their product descriptions. Part of what has made the Phillip Adam ACV Shampoo such a success is the fact that it is completely safe for ALL types of hair with ACV ensuring that the scalp is pH balanced and hair extra shiny. The goal of the ACV line was to bridge the gap with a high performance product between what you could find in a salon and in a health food store.

Phillip Adam ACV Shampoo and Conditioner Review

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NAILS | Rainbows for Pride #ManiMonday

I love June. It feels like the start of brighter things with summer officially beginning in just a few weeks and now I have the perfect way to start ManiMondays this month - PRIDE! It is Pride Month and rainbows are the name of the game this week with this Robin Moses inspired nail art that I found while browsing the interwebs!

Rainbow Nail Art

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SKINCARE | Puriface EMP Collagen Boost Sheet Mask

The FULL name of this weekend's sheet mask is the Puriface Eggshell Membrane Pack Collagen Boost Sheet Mask*. For some reason, I love eggs, but whenever I see it in skincare I get kind of weirded out! Eggs are pretty good for you and we have seen them applied to hair and skin with positive results so why not mask with it? I first saw Puriface on Instagram as I often get recommended skincare accounts because of my addiction to all things skin *double tap* and filed the brand away in my memory banks to try once I finished my hundreds of sheet masks. I honestly could do one every day for the next 2-3 years NO PROBLEM so why the F would I buy more?

Puriface ended up reaching out (they probably felt the Force awaken with my skincare vibes) and I agreed to try out one of the two sheet masks they currently offer. Puriface is an American-Korean company with a goal of creating straightforward skincare for the on-the-go beauty lover. The sheet masks are also made in Seoul, Korea so you know they are legit!

Puriface EMP Collagen Boost Sheet Mask Review

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MAKEUP | La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-In Foundation

A couple of weeks ago I shared a preview of a "something special" from La Prairie and now that the La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-In Foundation* has launched I can now officially share the lowdown on this foundation infused with caviar water which promises a perfect complexion by leaving skin with a refined texture that is smooth to the touch while giving the skin a natural-looking finish. The very first thing I looked at was WHERE this caviar water sat on the ingredients list and low and behold, it was the very first thing!

La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-In Foundation Review

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