NAILS | Blue and Gold #CBBxManiMonday

I have been finding it difficult to sit down and blog the last week or so. I don't really have any posts I am itching to write and though many beauty bloggers go through a burnout, I feel like it's more about wanting to enjoy the summer, read my books and just chill overall before September whirls around. Now, we are officially in August and I see some people already thinking about their Halloween decorations?! I mean, let's slow it down and enjoy ourselves a little bit!

Polishes purchased by me

SHEET MASK | Dr. Jart Cryo Rubber with Moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid

I was kind of obsessed with Dr.Jart's iconic rubber masks when they first came out a few years ago and it took me awhile to try them because they were almost $20 each, but in the end they were well worth the price! Last year, while we were in the throes of Lockdown, Dr. Jart stepped up their rubber masks by coming out with the Cryo Rubber masks! While still very similar to its predecessor in terms of hydration and soothing redness, these new masks promise to deliver a cooling effect and lower the skin temperature down to as low as 12 degrees Fahrenheit! 

Purchased by me

NAILS | Nerd Lacquer Resolutionary Swatch (and Chat)

I don't normally like to post similar types of posts back to back on the blog, but I just haven't felt the urge to sit in front of a screen at night and have been opting to do LEGO or watch the Tokyo 2020 Olympics! Who has been watching? I always love the Olympics and we downloaded CBC Gem so for the first time, we can watch ANY sport we want from judo to rugby to the MUCH broadcasted swimming! I've also been enjoying rowing and seeing the Canadian Women's Eight win gold was so exciting!

Purchased by me eons ago

NAILS | Inspired by the Clarins Frozen Summer Eyeshadow Palette #CBBxManiMonday

While some may look to nature for inspiration, beauty packaging holds so much potential for nail art inspiration and has been incredibly fun to create and when I saw the new Clarins Frozen collection, I picked up this eyeshadow palette, looked at it and knew it had to somehow end up on my nails. For the first time in awhile, I did my nails ahead of time mainly because I got my second vaccine shot on Sunday morning and I wanted to be prepared "in case I went down"! While I could be fine, I also could be very much NOT fine! I have today off as well and I am prepared to hunker down and sit in front of Netfllix should my condition go South!

 

Polishes purchased by me. Clarins Eyeshadow Palette is a PR sample.

SHEET MASK | Blooming Cell Pink Peel 2-Step Mask

I have said before that I adore multi-step masks as I feel like I'm getting more bang for my buck with my sheet mask purchase and as much I prepare my skin beforehand, there is nothing like having everything I need all in one piece of packaging. The multiple steps can range from an eye cream to a cleanser to a peel so I have to make sure I pay attention to what each little section of the packaging says so I don't accidentally "do a step" on my own that isn't part of the package. Today's #SheetMaskSunday is one that I will remember for a long time because it was fantastic!

Purchased via my Facetory subscription

LIFESTYLE | hmnkind Antibacterial Performance Face Masks

In total, I have reviewed three face masks and raved about a couple more on my Instagram stories, but now I can totally say that I have found my "face mask boos" and I will never go back to anything else! It took me awhile to find these perfect face masks, but unlike the other masks I have reviewed, these hmnkind Antibacterial Performance Face Masks check every single box. I don't have to tweak or fiddle with them and even my co-workers have purchased them for themselves and their families! These masks are so unlike the other fabric masks I have been wearing that now that we are alllllmost seeing the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, I feel like I will almost miss wearing these and I am here to tell you all why!

Purchased by me

NAILS | Cadillacquer Eivor (Thermal) Nail Polish

This post is essentially nail porn as it has been a long time since I have discovered a new nail polish brand and a new nail polish store to shop from that is based in Canada! Indie polishes have come a long way from when I first started this little blog and though I pulled away from indie polishes once I started moving more into skincare, my love for them has been recently renewed while going through my stash. After reading a haul post on Renee's blog featuring some products from Ottawa-based NailStuff, I went to the website to peruse specifically thermal polishes. Lo and behold, there were A LOT with one brand in particular making some polishes with dramatic colour changes - Cadillacquer!

Purchased by me

MAKEUP | New Mary Kay Summer 2021 Collection

This is the first summer specific beauty collection I have featured here and it feels kind of nice! As I write this, it is a GORGEOUS and sunny day in Vancouver with the temperatures sitting at a comfortable 26 degrees complete with light breeze. Nothing like being in a heat dome AT ALL! My reward for finishing this post will be to sit on the patio with my new book "Midnight Library" in my sundress, hat and sunscreen (of course!), but for now let's dive into some new summer products from Mary Kay!

PR samples

NAILS | Waves of Blue #CBBxManiMonday

I have had the song "Waves of Blue" by Canadian artists Majid Jordan on repeat for the last week and when I was rounding summer coloured polishes to feature, seeing this trio of shades together made me think of the song I played for 30 minutes straight the other day in the car! I have been having the most chill two days off, reading my book and most importantly, enjoying the summer sunshine. My husband and I made turkey enchiladas last night and then went for an evening walk around the neighbourhood which we try to do a few times a week for some exercise. He goes for runs, but I am not the best when it comes to working out. I know what it takes to commit to exercising and I readily admit that I am not willing to put in the commitment even though I know it will improve my life substantially. Thankfully I eat well, but the exercise factor is definitely the one thing I KNOW I need to do, but don't feel motivated enough to do. Judge me all you want, I know I am a flawed individual!

Some polishes are PR samples

SHEET MASK | MasqueBar Massage Point Moisturizing Sheet Mask

I love a good face massage, but in a sheet mask? The Masque Bar Massage Point Sheet Mask contains perfectly round little nubbins on the sheet mask itself to stimulate circulation and pressure points on the face. Crazy, right? It also contains moisturizing hyaluronic acid, tea tree oil and willowbark extract to refresh and tone the skin. I have always had good luck with Masque Bar and this type of sheet mask seemed unusual so let's find out how it did with my skin!

Press sample provided

LIFESTYLE | Recent Places of Joy

The format of this post is a little different as this is almost like a photo dump of photos that I had taken for Instagram Stories of things I have been enjoying over the last couple of months. While beauty blogging is still a massive part of my life, makeup is still very secondary, even tertiary to other "hobbies" I have discovered. I think once I get my second dose and we don't need to wear masks at work anymore (still mandatory for my work and that is fine by me), my love for full face makeup will come back, but I doubt it will be at the same level as it was pre-pandemic. While I am still setting aside my dollars as much as I can, I am allowing myself some fun purchases that have brought me much joy and have found ways to make my day job kind of exciting!

NAILS | Nerd Lacquer Pinin' for the Fjords Swatch

What I love about Instagram is for is that it is a great place to share nail swatches as sometimes writing a whole blog post about a single colour seems a bit overkill. When I initially started in the blogging world, nails were the only thing I talked about and as there was no Instagram, this was my only place to share a pretty polish I happened to be wearing. Sometimes though, it does feel nice to chat a little bit and that's when it is nice to bring back the single colour nail polish swatch posts with the bonus of a life update!

Purchased by me in 2012! 

BODY | Avon Anew Vitamin C Collection

We are so used to seeing and using vitamin C products for the face, but I don't think I've ever really looked at vitamin C products for the body so when Avon released a collection of vitamin C products promising radiance for the rest of my body I thought it was perfect as who does not want to be as radiant as an orange this summer!

Press samples

NAILS | Neon Geodes #CBBxManiMonday

Well, I survived my first week back at work after a vacation and truth be told, it was actually very quiet so I didn't feel like I was drowning the first few days. I managed to get all caught up and even get ahead a bit for this week over the weekend so I am in good shape! I have really been enjoying this summer, trying to read outside on my days off and go for walks. Even doing laundry and letting it air dry outside in the sun feels like summer to me and I love it. Doing bright summer manicures also makes me feel so happy so I will do my best to keep you all entertained with pretty nails and positive vibes!

Some PR samples featured

SHEET MASK | Dr. Belmeur Mild Derma Sheet Mask Collection

Over here at Cosmetic Proof HQ, we really like Dr. Belmeur sheet masks! Found at The Face Shop, the Dr. Belmeur masks are generally a little bit more expensive than "The Solutions" masks, but they are very much worth the extra dollars. I picked up a couple of masks a few years ago at The Face Shop location in Metrotown and finally gave them all a shot over the last few weeks and honestly, even though they all had different skin purposes, the results on my skin were fairly similar so I won't be delving into too much detail for each as it starts to get a bit repetitive!

Purchased by me

MAKEUP | Natasha Denona Mini Retro Eyeshadow Palette with Makeup Look

While I was on vacation last week, I started "shopping" my beauty room as I tend to do when I have the luxury of time as well as the brainpower to think creatively. I'm always amazed at ideas and motivation for posts and content when I've had even just two days off in a row. Most days I come home from work and do my best to clean up after myself and try not to feel like too much of a slug. After playing around with some blue eyeshadows a few weeks ago, I wanted to get my hands dirty again with eye makeup and dug out my UNTOUCHED Natasha Denona Mini Retro Eyeshadow Palette that I picked up back in May. This was a fairly adventurous palette for me to pick up as I initially did not know how to use the shades cohesively, but after browsing a few makeup looks on the ND Instagram as well as Youtube videos, I felt a bit more confident about applying the shades to my face!

Purchased by me

NAILS | It's Easy Being Neon Green #CBBxManiMonday

This month's #CBBxManiMonday theme is "neons, brights and whatever else you can think of that reminds you of summer". Even though the days of a two month summer vacations are far behind me, I still have a more laidback attitude when the sun is out and the temperature is warm enough to live in little rompers and shorts. While I have never believed that nail polish colours have specific seasons of wear, there is something satisfying about wearing a good neon shade in the throes of summer!

Cirque Colors nail polish is a press sample

HAIR | Marc Anthony Dream Big Volume Collection

I constantly struggle with flat looking roots and the only time I get volume that stays is when I get my hair done at the salon. I watch my stylist work the round brush like nobody's business, but let's face it, it's next to impossible to replicate what they have done. My arms get tired from carrying the weight of a hairdryer and I can never get the back of my head to look as good as the sides because it's just not the same as someone physically being back there and having the right angle and force to pull hair into obedience! Even though I know that blow-drying with a round brush at the roots is best, I have never been consistent about doing it so I look to shampoos and magical hair potions to help me fake it and I have to say that the Marc Anthony Dream Big Volume Collection may have come to the rescue! Initially there were some products in here that I didn't believe would work, but then *VOILA* I had volume!

Press samples

NAILS | In Honour of Indigenous People #CBBxManiMonday

This week's #CBBxManiMonday is a bit delayed on account of the extreme heatwave the Pacific Northwest is having and is an emotionally heavy set of nails. As this is our last week of "Allyship" themed nails, I wanted to pay my respects to the children lost in Canada's residential school system. With the recent discovery last week announced by the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan of 751 unmarked graves at the former Marieval Indian Residential School, this year's Canada Day should be one of listening and acknowledgement of Canada's far from perfect past AND its continuous mistreatment of Indigenous people. Canada Day also happens to be my birthday so I will still be celebrating that, but there will be no Canada Day nails or anything like that happening in this space. This year is especially heavy and we should all feel ok with that.

 

Some polishes provided by PR

SHEET MASK | Banobagi Vita Cocktail Foil Brightening Mask

Vancouver is in the middle of a heatwave and I have honestly never encountered temperatures like these in my life here. I mean, we are hitting 40 degrees now and because these temperatures aren't the norm, very few homes have air-conditioning so all I can say is that it has been very uncomfortable the last few days and will continue to be for today and tomorrow. Our place, while normally quite cool as we are shaded by a large tree and face away from the sun, has felt like my own personal oven with no air movement. I feel most badly for our kitties who have been "pancaking it" all over the apartment. We've been changing their water a lot and trying to keep things cool for them. Today's mask is not one I would recommend for hot days like these because the Banobagi Foil Mask will heat up the skin as the foil acts like a little incubator that keeps in moisture in addition to heat.

Purchased by me through my FaceTory subscription

SKINCARE | 5 Chemical Sunscreens

Just when I think I have found THE sunscreens that I plan on using for life, summer brings out a whole new slew of sexy looking sunscreens that I cannot wait to slather all over my face! There were so many new ones I was using this year that I decided to break this round up into two posts - chemical and physical sunscreens. I use chemical sunscreens more often because of the nicer texture and I figured that many of you did as well for the same reasons hence starting the Summer season off with these five chemical lovelies!

Some PR samples marked with *

NAILS | Rainbow Blobs #CBBxManiMonday

For whatever reason, I had my nails done early Sunday night, but just felt like I didn't have anything I wanted to say about them other than "I blobbed". It was a hot night and I was pretty much ready to go to bed after these bad boys dried because they took FOREVER to do so! Well, we are now officially in summer and 2021 definitely looks more promising than 2020 in terms of travel and seeing people. I think I am one of those people who is incredibly anxious about socializing again as I have loved embracing my true introvertedness. Social outings while fun once I'm at them, are often sources of great mental stress for me which is why I often hate going to multiple events in one day or even just having multiple "relaxing" appointments in one day. You will never catch me doing a pedicure AND massage in one day and those are supposed to be chill activities! I always split things up and even when I think about press events, the past year has taught me that I can live without them. I understand their importance, but I have loved languishing in me time this last year and going at my own pace when it comes to blogging and my personal life. 

PR samples

SHEET MASK | Steambase Manuka Honey Propolis Perfect Shield Mask

Just when I think I have caught up with the world of sheet masks, I realize that in the world of Kbeauty, I will NEVER catch up. I don't know how people manage to keep up with the sheet masks that are out there because I have been trying to make room in my office for two years now! I went a bit crazy buying every brand and mask under the sun and I am seeing the error of my ways in terms of lack of moderation. The pandemic changed a lot of things for me and even though I still buy the occasional sheet mask(s), I am nowhere near the level of acquisition I was at before and I am grateful. I did allow myself a large YesStyle purchase back in November of last year as I had my eye on a few Kbeauty products including a new-to-me brand called Steambase. I was immediately attracted to their hexagon logo and minimalistic packaging. Their brand promotes skin balance and health using thermal spring water and botanical ingredients.  

Purchased by me

HAIR | 5 Heat Protectants I Use Everytime I Style My Hair

I never thought about how much I use heat protectant until I looked around and saw just how many bottles of the stuff I had and just how empty most of them alllmost were (I'm terrible at sticking to one)! If you have coloured hair, you will understand just how important using a heat protectant can be as it keeps colour in your hair for longer, but in general protects hair from damage from heat styling tools and UV light. A lot of protectants also hydrate, add shine and help to improve hair texture so even if you don't have coloured hair, this isn't a bad product to add to your haircare routine! 

Kerastase and Rene Furterer products are PR. Rest purchased by me.

NAILS | Heart Berry for Indigenous History Month #CBBxManiMonday

Continuing on with this month's theme of "Allyship", today's nails are inspired by this Instagram post by Indigenous beauty brand Cheekbone Beauty in honour of the strawberry or as the Anishinaabe First Nations call it, the "heart berry". I loved this photo and the colour scheme creating the dotted heart and thought it would be pretty as a set of puzzle nails! Also if you haven't shopped with Cheekbone Beauty before, they are FANTASTIC! They aren't one of those brands that say all the "clean or green beauty" marketing and don't follow through. They said last year they would endeavour to create sustainable beauty products and they have! From their newest packaging for their SUSTAIN Lipglosses to the wood their eye pencils are made from, they are a brand that has stuck to their guns and made a point of staying away from words like "clean" or "non-toxic". They stick to science and research and on top of it all, donate 10% of their profits to Shannen's Dream. A charity that I now support because Cheekbone Beauty introduced me to this touching cause.   

Some PR samples

SHEET MASK | Design Face Pack Star Wars Collection

I've always been a bit of a nerd when it comes to Star Wars and growing up, I had no female friends who liked anything that involved Superheroes, robots or space. It wasn't until university and actually beauty blogging that I found other women who loved beauty, skincare and Star Wars so you can imagine my elation when I found out there were sheet masks out there with superheroes and Star Wars on them! 

Purchased by a friend in Japan

MAKEUP | Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Shadows with Swatches

I have always liked eyeshadows in stick form because my God are they ever convenient when it comes to covering an eyelid and then quickly lining my lower lash line! In the mornings when I cannot be bothered to think of what sort of colour scheme will go on my eyelids, I know that an eyeshadow stick won't let me down. When it came to colour selection and staying power, I first used the Urban Decay 24/7 chubby eyeshadow sticks and then when those got discontinued, I became obsessed with MAKE UP FOR EVER's Aqua Shadows which were essentially the same thing. Then my favourite shade 20E got discontinued (it was this metallic champagne) and replaced with something close in the Aqua Matic collection, but still wasn't the same. The closest I have come to is the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Shadow in the shade Moonlight which brings us to the beginning of my Caviar Stick relationship and how one stick became four!

Purchased by me

NAILS | Rainbow Leopard Pride Nail Art #CBBxManiMonday

This month's editions of #CBBxManiMonday will have some extra special meaning as our theme for the month of June will be "Allyship" in honour of Pride and Indigenous History month. I have talked a little bit about my goals in last week's Instagram stories including finishing my Indigenous Canada course, reading more about residential schools and researching local charities who support both LGBTQ+ and Indigenous causes. This is not just a one month thing. This is a way of life that I opened myself up to last year and I can honestly say that when it comes to consumption and beauty, I am much more mindful of where my money goes and making the time to learn about uncomfortable topics that I feel I will never know enough about which is a good thing because it keeps me wanting to know more. 

PR samples featured

SHEET MASK | MasqueBAR Naturals Collection with Mask Selfies

I try my best not to waste water, food and create too much garbage that is going to sit in a landfill somewhere, but unfortunately liking the world of beauty makes that kind of lifestyle somewhat challenging. So much of the packaging is plastic, resin or materials that are un-recyclable so I do feel a sense of guilt having such a hobby. My love for sheet masks further amplifies this so I am really happy to see a few brands coming out with sheet masks that are biodegradable. Now, what's even better than biodegradable sheet masks? The Masque Bar Naturals Collection has been relaunched with both biodegradable sheet masks AND packaging! 

PR samples

MAKEUP | Mary Kay Limited Edition Lip Kits

Last month I posted in this space 17x which is actually the most that I have blogged since last September when I was on vacation! While I know blogging is seen as a bit old school now compared to the micro-blogging world of Instagram, I was just having a conversation with my husband where as this will always be a space I enjoy coming to. Moreso than Instagram or other social media because I feel like I have contributed something concrete that can be referenced and Googled. There have been times where I KNOW I have done a mini review on Instagram of a product, but I can't quite remember when I did it and having to scroll through my feed for what feels like an eternity is one of my biggest pet peeves! Having said all that, makeup used to excite me and be a big part of my life and as our world slowly inches back to some level of "masklessness", I can feel my excitement for makeup growing although a few colleagues of mine, whom I work with daily, refuse to get vaccinated because they think the vaccine is harmful so it's very possible that in my work place, I will have to stay masked. For now, I will play with pretty lipsticks and do full makeup looks only on days off!

PR samples

NAILS | Inspired by MaskerAide Packaging #CBBxManiMonday

This one is going to be short as I stayed up WAY too late painting these on Sunday and could barely crack open my eyes the next morning. I honestly don't know how I made it through the day as a functional person, but I owe a little bit of my alertness to our building keeping the AC at frigid today. Really kept those senses alert! Anyway, when I was looking for inspiration for my last set of flower nails, I was looking at some of the new beauty products that had arrived and my suddenly my eyes narrowed in on the packaging for the new MaskerAide Rosy Dreams Sleeping Mask! How perfect were these colours?!

 

Some PR samples

SHEET MASK | Vichy Mineral 89 Fortifying Recovery Mask

Vichy's Mineral 89 has been one of my favourite products for the last two years and at first I didn't understand the hype or how it could fit into my skincare routine, but after going through a bottle and seeing how easy it was to fit into a routine solely as a serum or a booster, I knew Mineral 89 and I were meant to be friends forever. I will start today's Sheet Mask Sunday post by saying that I should have gotten this Mineral 89 Fortifying Recovery Mask when I first saw it and just given in to my sheet mask desires because it was a limited edition product. This mask combined two skincare loves and performed just like I hoped it would!

Press samples

MAKEUP | Sephora Collection Best Skin Ever Liquid Foundation with Before and After Shots!

In an effort to feature more makeup products here, I give you a foundation review! I think once more people are vaccinated and we can all think about going into a physical workplace unmasked the makeup reviews will follow, but for now skincare will be the main component here. I almost declined testing out Sephora's newest Best Skin Ever Liquid Foundation because of my lack of foundation-wearing, but I love Sephora Collection products and have rarely been disappointed by anything they come out with. I also figured that at some point in the next two years, I WILL be wearing foundation again (I miss it!) and haven't tested out a new one since last year so it was indeed time to try something new! 

 

PR samples

SKINCARE | New MaskerAide Rosy Dreams Hydrating Sleeping Mask

If you have been following me for awhile, you will know that I am a very big MaskerAide fan! I first fell in love with this Toronto-based company about 10 years ago after trying out their All Nighter Sheet Mask so I always look forward to whenever they have new products. Last month, MaskerAide released their brand new Rosy Dreams Hydrating Sleeping Mask and all I could say was "Yes, please!"

PR samples

NAILS | Cartoon Flowers #CBBxManiMonday

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend (for those of you who have Victoria Day off)! I have to work today, but thankfully it is a short day that shouldn't be crazy. It will give me some time to catch up on a few things at work and play with new jewelry which is always fun! I was actually quite excited to share this week's #CBBxManiMonday as it had been brewing in my head for a little while and it came out EXACTLY as I had imagined! 

Press samples

SHEET MASK | Glamglow Thirstysheet SOS Intensive Hydrating Cream Sheet Mask

I am back with another sexy sheet mask from Glamglow as I have actually quite liked the other sheet masks I have tried from them in the past like the Glowlace and Coolsheet masks. I will admit that years ago, I did not bother with Glamglow because it seemed too "trendy" and though I don't love everything, I have navigated my way through their products and paid attention to ingredients and formulas of their that seemed interesting with some good results. While I don't think I would invest in a full skincare routine, I think they make some great exfoliators and sheet masks! The latest ThirstySheet Mask is an intensely hydrating cream mask that specifically addresses pesky dry patches and plumps and nourishes skin for up to 24 hours. I was suffering from odd dry patches around my chin where my face mask rubs so I picked this up as a self-care treatment and I am glad I did!

Purchased by me

HAIR | L'Oreal 8-second Wonder Water Lamellar Rinse-out Treatment

I am generally not overly surprised by beauty things even if they claim to be "the latest innovation" in x, y or z and especially when a product is called "8 Second Wonder Water". When L'Oreal came out with a hair treatment that claimed a practically instant transformation that targeted damaged areas of hair, I assumed it was going to be just another hair mask or serum. Boy, was I ever wrong! The next question was WHY this treatment was so life-changing which led me down a crazy rabbit hole of lamellar water technology!

Press sample 

SKINCARE | A Night in with Teaology - Tea Infused Skincare!

I think we have all become self care skincare experts this past year whether you have been working from home or "out in the world" and one brand that I have shared a little bit about on Instagram, but have been dying to write about on the blog is Teaology. Founded by Cecilia and Paolo Garofano in Italy, it was actually because of a trip to Canada where Cecilia experienced tea houses and tea ceremonies that Teaology was born. What makes this brand truly unique? Through a patented cosmetic process, all of the water content in Teaology's products has been replaced with a 100% tea infusion of Camellia sinensis! How cool is that?!

PR samples

NAILS | Glequin Flowers #CBBxManiMonday

Alas, I have come to my final day of vacation and I am a little sad because I have enjoyed having the time to be creative in this blogging space as well as finally having the opportunity to finish my Lego Nintendo System (coolest thing EVER!) in the sunlight of the afternoon. The weather has been wonderful this past week and though I did have a few work things to check in on, it was nothing too crazy so while I am always a bit anxious that first day back at work, I don't see it being too stressful.

 

Purchased by me

SHEET MASK | 7th Heaven Superfood Sheet Masks in Avocado, Turmeric and Rice Protein

My love of sheet masks does not come with some guilt and that is because there is a ton of individual packaging that comes with a single use product so while I am not the ultimate recycler, I try really hard to compost, recycle and use reusable materials wherever I can. The beauty world is a tough one to be sustainable in and in many ways I have just accepted that my hobby and interest in this area is kind of a wasteful one. There is always going to be a lot of "stuff" in my life so it does feel good to use a product that is more kind to the environment like a biodegradable sheet mask! The 7th Heaven Superfood 24 Hour Hydration Sheet Masks are made of biodegradable bamboo with a vegan and cruelty-free formula and come in five delicious sounding flavours! I have three to share with you today so let's see how they did!

PR samples 

HAIR | Shiny Hair with these Radiance Enhancing Products from Raincry

In addition to the eyes, the other part of me that I care more about now that half of my face is covered up is my hair. It's actually how I identify clients now so if someone changes their hair, I actually have to double check that it's actually who I think it is! While I used to have days where I would put my hair in a ponytail for work, I have found that I get almost bored with how I look now if I "take away" my hair if that makes sense? If anything, I now enjoy wearing my hair "bigger" and with more volume and have even been contemplating changing the colour completely just to have some fun! I almost feel a sense of disconnect with my appearance when half of my face is covered up so I am trying to have fun with what I have left! I have been enjoying trying out new hair products on a monthly basis and recently have been enamoured once again with some very nice products from Raincry that have made me not want to use anything else!

 

PR samples

MAKEUP | VDL Expert Color Primer for Eyes with Swatches and Wear Test

As evidenced by my lack of makeup posts this past year, it is obvious I am not wearing much makeup these days. I actually think I made more of an effort to wear a full face of makeup when I was stuck inside during Quarantine because it made me feel more productive, but now that I am back to the grind of things I have become a mostly lazy girl with my routine on work days wearing various shades of neutral brown shadows. One thing that I always need to use though is an eye primer since the eyes are now the ONLY window into the soul and I need to make sure my eye makeup doesn't look like the "morning after" when it has only been four hours! Queue the primer specialists - Korean beauty brand VDL!

PR samples

NAILS | Disco Flowers #CBBxManiMonday

I have been on vacation from almost 2 days and I am desperately trying to stop thinking about work, but unfortunately even though I had my vacation time planned for weeks, there were still some loose ends that I couldn't tie up before I left so I have been sneaking in a quick peek at emails here and there since clients are involved. I am one of those people who generally does not check voicemails or emails when I am off work as it makes me a happier person and I think it's good for clients and colleagues to give you personal time off. I rarely give my cell phone number out to clients and the few who have it are always told if I am off and they are super respectful about waiting until I am back in the store to communicate. I know this is not commonly the case in commission-based environments as failure to respond means losing a sale and push come to shove, if that's what it will be for me then I will make the time. I have met with clients on my days off maybe a handful of times in 5 years and that was ONLY for clients who live out of town. Are you good at putting up your work/home boundaries? I'm guessing for those of you who work from home, it's incredibly difficult!

 

Some PR samples 

SHEET MASK | Lapcos Skin First Oil Wrap Mask in Chamomile

I am so naive in thinking that products will be around forever! Despite slowing down my sheet mask purchasing at the beginning of 2020 and sheet masking daily, I still have quite a number to try out and sometimes, I am late in discovering a REALLY good mask. The Lapcos Skin First Oil Wrap Mask was all the rage in 2018 and I kept saying I would try it and now it's 2021 and has been either discontinued or removed from existence as I am having a hard time repurchasing it!

Purchased by me via Facetory subscription

NAILS | Earthy Florals (A Slightly Belated #CBBxManiMonday)

I am trying to figure out if I don't want to blog because I am tired from work or just feeling uninspired. I have often said that this was my safe space to be creative and feel balanced, but lately my ManiMondays have been late and the thought of taking photos and wearing makeup for posts has made me want to take a nap. Granted, I also haven't taken any real vacation days since January so maybe I'm just due for a recharge because in the shower, I have all of these ideas for posts and then when it comes to execute, I feel like a slug. My biggest thing is that I miss having more makeup posts here and though I didn't do a lot of makeup reviews pre-pandemic, I rarely do them now because I just don't wear as much makeup anymore. I wore more makeup when I had my time off because at least I could see it, but at work with a face mask, I don't even get to enjoy it in the mirror! Then again, I can't deny that I am saving so much money. Who knew that lipsticks and foundation were such a big part of my monthly spend?!

Press samples 

SKINCARE | Okoko Cosmetiques - My Latest Brand Love and It's Made Right Here in Vancouver!

This post is sponsored in partnership with Okoko Cosmetiques.

This post has been a long time in the making as I have been eyeing Okoko Cosmetiques since 2019 and telling myself that before buying something from this luxury skincare brand, I need to use up more of what I have already because I will not be able to just let these products sit on my shelf! I would not be able to wait to use them! I finally took the plunge and placed my first order in June 2020 and I cannot be more pleased with the products and my experience with them. My collection has grown since last year and I vow that eventually I will own everything Okoko makes! 

Two products are PR samples and are labeled with *

SHEET MASK | Happy Vegan Madecassoside Relaxing Vegan Mask

In recent years, the Korean beauty market has started to encompass many of the qualities deemed as desirable in the Western beauty world like having products "EWG-certified", "clean" and in the case of today's sheet mask "vegan". Have the quotes already indicated to you that these are terms I do not find value in? Vegan is probably the only one that I can somewhat understand, but I hate the term "clean" and let's face it the EWG is political and fosters fear-mongering so while I still enjoy and use products that use this type of terminology in their marketing, I never name them as benefits when reviewing. 

Purchased by me

NAILS | Colour Blocked Daisies #CBBxManiMonday

I really did have these nails done for #CBBxManiMonday, but I haven't been feeling too motivated to be on the blog or social media these last few days as my day job has taken precedence this week. I have been devoting my time to clients which at the end of the day has left me with little energy to be anything other than a slug on the couch. I have even gone to bed before midnight which is unheard of for me as a night owl! I also was not feeling very good on Tuesday night and during the day on Wednesday so I figured I would lie low and get back on here when I felt more up to it. I have a day off today so I am slowly doing some of the blog-related things that have been put on hold this week starting with today's nail post!

PR samples used

SHEET MASK | Leaders in Solution Coconut Bio Mask with Blueberry

Today's #SheetMaskSunday review features a new brand to the blog - Leaders Insolution! This is a Korean skincare brand founded by dermatologists that was previously very hard for me to find as I could only find it at the one Anthropologie store West Vancouver. Last year, Leaders Insolution opened up their Canadian website which meant easy access to some of their best sheet masks and not having to worry about an exchange rate and international shipping as the masks ship from Canada! Hallelujah! In celebration of their launch in Canada last year, I was sent a few masks to try with this Coconut Bio Mask with Blueberry being the first one I wanted to share it intrigued me the most!

Press sample 

SKINCARE | 5 Lip Serums

Last year I really enjoyed doing this series of posts involving roundups of five products as I enjoy reading mini reviews from time to time and oftentimes for certain products I am rotating them and never sticking to the same thing especially when it comes to lip products. Some days my lips need extra nourishment and other days I need to prep them for lip colour (less often now). Regardless, I have been slowly amassing a collection of effective lip treatments that I enjoy using for specific purposes ranging from hydration to plumping.

Some press samples provided