SKINCARE | True and You Customizable Glacial Clay Mask (Made in Canada!)

Here we are at New Year's Eve 2021 and I am sure we are all wondering how we got here in one piece with the "super fun" year we have had. I mean, it was a better year than 2020 where we got to see some semblance of outdoor life, but what I found the hardest was what was happening globally and politically. I will reflect more on 2021 in my "Resolutions" post tomorrow, but for now I wanted to end the year on a Canadian brand that I have been enjoying - True and You which stands for "true" ingredients that are customized for "you"!

Press samples

NAILS | OPI Celebration Blues #CBBxManiMonday

For once Vancouver had a White Christmas this past weekend with snow falling on Friday night and continuing well into Christmas Day. While it looked very pretty, we have also been hit with an Arctic blast sending temperatures from the positive down to a low of -12 degrees Celsius today! The last time I remember encountering double digit negative temperatures I was in Montreal for Christmas! Suffice it to say, I have been very cold in the apartment as I struggle to keep warm with my many layers, tea and hot water bottle. The air has also been super dry so my friends have been Rhinaris and my spa steamer for when my nose needs extra moisture. Before anyone starts to say we Vancouverites are total pansies, keep in mind that the city isn't prepared for this kind of weather so my apartment has virtually no insulation on all the windows so I constantly feel a breeze even with all of the windows shut. The floor itself is cold even though I have cranked up my heat. I am wearing fur-lined slippers on top of wool socks on top of regular socks and my feet are still cold! I think I still prefer this cold to the heatwave as I can still putter around and do things without a headache or constant sweating. I also don't have to worry about my cats overheating as I'm sure they can handle the apartment being 16-17 degrees. They have a heating pad and many blankets so no worries. Hopefully no animals are stuck outside in this cold!

 

Press samples

SHEET MASK | Too Cool for School Egg Cream Mask

I used to want to try putting egg in my hair just to see if my hair would really look THAT much better, but I could never bring myself to waste an egg. Not when I could be baking with them or eating them hard-boiled with some truffle salt (OMG so good!). I now cook my eggs for about 7 minutes to get the gooey yolk I want and I love that in a pinch, they actually make a somewhat filling meal. Sometimes I have them for a quick breakfast or as an add-on in a vegetarian salad and ever since the Too Cool for School Egg Cream Mask, I have been enjoying eggs in my sheet masks as well!

Purchased by me

NAILS | OPI Celebration Glitter Gradient #CBBxManiMonday

I think it's pretty cool this year that Christmas falls on a Saturday because then Friday night really means something extra special and in my world of retail, it is the first Saturday I have had off since 2010! THAT is the last time Christmas fell on a Saturday! And, since our location is typically closed on Sundays that means that we are closed on Boxing Day too! All of us are just so psyched to have a simultaneous Christmas weekend off! It's one of the things I am most looking forward to and part of what is driving me to survive this week. Most clients have been super sweet, but there have been a few sour apples that just seem extra sour this holiday season. Hopefully karma gets them right where it hurts!

Press samples

SHEET MASK | Sephora Holographic and Blue Mask

My week has been so massively screwed up because I usually don't work on Sundays which sort of gives me time to prep #SheetMaskSunday and #ManiMonday posts, but because it is the holidays, I worked yesterday and came home utterly brain dead so the thought of sitting at a computer and typing vs. chilling on the couch with a Netflix Christmas movie (I think I have watched 5 in row!) seemed like an easy choice!

Purchased by me

BODY | Pixi Beauty Glycolic Body Wash, Peel and Lotion

I have always been a rather enthusiastic exfoliator and routinely go through body scrubs every 1-2 months. I have often wondered why there weren't any chemical exfoliating options for the body when there are so many for the face. I don't think it was until the last year or so that I started seeing more body-focused lotions and peels and when Pixi Beauty came out with this trio of glycolic body goodies this past summer, I couldn't help but shout "Hallelujah!" because THIS is exactly what I have been wanting in my shower routine! 

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NAILS | The Holly and The Ivy #CBBxManiMonday

It's that time in retail where I have officially lost track of the days and I am just living each day in the moment and not planning too much hence the tardiness of this week's #CBBxManiMonday. I think having last year's holiday season be relatively tame compared to regular Christmases has spoiled me and now I seem to have a much lower tolerance and feel drained more quickly by the end of the day. I am just constantly yawning in the car on the drive home so I keep my car colder to stay awake! Though I don't necessarily love the holidays, I do enjoy doing Christmas nail art! 

SHEET MASK | Saturday Skin Cotton Cloud Probiotic Power Mask

When probiotics in skincare first came out, it was an exciting time for me as I was really into yogurt and promoting good gut flora in my digestive system and there were some good studies that showed that probiotics in skincare were beneficial to the skin barrier. At the time, Saturday Skin's Cotton Cloud Probiotic Power mask was the only probiotic mask I knew of though even now I don't think this is something many brands do. 

Purchased by me

NAILS | Polar Bears and Snowflakes #CBBxManiMonday

Firstly, I think because of the number of things I have had to do over the last few days it feels like it's ManiThursday! I had some car issues this past Friday where my alternator and battery died while I was on a major bridge in the middle of morning rush hour traffic! It was very scary as all my lights on the dashboard just shut off and I could no longer accelerate! I managed to use basically pure gravity to coast to the first emergency pullover area and I was lucky that no one rear-ended me as my signal indicator wasn't working nor were my hazard lights. It was also pretty cold at -1 degrees Celsius and where I was stopped, there wasn't transit or an easily walkable place to catch a cab, but thank goodness for Uber and the willingness of the drivers to pick you up from anywhere! My car is still getting repaired and at $1000 for the repair, I am glad that most of my Christmas shopping is done!

Purchased by me

SHEET MASK | Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Biodegradable Sheet Masks

I have often expressed a certain level of guilt when it comes to using my beloved sheet masks as there is a lot of waste generated by their use so every time I see a biodegradable sheet mask, I do a little jump for joy! When it came to sheet masks at the drugstore, the Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb masks were among the first to grab my attention as they had a solid assortment of masks for various skin concerns, attractive packaging, reasonable pricing and masks that fit well. These masks have now been reformulated so that they can now be disposed of in your home compost as they are now certified biodegradable! LOVE IT!

Purchased by me

NAILS | Abstract Fall Blobbies #CBBxManiMonday

And just like that, we are into the Holidays! I have to say that this year, at least from what I have noticed at work with clients, people are getting into the holidays much more quickly! In the last couple of days I have had multiple men come in to get gifts compared to last year where nobody really started thinking about it until the middle of December. Suffice it to say, it has turned out to be a busy last week which I can't complain about! 

Press samples

SHEET MASK | The Creme Shop Hello Kitty Tea Time Sheet Mask

I was a bit of a hoarder when it came to these Hello Kitty sheet masks from The Creme Shop and now the time has come to use them as I have noticed the expiration dates are looming and more importantly, I have observed that The Creme Shop sheet masks seem to dry out more quickly than the other brands I have. Granted, they don't dry out before the expiration dates, but I've never been someone to take expiration dates on sheet masks very seriously as the masks always work and there is always plenty of essence to ensure the fibres remain hydrated. Having noticed this, I have been trying to prioritize these VERY kawaii masks as they have incredibly cute prints!

Purchased by me

SKINCARE | Teaology Serum Infusion Trio

I have been excited to write about these three Musketeers as I have truly been enjoying this new trio of Teaology serums that launched this past summer! While I share a lot of skincare I use on Instagram stories, I don't often sit down and do full blog reviews of each product mainly due to time, but as I have already finished one of the serums it was evident that these deserved to be in the spotlight! Teaology products are made in Italy and look to nature for their ingredients. What sets their products apart from others in the skincare game is that instead of water, a tea infusions are used! We all know that tea is good for the insides of our bodies, but for our outsides as well as tea contains tannins which are antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. Knowing that either a black, white or blue tea infusion is in each of Teaology's products is pretty cool!

 

Press samples

NAILS | "Red"-y for the Sour Patch Kids #CBBxManiMonday

Ah, I know I don't have real nail art for today, but I have been desperately trying to catch up with house chores which has zapped most of my after-work energy. I also have been going to bed at around 1am which is not good considering I need to be up at 7am though my husband measured by REM sleep with his fancy runner's watch and apparently I am very efficient with my sleep! He says that despite having only 6 hours of sleep, half of that is consistently REM sleep which he says he never gets! I attribute that to taking a more regular dose of CBD every night after my shower. Still, I always feel like death when my alarm goes off and then about three Snooze Buttons later, I finally decide to get up! Yes, I know I am one of those people who laze around in bed for awhile before finally getting up!

Press samples

SHEET MASK | For Beloved One Flawless Brightening Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Bio-Cellulose Mask

I did something today that I have not done in a very long time and that was to hang out at someone else's house and play board games and have brunch with friends! Everyone was fully vaccinated and there were only six of us so it wasn't like a huge shindig, but we have all also been fairly isolated with myself and one other person being the only ones NOT working from home. It was great to see friends again even if just for a few hours and we played a game which stressed me out called "Cockroach Poker" as I am not good at bluffing especially with my husband! By the time we got home shortly before dinner, I kind of just wanted to socially decompress hence the lateness of this #SheetMaskSunday post!

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HAIR | JVN Undamage Collection and Instant Recovery Serum

It's heeeerre! I love the show Queer Eye and don't think I've made it through a single episode without crying so when I heard that hair and grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness was coming out with a namesake haircare line, I had a feeling that it was going to be special! Made with the natural silicone alternative hemisqualane, this ingredient is fast-absorbing and non-greasy and is an amazing hydrator with high spreadability thanks to its low molecular weight. This lightweight property also makes hemisqualane a great way to reduce frizz! 

 

Press samples

NAILS | Cadillacquer Cobalt #CBBxManiMonday

Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to do some real nail art this week, BUT I do have this insanely gorgeous nail polish from Cadillacquer's Fall/Halloween collection! I am back to feeling the constant need to catch up both at work and here at beauty central. I stayed back at work about 30 minutes just to catch up on emails and forced myself to leave when my eyes felt super blurry. I've realized that there is only so much "valuable" work you can do when you are tired. Mistakes get made and it takes longer to do things so I try to keep it very basic the few times I do stay late.  

Purchased by me

SHEET MASK | Papa Recipe Bombee Fruitables

As expected, I took a little bit of a hiatus as this past week has been very busy at work for me and I have been coming home feeling rather zombie-like so apologies if the content here is only nails and sheet masks! We also watched a couple of movies this week including Shang Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings and No Time to Die which were entertaining and ones that I had been wanting to see! My goal is to watch 100 movies this year and I am currently at 80 so I think with all the Christmas movies I want to watch next month, I will be able to achieve my goal! 

Purchased by me

NAILS | Hot Cross Buns #CBBxManiMonday

Who here enjoyed their extra hour of sleep yesterday? I did not as I woke up fairly early for some reason at 7:30am. I usually like to sleep in on my day off, but for some reason I naturally woke up and decided to read and have some hashbrowns while my Sleeping Beauty of a husband slept for another 4 hours! It is going to be a busy week for me as we are doing a weeklong client even at work so hopefully it means some good numbers for all of us, but it also is a lot of running around which can leave you pretty exhausted by the end of the day! 

Polishes are press samples

SHEET MASK | Reme + G 3 in 1 Aqua Peeling Kit

It is honestly just shameful how long I have been sitting on this review ( you can tell from my hair colour approximately when I used everything)! I have this box of sheet masks that I have used and would like to review and while I have made a bit of a dent in it over the last year with my slowing down on the sheet mask purchasing, I still have enough in the box for #SheetMaskSunday posts until next Spring! I don't know if people are still interested in sheet masks after they exploded in the North American market a few years ago, but posting sheet masks on Sundays gives me some sense of routine and if blogging is still a thing in a few decades, I will still be here posting about sheet masks just because I like doing these posts at the start of the week. Gives the blog a jumpstart for the week!

Purchased by me

NAILS | Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Neon in Chill Out and Weekly Chat

I feel like I have been kind of busy the last week or so and I think it's because I haven't really had a true weekend or in the retail world, two days off in a row. It's just the retail life and though my boss tries his best to give everyone grouped days off, as the holiday season approaches it gets harder and harder to do. Today, I pretty much spent the day with people so didn't really get a chance to be on my own and even lunch was more of a company lunch where I didn't have time to decompress and zen out with my LEGO. Though I did enjoy doing something a little different for the day, as an introvert, these types of interactions are extremely draining and by the time I got home, I didn't feel like talking anymore. My poor husband was so chatty and all I could do was slur a few syllables together and tell him I wasn't in the mood for conversation anymore. I just can't wait to go to bed and recharge over Sunday as I need to work on Saturday.

PR sample

MAKEUP | IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare

I really miss wearing foundation some days because in the last few years it was one of those makeup items that started getting really close to skincare for me. It was never about covering up my skin, but enhancing it and as months of mask-wearing went by, I got really lazy and now I rarely wear any foundation. That is, until about a month ago when I got tired of seeing my reflection in those moments of masklessness while eating, drinking or just needing some fresh air with redness around my nose and cheeks. Sometimes it's nice to see a flawless finish even if it's just for yourself and that's how I feel about makeup in general. Yes, I wear it to look presentable to others, but a larger percentage of why I wear it is how it makes me feel which is why if I'm feeling crap in the morning, I'll still throw on a full face of makeup, know that I look amazing and then cover it all up with a face mask!

Press sample

NAILS | Leafy Greens #CBBxManiMonday

I saw a post on Instagram today from a nail tech who posted that if any of her clients wanted leaf nail art, that they were fresh outta luck because she hates leaves! I feel I don't do enough leaves on my nails and though I feel like we are now closer to Christmas than Fall, I've only done one set of leaf nails so this will be my second and last! 

Polishes provided are press samples

SHEET MASK | Kyojin/Attack on Titan Design Face Packs

I didn't really mean to take a week long break from here, I was taking over some additional responsibilities at work last week that left me napping for an hour or two once I got home from work which meant that I had little energy for not much beyond reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (oh so good!) and some episodes of Seinfeld which I am so happy are now on Netflix! Jerry Seinfeld must be covered in so much money now that he's allowing the show to be streamed! 

It's Halloween today which means that #SheetMaskSunday should be a scary one and a scary one it is with these two sheet masks that have transformed me into the male and female Titans from the Japanese anime series "Attack on Titan". If you haven't watched this, this is one of the best-selling animes of all time and is about a world where humanity has to live within these massive walls in order to protect themselves from gigantic man-eating humanoid looking creatures known as kyojin or Titans. When I first watched the series a few years ago, I found the Titans disturbing to look at as they were grosteque-looking giants with the sinewy bits of muscle showing all with MASSIVE clown grins on their faces. It's the fact that they are always smiling which is super creepy.

NAILS | Squid Game Nail Art #CBBxManiMonday

While my husband played a game of Dungeons & Dragons this past Friday night, I decided that after a week long break, it was time to finish Squid Game! I had just watched the very tragic Episode 6 which teaches us not to get too attached to anyone and took a break so that I could be ready for more death and blood. I watched the remaining three episodes while enjoying some new Spicy Chicken Nuggets from McDonald's and felt unsatisfied with how the season wrapped up. I don't think I ever would have watched it if it weren't for the hype, but I'm glad I did as I can now form a fully informed opinion about the show. I feel like I have more questions than before and even though I have heard Season 2 will clear things up for us, I can't see myself investing in Squid Game again. I did find the overall series disturbingly honest and there are certain moments that I will never be able to purge from my brain and now all of the Squid Game memes are ones I can relate to! 

Some polishes PR samples

NAILS | Cirque Colors One Night Stand Swatch and Weekly Chat

I feel like not a lot has happened this week as it has felt fairly chill on the work and personal life front. I mentioned that I have been trying to watch more movies and read more which I have been plugging away at. Like the rest of the planet, I started watching Squid Game on Netflix and had to take a bit of a break after Episode 6. Honestly, I am only watching it because it's trending. This is not really my kind of series as I walk away from each episode feeling a little depressed and frankly stressed! I have been watching the episodes at work while I work on Lego and don't know if I want to pick it up again because I always feel like I am on the edge of my seat every episode! I am so close to finishing though and it would just be nice to check it off my to do list as I plan on doing Squid Game nails next week! 

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MAKEUP | Pixi On-the-Glow Blush with Swatches

It has been more than a year since I have featured any form of cheek product here and when I did some digging, the last time I reviewed a blush was back in April 2020 when I was at home on lockdown and off work! For the most part, I haven't really been wearing blush at all as it seems a shame to put it on in the morning only to have it rub off with my face mask that I need to wear starting from 9am to 6pm. Maybe I need to use a new setting spray and/or a sticky primer, but blush has certainly not been a priority in the last year. However, that doesn't mean I have stopped admiring the pretty blush products that get released and when I saw the cuteness of the new Pixi Beauty On-the-Glow Blushes, I couldn't resist getting some photos and swatches done!

Press samples

NAILS | Cadillacquer Redrum Thermal Polish with Scary Spiders #CBBxManiMonday

I promised I was going to take it easy yesterday and I think I achieved that! I woke up a little late (9:45am) after having gone to bed at around 1am the night before and took the morning reallllly slow. My TMJ has been acting up so I woke up with a bit of headache and the left side of my jaw felt a bit swollen so part of the reason for my just taking it easy for the day was just because I was feeling grumpy from the discomfort. I ended up watching Beetlejuice for the first time while I had lunch (remember when movies were only 1.5 hours long?) and quite enjoyed it which then led to a short walk in around the neighbourhood with my husband just to get the legs moving. It was raining, but at this time in Vancouver it's sort of a given that the weather will be like this.

Purchased by me

SHEET MASK | Holler and Glow Get Lit and Hangover SOS Masks

I am attempting to make life a little more interesting this month by wearing mostly printed masks in honour of Halloween! I have had to take a bit of a break from sheet masks the last week or so as I started getting some weird dry patches on my chin. My skin does not misbehave very often so when it does, I take my skincare back to basics and just use cleanser, toner and a very bland moisturizer. In this case, I stuck to a rosewater toner and Teaology Happy Balm until things cleared up which they finally did yesterday. This means, more printed masks as of tonight!

Gifted from a friend

NAILS | Picture Polish "Alice" Swatch and Weekly Catch Up

In my last weekly nail catch up post, I said "I'm going to be super busy next week so might not do one of these" and now one month later here I am! My days off never lined up with blogging and I always needed to do house things instead, but this week I had the gift of three days off IN A ROW just by chance so here we are with a whopping 4th blog post this week! 

Purchased by me

SKINCARE | Selfless by Hyram Mandelic Acid and Rice Bran Gentle Exfoliating Serum

What's this? Yet, ANOTHER beauty influencer with their own cosmetic line? While I understand why these partnerships are done, I honestly roll my eyes with each one of these influencer launches especially when it comes to skincare as a lot of the time, I don't truly believe that these people understand what they are promoting and historically speaking, tend to promote whichever brand gives the nicest brand trips, prettiest press packages or pays the most for sponsored content. When it came to Selfless by Hyram, I hesitated. I did watch Hyram quite a bit before his brand launch as he was fairly critical of supposed holy grail products and brands that all of the other influencers seemed to love. Overall, I do find him to be a fairly educated consumer who has not fallen victim to the "clean" or "green" movement and tends to avoid using those terms as well. The name of the brand made me cringe a little bit having the word "selfless" in there kind of seems to say the opposite like when someone says they themselves are generous. It just doesn't sit well. Nevertheless, because of the decent price point and the ingredients in Hyram's products, I decided to dip a toe in (I have been very good about not buying much skincare over the last two years) and purchase my favourite part of a skincare routine - a chemical exfoliant in the form of the Mandelic Acid and Rice Bran Gentle Exfoliating Serum.

Purchased by me

NAILS | Cadillacquer Halloween 2021 Crepuscule Thermal Nail Polish (With a Spooky Surprise!) #CBBxManiMonday

How is everyone feeling today? I have been moving at what feels like the pace of a sloth and trying to not feel guilty about taking it easy. We had Thanksgiving dinner just the two of us, but we still made quite a bit of food plus I decided we needed some dessert and baked a vanilla cake with homemade icing using one of the Jenny Can Cooks recipes and it turned out very yummy! I didn't have time to prepare my Halloween nails so I ended up painting AFTER dinner at midnight. Not ideal, but because I had today off as well, I figured I could afford to stay up and sleep in. I "slept in" until 9am because the guilt of not being all that productive yesterday jolted me awake. Also, as an adult, I find it very hard to sleep in past 9am. Even without an alarm, my body just wants to get up so I look forward to being 80 years old and puttering around at 6am!  

Purchased by me

SHEET MASK | Mad Beauty Disney with Minnie Mouse and Princess Jasmine

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! My work is actually closed on Sunday and Monday which is great since we all get a nice little weekend where we know that nothing is happening at the store and there isn't this sense of FOMO. I have been wanting to try Mad Beauty sheet masks as over the years they have come out with some very cute printed sheet masks with Disney themes. They are not easily available though and the only place online I have seen them is on Amazon.com, but then a few weeks ago, while visiting a friend in Coquitlam we them on a little beauty excursion to Wal-mart! They only had two so just for the sake of trying them, I had to grab 'em!

Purchased by me

SKINCARE | Lip Care with Three Ships Beauty

Last year, I made it a point to purchase skincare more wisely and purchase Canadian if I could. I made a list of brands I wanted to try and instead of buying everything at once I wanted to pace myself and use up what I had so that products wouldn't be sitting around unused (and unloved). One Toronto-based brand that caught my eye was thanks to an episode of Dragon's Den for Three Ships Beauty. Founded by two women, Laura and Connie sought to create 100% natural skincare that was results-driven, effective and at an affordable price point. Now, over the years the word "natural" has meant less and less to me, but "results" still perk my interest. Three Ships also has a fairly comprehensive glossary of the ingredients they use and why which I very much appreciate! Though today's review is just for their newest lip products, I did purchase a couple of cleansers and toners so I will review those later on!   

Press samples

NAILS | Coronavirus Halloween Nail Art #CBBxManiMonday

I love Halloween nail art, but after 10 years of doing nail art here, I'm starting to feel like I am just repeating the same things over and over again so I thought I would try something new this week and go with a new thing that has scared us all - COVID-19! Yes, you will still see some of the traditional Halloween things like pumpkins, monsters and blood, but hopefully inspiration will strike and I can find a new way to reinvent these timeless classics!

Some polishes are press samples and are indicated with a *

SHEET MASK | Steambase Black Sugar Intensive Recovery Mask

I didn't realize I had taken a week long absence from the blog until I realized it was Friday (my 10 year blogaversary) and I hadn't posted anything since CBBxManiMonday! I guess I am still recovering a little bit from the week before and I have just been wanting to take a bit more time for myself. Lately, I have taken on Diamond Painting as a new hobby! It's like paint-by-numbers, but with these little coloured studs or "diamonds" that are individually placed onto a sticky canvas. Kills your neck, back and eyes so make sure you do small sections and have plenty of light!

Purchased by me

NAILS | Autumn Owl Nail Art #CBBxManiMonday

Now, these are nails I actually give a *hoot* about! I said in my previous nail post that I have let the hand-drawn element of my nail art die a little bit just because I've been too tired for probably a year now to sit down for hours just to do one hand, but last night I wanted to draw again! One animal that I have seen for Fall that I have been too scared to attempt was the owl. Though my owls looked "a little high" as my husband said, I think they turned out alright considering! I tried to stick to solely nail polish instead of acrylic paint, but I feel that the owls would have turned out better had I used a more workable medium like acrylic paint. Either way, it was good to get my paintbrush dirty again with some drawing!

Press samples used

SHEET MASK | Neostrata Pure Hyaluronic Acid Biocellulose Mask

I took the last few days off as I had a bout of food poisoning that started early Wednesday morning last week followed by Inventory at work on Thursday/Friday and then ended with me having to come home from work early on Friday as the bathroom and I were just becoming too close of friends...I magically became better on Saturday morning as if nothing had happened so I think I just needed a bit of rest as classically food poisoning is 24 hours (two other people who were with me also got sick, but recovered much faster). Pre-pandemic Jayne would have continued to push to get blog posts and Instagram content out, but now I am much more okay with just coming and going in this space, though I still like to have at least 10 blog posts just for my own personal goal.

Press sample

NAILS | Fall Leaves #CBBxManiMonday

Hope everyone got out there to vote in Canada today! I was originally going to get this done with advanced voting last week, but I was too tired after work and then with Hugo's surgery happening on the 13th I was just too mentally preoccupied. I also didn't really know who to vote for...I usually have a pretty good idea of what platform I agree with, but I was waffling. Today I knew what to do so my husband and I walked to the polls and enjoyed some decent weather as the polling station that was assigned to us was like 20 blocks away!

Polish purchased by me. Water decals are press samples.

SHEET MASK | Vivlas Luxury Prestige, Premium Rose and Special Platinum Foil Masks

We've all hoarded a perfectly pristine lipstick or face product with beautiful embossing on it and I feel like that's what I did with these Vivlas Cosmetics foil masks that I picked up in 2018 from a little Kbeauty store on St. Catherine's. I understand that I have a slight problem when it comes hobbies and perhaps I have an addictive personality so back in 2018, when my love for sheet masks was at an all-time high I went CRAZY one afternoon at this place. They had a great selection and I probably dropped about $200 there just on sheet masks alone! Among my glorious haul were these masks from Vivlas, a brand I had not heard of at the time, and to this day have not seen much of. I actually don't think they do sheet masks anymore based on their Instagram page, but the packaging and fun looks of these masks was something I wanted to share with you all!

Purchased by me

NAILS | Quo Beauty XTreme FX in "Happy Go Lucky" and Weekly Catch Up

Not much has been happening this week as I took off the first three days to take care of my kitty Hugo and his dental surgery. I wanted to be there to drive him to the vet and pick him up that day as well as be around the next day should anything happen. Thankfully, our furry boo survived with flying colours or as the vet put it "had a very boring surgery just the way I like it"! Hugo had one tooth removed due to something called tooth resorption where the body starts to break down the tooth from within. Apparently it's pretty common and anywhere from 20%-60% of cats aged 5 and older will experience it. Luckily he only had the one tooth removed as sometimes they discover more issues once the cat is under anesthesia. I do try my best to brush both of my cats teeth almost every day, but I'm usually only able to get the top teeth and not the bottom which is where Hugo's bad tooth was. He was pretty grateful to be home and a bit loopy for a few hours. Watching him bump into things and walk with his back legs all wonky was funny to my husband, but a little sad for me to watch! Hugo ended up just chilling in his carrier until he felt better enough to emerge around midnight where he started to beg for food and ATE which was great! He's now pretty much back to normal! 

Purchased by me

MAKEUP | Avon x fmg Limited Edition Colors of Love Collection

This is not the first time I have said this, but I have had a really hard time wearing makeup when I don't have to. Maybe it's my new lazy makeup routine for work that has caused this or maybe it's my new outlook on blogging (Don't feel like it? Then, don't!), but I have found it more challenging to get mentally revved up for a full makeup look on days off. Last week, I suddenly felt like looking pretty around the house and just testing myself to see if I still knew how to blend in foundation and in doing so, I realized that the top half of my face is slightly more tanned than the bottom half that has been covered! I feel like I am on my way to something akin to a goggle tan! Despite this, I was still able to capture some of that golden sunkissed glow with the now not so new, fmg Colors of LOVE collection!

Press samples provided

NAILS | Bi-Colour Fall #CBBxManiMonday

I am a ball of nerves today as my kitty Hugo heads in for dental surgery. I know this type of thing is fairly routine, but I always feel so badly bringing my cats to the vet in general and then having him need to go under and deal with the post-op pain just makes me feel so sorry for him. He just needs one tooth extracted as I noticed last year that it was red and bleeding in the gum area, but he also needs a cleaning. He only just turned 7 so he's a young guy and will probably be fine, but still I can't help worrying! 

Bio Sculpture "Ornamented Arch" sent as press sample

SHEET MASK | Leaders in Solution Daily Wonders Masks

I am back with another Leaders in Solution #SheetMaskSunday this time with masks from their Daily Wonders collection! I don't really understand why this series of masks is called "Daily Wonders", but what caught my attention were the amusing, almost judgemental names of each of the masks! They are marketed as "mood masks" so whatever your skin is feeling, there is a mask for it which fits with my general skincare philosophy that parts of your routine can change based on your skin's temperament for the day. We're not always in happy moods every day and I believe the same is true for our skin so I like the idea of a sheet masks with the same basic formula with a few tweaks to match the mood.

Purchased by me

NAILS | Cirque Colors Game Over and Weekly Catch Up

Well, hello there! I think I will use these nail swatch posts as a guise to do more of a journal entry where I talk all about the "hot goss" in my life. Riiiight, as if there is much adventure going on in my life right now! I am still one of those people who isn't going out much though I did recently venture out to a friend's place to hang out for the day and she was the first person I had visited outside of my work bubble since the start of the pandemic! I'm not normally a social person so the pandemic has definitely fed into my natural desire to be alone and lemme tell ya, I have been eating it up! I have always found my day job socially quite draining so having all of my free time to decompress the last 18 months has truly felt so good. I still get tired, but I am nowhere near the level of mental exhaustion I used to be at. I also have a new outlook on blogging, Instagram and PR which has calmed me down when it comes to always posting, always blogging, always trying to get product and running around like a madwoman trying to do it all!  

Purchased by me

SKINCARE | Antipodes Baptise H20 Ultra Hydrating Water Gel and Culture Probiotic Night Recovery Water Cream

When it comes to my skincare routine, I am very much a serum girl. That is the step I focus on and generally spend the most money on as that is where ingredients are most concentrated. Without a serum in your routine, you will never get the targeted results you want especially when you get older. As a result, I constantly swap out my moisturizers depending on what sheet mask I have used that night or how my skin is feeling first thing in the morning. It is rare that I stick with the same day/night moisturizer unless I am reviewing something so when I opened up these jars of day and night moisturizer from Antipodes to try, I expected to just say "Oh, these are nice" and then move on to something else once I got bored or had something new land on my desk. What ended up happening was a true love affair where I would hungrily look at these two products and apply them slowly and methodically "American Psycho" style. The fact that I have not talked about a moisturizer on Cosmetic Proof for one year and have not given a dedicated review to a singular moisturizer in THREE years speaks volumes to just how much I have been enjoying both these creams!

Press samples provided

NAILS | Not Quite Ready to Say Hello to Fall Shades #CBBxManiMonday

I swear this was totally going to be a Fall-themed manicure, but I blame the discovery of this matte glitter! Why did Sephora stop making their own house brand of nail polish?! It was so good! First, there was Sephora by OPI which was so good and then came Formula X which I adored. Great shades, formulas and really funky matte glitter like this! 

One polish gifted and the other purchased by me

SHEET MASK | 23 Years Old Cocoon Gold Silky Mask

Going back to the beginnings of my sheet mask obsession, the 23 Years Old Cocoon Gold Silky Mask was one of the first brands AND masks to pop up as "must try" on my radar as at the time it was one of the few masks I had seen made of a super silky and thin material. Even just reading the name of the mask and the words "cocoon" and "silky" - you immediately want this on your face!

Purchased by me

NAILS | Cirque Colors Electric Daisy Swatch and Life Chat

As I write this, it is Sept.1st and I know I am not alone when I say that for some reason, this year's arrival of Sept.1st feels so much faster and more surreal than last year! Last year, we were still trying to adjust to life in a pandemic and with work, I was just trying to keep an open mind about an ever-changing environment. This year, we have vaccines, the introduction of vaccine passports, continued mask-wearing which means I have a a good idea of what life is going to be like until 2022. Maybe the summer seems to have gone by more quickly because it all started with a weeklong incredibly uncomfortable heatwave (without an A/C) and then only after that did I realize comfortable summer temperatures should be enjoyed to their fullest! 

Purchased by me

MAKEUP | Clarins Frozen Summer Makeup Collection

I have been sitting on this review for longer than I have wanted to solely because I wanted to get my face on and show you a full makeup look with everything, but let's face it. Summer is almost over and the days I have off are spent enjoying the sunshine, reading a book or puttering around the house so putting on a full face of makeup is something I don't want to do on my days off. What I can say is that I have been using almost everything in the Clarins Frozen Makeup Collection along with a few of their new skincare products from the My Clarins line and really enjoying them! I hadn't used Clarins in a long time and it felt nice to come home to a beauty brand staple. I know you want to see more photo spam as the packaging for this year's collection was just screaming "Happy Summer!" so let's get to it!

 

Press samples