NAILS | Hawaiian Flower Nail Art #MidWeekMani

Press samples

I don't normally do nail art twice in one week as I am usually too tired to do another set during the work week, but as I am on vacation next week, I wanted to squeeze in this set of Hawaiian flower nails that I saw over on the OPI Instagram page by @brushedbyb_ yesterday because they just screamed summer!

SHEET MASK | Patchology Serve Chilled Rose Sheet Mask

Purchased by me

It may seem like I have been purchasing lots of sheet masks, but I swear that since April 2020, I have re-evaluated my beauty needs and really have slowed down! Most of the masks you will be seeing probably for the next year are from my crazy 2018-2020 years where I apparently had no self-control. I would like to think I have turned a new leaf with trying to save for the future, but a handful of times over the last two years there have been a few sheet masks that made me reach for my wallet! One of them being the Patchology Serve Chilled Rose Sheet Masks because who can say no to a glass of rose!

SKINCARE | Battle of the 5 Cleansing Balms

Press samples marked with "*"

I am actually quite surprised that I haven't done a cleansing balm roundup before because I use them CONSTANTLY! As a staunch double cleanser, I generally use either a cleansing oil or balm as my first cleanse, but for about the last year and half, it has been cleansing balms! I started reviewing these five cleansing balms today last year and since then, I have so many more to add so it looks like this"battle" will be continued soon!

NAILS | Side Rainbow Nail Art #CBBxManiMonday

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Last week I had the pleasure of attending a virtual event with OPI for their new summer "Power of Hue" collection where we learned a couple of rainbow-themed manicures to do for Pride! I thought I would try this sideways rainbow as it looked super fast and easy to do and it was! 

SHEET MASK | Rose Heart Deep Moisturizing Pink Mask

Purchased by me

This was one of the first masks I received in my FaceTory subscription and it got me hooked on them! I loved the packaging for this Rose Heart sheet mask so much that I even used it in MULTIPLE flatlays. I mean, the blue, the hearts it was all pretty perfect! The other reason I was enamoured by this mask was the fact that it was a 2-stepper! 

SKINCARE | AXIS-Y Climate-Inspired Skincare

This is a sponsored post.

Korean skincare products have always been a major part of my skincare routine (hello, sheet masking every day!) as they tend to be very targeted and more progressive in their "skin tech" when it comes to ingredients. Korean skincare brand, AXIS-Y, is a "climate-inspired" vegan skincare line free of parabens, artificial fragrance, BHT, alcohol, SLS and mineral oil. The focus of their products is to combat environmental aggressors and skin stressors like pollution and UV damage. While they have a fairly extensive array of products, I have been using a couple of their bestsellers and I can DEFINITELY see why! 

SHEET MASK | Urban Dollkiss Urban City Azulene Aquaring Mask

Purchased by me 

Packaging win right here! I received this mask in either my FaceTory or Beauteque sheet mask boxes and was immediately pulled in by the Jackie O-inspired packaging! Urban Dollkiss has a number of interesting skincare products that are all packaged in very entertaining ways. For example, I have a bubble mask that is in a container that looks like a beer can! 

MAKEUP | Cheekbone Beauty SUSTAIN Eyeshadow Pencils

 

Purchased by me

June is Indigenous History Month with today, June 21st being National Indigenous Peoples Day so what better way to mark this day than with a review about the new(ish) Cheekbone Beauty SUSTAIN Eyeshadow Pencils! 

NAILS | Shannen's Dream #CBBxManiMonday

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For this week's Allyship-themed #CBBxManiMonday, I am paying tribute to Shannen Koostachin who was an Indigenous youth activist from Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario who at the age of 14, led a movement for "safe and comfy" schools and quality cuturally-based education for all First Nations children. I first heard of this incredible young woman because of Cheekbone Beauty as they donate to the organization Shannen's Dream. I also own the lipstick shade "Shannen" which is a stunning bright red! 

After Shannen herself had to endure learning in portables that had intermittent power and then finally shut down to a fuel leak that was already decades old, she realized the Canadian government needed to provide funding for Indigenous children everywhere which eventually led her to the steps of Parliament Hill in 2008. 

SHEET MASK | Abib Gummy Sheet Mask Heartleaf Sticker

Purchased by me

I first saw the brand Korean skincare brand Abib at Daiso, if you can believe it, and I didn't think anything of it. I thought the packaging was interesting and the ingredients looked decent, but then when I started researching the brand, I discovered that it was quite popular and known for its minimalist aesthetic (I think they only use the colours: black, various shades of green, white and grey) and more plant-based ingredient focus. 

NAILS | Cadillacquer Mascot Swatch #MidWeekMani

Purchased by me

I have been so tired this past week. Maybe it's the humidity and how uncomfortable it has been to sleep, but I can never get to sleep early even though I am tired and feel like I haven't slept a wink by the time the sun rises. I sleep with an eye mask, but it doesn't seem to be enough to block out every bit of light. At any rate, it has also been very busy at work with what feels like my body and mind being pulled in multiple directions, but such is life. I even stopped taking my CBD for a few days because it didn't seem to help much. I will be taking vacation in about 2 weeks for my birthday so I guess I have that to look forward to, but for now I will try to focus on getting some better sleep!

SHEET MASK | The Oozoo Power Capsule Recovery Mask

Purchased by me

The Oozoo is one of those cool and trendy sheet mask brands where the packaging is super sexy and you have cool things like "capsules to pop"! The last time I reviewed The Oozoo was back in 2017 with Oozoo Bear where I had to pop the serum in his "ear" with the concept behind these capsules being to infuse your sheet mask with the freshest version of serum/ampoule. Some masks have you roll up/down half of the mask until they pop like Oozoo Bear but The Oozoo capsule series has a 3D capsule in the shape of the theme of the mask which I find adorable! I have another mask review coming with a similar concept and the CUTEST packaging!

HAIR | Maison Jacynthe Ayurvedic Shampoo and Conditioner

 

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It has been a loooong time since I have featured this Quebec-based brand on the blog and I am so happy to do so again as the brand has come a LONG way since I first talked about Maison Jacynthe back in 2016/2017. At the time, Maison Jacynthe was one of the few luxury brands, especially Canadian brands, in the "green/clean" space. I think we have all reworked in our minds what green/clean means to us and now I love brands that use a blend of plants and science to create products with results! Maison Jacynthe has an amazing array of makeup, skincare, haircare and wellness products that are also vegan with no fillers and no artificial fragrance. 

NAILS | OPI Power of Hue Psychedelic Print for Pride

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Happy Monday! Hopefully I will have more variety in my content this week versus last week where it just boiled down to some nails and sheet masks! I ended feeling more drained from my day job than usual so the motivation to sit at a computer was very low. What did perk me up last week was the arrival of the new OPI Power of Hue Collection! 

SHEET MASK | A'Pieu Milk One Pack Sheet Masks (They Look Like Food!)

Purchased by me

Talk about cute packaging, right? These A'Pieu Milk One Pack sheet masks have been around for awhile at about 5 years at LEAST and it doesn't look like they are going anywhere! With their enticingly delicious packaging, quick results and affordability, sheet masks like these are what got me started on this journey oh so long ago!

SHEET MASK | Dr. Althea Herb Therapy Velvet Mask

Purchased by me

It took me a long time to finally use this mask because the packaging was so pretty and I was constantly using it in photos for flatlays! I received this quite awhile ago in my FaceTory subscription, but it was one that I was looking forward to using because Dr. Althea has some of the nicest fitting and feeling sheet masks. This had the word "velvet" in it, so obviously I wanted it on my skin!

NAILS | Heart Gardens #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

 

This month, the ladies and I decided to do the theme of "Allyship" again in honour of Pride and Indigenous History month. While a lot of the manicures I end up creating are not the easiest to discuss, I hope that the art I create resonates with someone as I often find the research and creation of these designs both educational and emotional. 

SHEET MASK | Dr. Jart Pore Remedy Purifying Mud Mask

Purchased by me 

I am all about the Dr. Jart love this week as here we are with another sheet mask from this iconic Korean brand! As we move into humid, sticky and warmer weather (we finally hit 20 degrees last week!), I find myself wanting to blot oil off myself every few hours or powder my T-zone. While I am not a huge fan of mud masks for their messiness and overall more drying results, when it comes to oil-control and dealing with more serious congestion, I will whip one out! 

LIFESTYLE | Five on Friday - Jun. 3rd - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Stranger Things, Wrapping up #SheetMask365, Top Gun and LEGO Fun at Work

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After being sorely disappointed with The Book of Boba Fett, I was really hoping that Obi-Wan Kenobi would be better and so far it is! I am a big Ewan McGregor fan and it is interesting to see how the world  sees Jedis after all the shit that went down in Episode 3! 

SHEET MASK | Dr. Jart Ceramidin Facial Barrier Mask

 

Press sample

Whenever I hear the phrase "strengthen the skin barrier", I always think of ceramides. I always visualize these deliciously plumpy pillows of fatty protection that undo whatever damage environmental aggressors have done to my skin. Ceramides also provide hydration and are always a treat when I see them in a product ingredient list!