SHEET MASK | Lassie'el Deeeep Focus Petit Patch Dark Spot Solution Mask

Purchased by me

Yet another FaceTory brand discovery was the Korean brand Lassie'el. The name comes from a combination of the words "lassie" and "elle" with the idea that a 'woman looks the most beautiful when she has a big smile on her face". Personally, I think the brand name is a bit strange and I never knew how to pronounce (or type for that matter) this brand name without looking up the spelling first every time! 

HAIR | Voir A Walk in the Sun Collection

 

Press samples

I am a little in love with Canadian haircare brand Voir and shortly after finally reviewing a number of products from their core collection, Voir released an extension to their Walk in the Sun line with a focus on damaged, sun-exposed and bleached hair that was gentle enough for everyday use while simultaneously hydrating and repairing the hair shaft. At the time of my first review, the only product in the Walk in the Sun line was the ultra fancy, delightfully scented Luxury Hair Oil so having more products that smell like this one was something I was overjoyed to try!

NAILS | OPI Nature Strong Cactus What You Preach Swatch #MidWeekMani

Press sample

I know that swatch posts aren't really posts, but sometimes Instagram isn't enough especially since I can't find my Instagram posts by Googling. There have been times when I KNOW I have posted a nail polish colour, but cannot find it on the blog. Then I realize that I must have posted it somewhere on Instagram and then I have to scroll and scroll until I find it. At least this way, I can just Google and I can find my swatch AND have a nice chat with you all! Plus, this shade of green is PERFECT for our 30 degree summer weather this week!

SHEET MASK | Murad Hydro-Glow Aqua Peel

Purchased by me

I picked these up from one Sephora's sales awhile back and thought it was so cool that Murad had a sheet mask with the peel swab like a lot Korean 2-step masks! It's a shame that these masks were discontinued because they were actually quite good!

NAILS | Matte Neon Waves #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

Who else is a little scared of this week's heatwave? I have been on the fence over getting an air conditioner and in the end, my husband and I decided we could live without one, but everytime I see those 30 degree temperatures, I freak out a little. I don't think I have ever been more unhappy than during last year's heat dome. I was also super concerned about the cats and did my best to offer them "cool solutions", but they were more than happy to sit in the dark like logs. I have never seen the cats so quiet! 

SHEET MASK | Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Sheet Mask

Purchased by me

Get ready because THIS is one iconic sheet mask! Korean skincare brand Klairs is quite well-known for their Midnight Blue Calming Cream and Youth Activating Drops. They also have a great vitamin C serum which was actually the first product I tried from them! The Midnight Blue Calming Sheet Mask is one I have been wanting to try for a very long time after seeing MANY reviews on this mask and now trying it, I understand why people think it's so cool!

SKINCARE | Bella Aura Rapid Repair Clarifying Elixir and Multi-Repair Rescue Masque

 

Press samples

What I love about beauty blogging is discovering and having access to new and oftentimes relatively unheard of brands. Sometimes, I even fall in love with them and back in 2015, Bella Aura was one of them! It was the year of "clean and natural beauty", but there were not many luxury brands in this space at the time. Bella Aura was Canadian and the ingredients and formulations were (and still are!) elegant with all of it coming in some gorgeously chic, black bottles. As a skincare lover, even if I love a brand, I often have so much product to go through that it's hard to justify buying more which is why I have not written about Bella Aura for awhile. While I have kept my eye on the brand, I haven't had a chance to try any of their newer products, not for lack of wanting to, but more to keep my consumerism to a "buy only if needed" level! We are showcasing two new-to-me products today that feature a VERY cool antibacterial ingredient - microsilver powder!

NAILS | Care Bear Nail Art #MidWeekMani

Some press samples

I feel like what is selling right now are reboots of ANYTHING from the 80s and 90s. Basically I am being sold my childhood when it comes to TV, LEGO and fashion and I am not hating it! It's like as I approach 40, my life is coming full circle. One of the things I have seen a resurgence of is TV shows like "Care Bears". Who remembers the Care Bear stare?! This was one of my favourite shows when I first came to Canada in 1988 and I have fond memories of plunking myself right in front of our TV and watching it all the time! 

SHEET MASK | Oozoo Bear Black Space Pore Caring Mask

Purchased by me 

The Oozoo is known for their "poppable" sheet masks and when I came across their Oozoo Bear series five years ago, I thought it was the cutest idea to have you pop the "ear" full of serum! There are a few different mask options and after having reviewed the Illuminating and Hydrating versions, this Pore Caring mask is the last Oozoo Bear I have in my collection and it's a good one!

MAKEUP | Mary Kay Silky Setting Powders

Press samples

I cannot stand feeling or looking even the least bit shiny when I get ready in the mornings and for the longest time, I thought that I would just have to live with it never thinking that setting powders could have helped me. Now, that I know how useful they are, I am quite particular about the ones I use and the word "silky" is most definitely on my checklist! 

NAILS | Neon Fruit #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

While I have always believed that when it comes to nail polish, you can wear ANY colour throughout the year, I have come to realize that neons are the exception. They just look so much better in the summer basking in sunshine! I will be making as much use of the new Biosculpture neon nail polish collection as possible from here until September because these shades just make me so happy whenever I look at them on my nails! 

SHEET MASK | Candy O' Lady Mystic Potion Candy Mask

Press sample

Starting in 2018, I started receiving press boxes from a recently closed company called Beauteque, which had a sheet mask and Korean beauty product subscription. They also had an online store that carried the brands they included in their subscription boxes where I have purchased a few hard-to-get sheet masks! Sadly, Beauteque ended up closing last year, but I was introduced to a number of sheet mask brands that I had never heard of and between my FaceTory subscription at the time, my avid consumerism and the 10-12 sheet masks I was receiving every month from Beauteque, I have a lot of masks to try and share with you! And to answer a question I get a lot, yes I most definitely still use masks that have expired as long as there is essence inside! I have never had an issue with a sheet mask smelling "off" and I think it is largely because sheet masks are so well-sealed that they have no oxygen getting in AND no light. The only issue I have had is the essence drying up which usually happens with masks that do not have a lot of excess serum to begin with.

MAKEUP | Caliray Freedreaming Skin Wellness Diffusing Tint with Before and After Photos

Purchased by me

Even though there are no longer mandatory mask mandates, all of us at work still wear them because it's just easier. We don't need to wear them if a client is NOT wearing one, but our policy then goes on to say that if the interaction is going to be fairly long, we then need wear a mask. In our business, most of the interactions we have are going to be at least 15 minutes of continuous conversation so at this point, we are all so used to wearing masks that it is just easier to wear one! I have said previously that though I haven't been wearing foundation at work, I have been wearing a lot of tinted sunscreens or moisturizers. I was on the prowl a few months ago for products that gave my skin a bit of a boost without feeling heavy and are quick to apply in the morning. This led me to the very attractive-looking Caliray Freedreaming Skin Wellness Diffusing Tint!

SHEET MASK | Pixi Beauty + Hello Kitty A for Apples Multi-Vitamin Infusion Sheet Mask

Purchased by me

No joke, but this the first Pixi product I have purchased! Pixi has always been incredibly generous with their press packages, but this was something that I do not believe was sent out and I had to have it! The Shoppers closest to me did not carry the sheet masks at all, but I happened to be at the Shoppers on Burrard Street in downtown Vancouver and they had all of the Pixi + Hello Kitty products so I controlled myself and ONLY picked up a box of the A for Apples sheet masks!   

BODY | Evereden Golden Body Serum

 

Product provided by Influenster

Oh my goodness will you look at that?! I have something from Influenster! The last time I received something was back in early 2020 and so I am always surprised when I qualify for any of these Voxboxes as I often don't have time to do the snaps and I am generally much older than their target audience and do not have children which often disqualifies me from a number of campaigns. You can imagine my surprise when I was informed via the Instagram app that I had an Evereden Golden Body Serum coming my way as this is a brand that I had seen on Sephora catering to pregnant women/women with kids/kids. I actually came across the brand when I was searching for "sheet mask" and the Evereden Belly Sheet Mask popped up! 

NAILS | Bright Blue Dotticure #CBBxManiMonday

 Press samples

Despite my being on vacation and having a fairly relaxed existence this last week, my brain was really hurting for inspiration for our summer nail art theme. Whenever that happens, I go back to techniques that I know always look cute and focus more on the colours I want to use which is what happened with today's manicure! I know dots and gradients will always be pretty and for anyone to do their own nail art, learning these two techniques will 100% of the time make it look like you had your nails done at the salon.

SHEET MASK | Knesko Skin Diamond Radiance Face Mask

Purchased by me

I think it will be a long time before I buy crazy expensive sheet masks again, but I picked this Knesko Skin Diamond Radiance Face Mask shortly before the pandemic at Holt Renfrew on one of my lunch breaks. While I don't think I would buy a $60 one use mask now, at the time, I figured it would be fun for the blog and give me a chance to show you whether this mask is all it's cracked up to be!

LIFESTYLE | Five on Friday - July 1st Festivities and Just More LEGO

I felt this week deserved a Five on Friday post as last week was my birthday so there were a lot of favourite things that I really enjoyed! Yes, they are mostly LEGO-related!

ONE

 

I worked right up until my birthday on July 1st and then decided to take a week of vacation so because I have been building LEGO Optimus Prime during my work lunch breaks, I wanted to finish him before I left so that my co-workers could play with him. I had some issues with transforming him and could not get him to become a truck on my last lunch break so I am hoping my boss had more success! 

SHEET MASK | Abib Mild Acidic pH Honey Fit Sheet Mask

Purchased by me

Abib is back on the blog today as this was the second mask I picked up from Daiso (this was the first Abib mask) and it is also another iconic mask for this brand! Not only did the clear packaging catch my eye, but also the idea of a mask that focused on pH levels was intriguing!

MAKEUP | Introduction to Canadian Brand Evalina Beauty!

Press samples provided

One of the very last in-person beauty events I attended was for the launch of Canadian brand Evalina Beauty back in November 2019. Founded by Samantha Legge, Evalina Beauty promises cruelty-free luxury beauty products that are designed to feel lightweight and bring out each person's natural beauty. I had planned a review for this brand a looooong time ago, but where has the last two years gone? I have no idea how it all went by so quickly, but here we are with the gorgeous rose gold and pink packaging of Evalina Beauty!

NAILS | Bright Blobs #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

I hope everyone had a good long weekend! I started July 1st off with birthday celebrations and the first day of vacation which was AMAZING! It was nice to finally do something outside on my actual birthday after having skipped it the last two years AND the weather was just perfect at 27 degrees with a cool breeze. Such a change from having to deal with last year's heat dome! 

SHEET MASK | The Art Cell Aurora Pearl Mask Pack

Purchased by me

A lot of the sheet masks you will see reviewed this summer will have very pretty packaging because many of them came from my FaceTory subscription and I was resistant to using them purely due to the fact that they were so pleasing to the eye. Now, many of the masks are hitting close to expiring so I felt it was time to open them up and get them on my face!