NAILS | Dragonfruit Nails #CBBxManiMonday

 

Press samples

In addition to wearing super bright nail polish, the other theme I love about summer nails is that we all wanna put FRUIT on 'em! I think I have done some version of fruit each year, but awhile ago I saw some dragonfruit nails on N.Y.A Nails and thought "How CUTE?!" This was one fruit I have never attempted to paint and despite the fact that I am not a fan of ingesting dragonfruit (I mean it's ok, but I feel like I would rather sink my teeth into an orange), painting its insides was great fun!

SHEET MASK | Peripera Smoothie Time Pomegranate and Mango Sheet Masks

 

Press samples

While I was organizing my sheet masks last month, I realized I hadn't really gone through the sheet masks I had received from Beauteque. For a few years, I was a very lucky gal who was able to receive sheet masks as press samples to showcase the diversity of the Beauteque subscription boxes. Without an explanantion, Beauteque ended up shutting down in 2021, but it was probably for similar reasons that MANY subscription boxes shut down and that is that it simply got too expensive to maintain which is why I am still in awe of Ipsy and Boxycharm. I think there are a few other subscription boxes out there, but after trying at least five beauty boxes over the years, a sheet mask sub is probably the only one that I would enjoy since this is the one product I can use up AND enjoy consistently! 

NAILS | Cirque Colors La Vie En Rose Swatch (Thermal) #MidWeekMani

 

Purchased by me

This is my 22nd blog post this month and marks the first time since July 2022 that I have blogged over 20x/month! No, my posts aren't all that long or filled with complex reviews, but I think those are only good once in awhile and not at all the time as I would prefer to have this be a relaxed place. When I didn't have my day job back in April 2020, I wrote A LOT and in great detail since I had the time to test and write down every observation I had about whatever product I was testing, but if I am working I can barely keep the days straight in my head! I am proud of myself for coming back to this level of posting though as much of my lack of blogging came from my grief over losing Hugo. I admit that I live in constant fear that something will happen to Harper or Buster out of the blue so I make sure I shower them with love and attention whenever I can so that if something were to happen, I will know that I spent as much time with them as possible. With Hugo, I feel like I didn't spend enough time with him, but maybe that is just the grief talking. Since losing Hugo, I have tried to cherish every moment I have with my furballs.

SHEET MASK | Purlisse Blue Lotus + White Tea Treatment Sheet Mask

Press sample

I remember discovering the brand Purlisse around the time of the Ipsy subscription bags (which I can't believe are still around and apparently more popular than ever!). Purlisse was one of the first brands I discovered that had a blend of Asian and Western skincare philosophies and was created by Chinese-American Jennifer Yen. Being a Chinese immigrant myself, I identified with the brand on a cultural level and fell in love with their Blue Lotus Moisturizer with SPF 30 years ago and ended up going through two bottles. I never picked it up again because I can only find it through the Purlisse website which, when things are in USD, makes it less appealing as the last bottle I got was from Cosmoprof in Vegas.

SKINCARE | Double Cleansing with Stoic Beauty Gemini Cleanser Alpha and Beta

 

Press samples

I am back with more from Toronto-based Stoic Beauty! I fell in love with the brand at the beginning of the year when I got a chance to try their serums and then again with their body oil and butter. This year, I have really been into trying out different cleansers and as an advocate of the double cleanse, Stoic Beauty's Gemini Cleansers immediately jumped out at me!

NAILS | I Finally Did Cartoon Nails! #CBBxManiMonday

 

Press samples

I am so happy cartoon nails are back because I think they were super popular during the rise of cutepolish and nail art about 10 years ago and I just never got around to doing them, but I have been making an effort to knock off my nail art bucket list and even re-doing things I tried oh so long ago because I would like to think that my skills are better AND my photos are a lot better now! I remember I would only paint them if I had a day off the next day because I always painted at night and would take my photos in natural light as I had no ring light at the time. Back then, ring light setups were a bit of an investment, but I can't believe that they are so affordable now! I used to pray that I wouldn't get any sheet marks on my nails or cause any damage to them before they could be immortalized by photo! 

SHEET MASK | BeYou Pineapple and Seaweed Sheet Mask

Purchased by me

I want to say that I probably picked up these BeYou masks before the pandemic because I remember freely just walking around the Anthropologie store in West Vancouver which I do not think I have done in a very long time! Be warned that MOST of what I will be talking about in the next couple of months (barring any personal issues or sick kitties) will be sheet masks I picked up or received years ago or makeup that I really love, but just haven't had the need to discuss since I only started wearing proper makeup again this year. I still don't know if I even have the skills anymore to apply foundation properly, but I have felt a resurgence in my passion for makeup products so I am hoping to feature more of it here! 

NAILS | Cadillacquer Vermillion Swatch #MidWeekMani

Purchased by me

I am not a morning person. For every day that I have worked in most of my jobs, when the alarm goes off, my first thought is to phone in sick followed by "I'll just text in my 2 weeks notice and quit" all so I can sleep in. Once I get going and get to work, the tasks of the day set in and I don't think this way anymore, but that feeling to hit the snooze button repeatedly is greater some days than others. For the last week, with the beautiful weather, the sun shining, I have never wanted to be off the whole summer more! To be at home in my summer rompers, doing house things and being with the cats is like pure bliss to me right now. When I have a day off, I don't even really sleep in (maybe I get up at 8am instead of 7am?) so I think that even though I may not be much of a morning person, it depends on HOW I am spending my morning. As much as I have asked numerous times to be a housewife, I don't think it is ever going to happen! Forever the working woman I will be! I realize that my love of shopping means that I will be working for a VERY long time since I have never really felt comfortable with my husband purchasing things for me.

SHEET MASK | Annie's Way Hyaluronic Acid and Seaweed Hydrating Mask

Press samples

We are already more than halfway through July! Summer always goes by too fast! A lot of people ask me whether I want to travel anywhere when I take time off this season and I always have to say no because Vancouver is SO NICE this time of year! So far, it hasn't been too hot and as long we stay out of heat dome temperatures from the last two years, I am happy! I also use the cats as a gauge for how hot it is so if they are immobile pancakes, it's REALLY hot and if they are still playing then it's not hot enough!

MAKEUP | Avon x fmg GLO KOLOR Collection

Press samples

As I have gotten older, I have definitely moved over into more of the skincare side of beauty vs. the makeup even though I still love makeup, but maybe I'm not as experimental as I used to be. Nowadays, I don't often get excited about makeup, but when I saw the packaging of the new fmg GLO KOLOR collection I couldn't help getting excited about trying out the products! A collection that is all about no fuss beauty and making sure the skin is prepped and at its best, these hydrating and priming products feel like skincare, but can be friends with your makeup and I LOVE THAT.

NAILS | Tour de France Nail Art #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

Netflix made me do it. After watching Tour de France:Unchained last month, I became hooked on staying up to date on the Tour and its participants! I have been following the Tour every day since it started on July 1st and though I wish I could stay up/wake up early to watch each of the 15 stages so far so I have been settling for highlights. This was an unexpected interest for me as I don't bike or have that much devotion to many sports, but after the Netflix special, I had no idea that there was so much strategy and teamwork involved! I know that only one person can win, but I did not realize that they only win because their teammates help them by setting pace, shielding "the star" from wind by riding in front of them so they don't have to work so hard, alternate attacks so that the best contender to win the Tour gets to attack last, again conserving energy. There are people on the team who are "domestiques" whose sole job on the team is to bring water to the other members. Being on a Tour team pays quite well even at the lower levels so I guess it's all good in the end, but I really thought it was a much more individual sport than it is! 

SHEET MASK | Pucca Ceramide Liposome Tech Mask Collection

Press samples

In what feels like another universe, I attended Cosmoprof in Las Vegas back in 2017 for five freakin' days. I am not someone who likes crowds and neither does my husband and yet, I suggested we stay in Vegas for 5 whole days. After that, I realized that Vegas is a 2-3 day stint MAX. We needed real fruit and veggies and I was getting so sick of eating restaurant food day in and day out. However, Cosmoprof was a ton of fun and there was A LOT to see so five days gave me the opportunity to take my time in all the areas including the very awesome KBeauty section! 

NAILS | Chanel Singularité Swatch #MidWeekMani

Gifted by Gerry

I was on a post scheduling kick last week while I was off and was about to schedule this one, but decided not to as part of what I like about these simple swatch posts is that they capture my mood at present. I was only back at work for all of three days and when I woke up yesterday, I was convinced it was Sunday and I could sleep in. I think I would honestly just rather be out enjoying the sun and being at home with my furbabies, but I do have expensive taste so this gal will probably need to work for at least the next 25 years! 

SHEET MASK | PACKage I Love Myself, Sweet Dream and Don't Worry Masks

Purchased by me via The FaceTory subscription

I have been dying to try these sheet masks from Korean brand PACKage for years and now that I have done it, I don't know where to find them anymore! I find a lot of these new Korean sheet mask brands vanish just as quickly as they appear so going forward, I am going to try to stay on top of sheet masks in a fairly reasonable timeframe (like within the year). I received these masks through my FaceTory subscription and had planned on trying them all, but like I said, they seem hard to find now. It was the Instagram-worthy packaging that really caught my attention, but I also saw some really positive reviews from fellow sheet maskers on IG so when I finally got these masks in my possession, I immediately put them on my list to try. Thankfully, I now have my act together three years later and have a review for you!

MAKEUP | Oceanly by Attitude Silky Pink Makeup Set Review and Look

Press samples

Years ago, the Montreal-founded brand Attitude made its way into my beauty life via their Superleaves collection and household cleaning products. The products are made Canada, EWG verified, vegan, cruelty-free and strive to reduce waste in their packaging. Last May, Attitude launched their makeup line Oceanly, a line of plastic-free makeup made with 99% ingredients of natural origin including skin-loving ingredients like phytoglycogen and collagen. This collection of products includes everything you will need for a full face of glowy, natural-looking makeup from foundation and concealer to blush and highlighter. All the makeup products are also free of fragrance, carmine, titanium oxide and beeswax. While this isn't something I prioritize too highly in my makeup products, I do value mindful packaging and having no plastic whatsoever is something I find pretty incredible considering how many products there are in this launch!

NAILS | OPI Summer Make the Rules Brights #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

This was another one of those times where a wonderfully bright and new nail polish collection showed up at my door and I wanted to wear ALL the colours! OPI's Summer Makes the Rules collection has entered the Jaynesphere and I want to wear them all! This was like me OPI's Power of Hue collection from last year. I think I have at least 10 manicures with polishes from this collection which is honestly a true indication of how much I loved the shades. This year might end up being the same with this collection because all of the shades are so summery and bright that it will be hard to stay away from them!

SHEET MASK | The Creme Shop Power Up, Skin! Alien Face Mask

Purchased by me

I can never get enough of The Creme Shop and their printed masks so when I saw this alien face mask at Winners, I knew it would be a lot of fun and I was right!

SKINCARE | The Best and the Not So Great Sunscreens Round Up 2023 with "Swatches"

Some press samples (indicated with *)

It's that time again where every day is a new sunscreen to try! I actually try to be really careful now of keeping track of my sunscreens since they expire so as much as I wanted to do a little Korean beauty sunscreen haul to review for you, it will most likely not be until next summer as I have more than enough sunscreen to use for the next year! I am not on the press lists for any Korean beauty brands/stores, but if one or two sunscreen REALLY pique my interest then mayyyybe you will see it here (*ahem* Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun)!

NAILS | Rainbow Honey Evening Viola Swatch #MidWeekMani

Purchased by me

Well, today was my first day back after a REALLY nice staycation and as usual, there are always a few things to follow up and catch up on. I always find it easier to come back in the middle of the week than on a Monday as it doesn't seem quite as stressful. I use to choose Sundays as my comeback day, but now that we are closed on Sundays, I've just been choosing any other day of the week than Monday. I've found that Friday is also a good day because even if you want to follow up, people are already checking out for the weekend so it buys you some time! 

SHEET MASK | Farm Stay Real Mango and Coconut Essence Mask

Press samples

Today is my last day of staycation so I am a little bit sad, but at the same time I also have a few days booked off at the end of the month as well so I don't have to wait long until I get a few days to relax again! I don't normally take a lot of vacation and I have traditionally always been one of those people who end up having to use up remaining vacation days randomly in the middle of winter as our company only allows 5 days of carryover, but THIS year I decided that for the summer, I was going to spend as much of it relaxing on my patio as possible. I just wanted to live the good life as this is the NICEST time of the year in Vancouver where people come to see the city so why should I leave now?

MAKEUP | NYX This is Milky Gloss with Swatches

Purchased by me

I know, I know. I have been working on whittling down my beauty collection in the office for the past month and now I have three new lipglosses... As I have been purging, in a weird way I feel like I have been given a pass to purchase new things and truth be told, a lot of the makeup I have is not new as I have slowed down my makeup purchasing quite a bit since the pandemic started. Skincare has been consistently purchased, but makeup took a bit of a backseat especially lip products. What spurred me into buying the new NYX This is Milky Glosses was the green shade in the middle - Mint Choc Chip Shake. The packaging said it was FLAVOURED and as this is one of my all-time favourite ice creams (I can never justify buying it since my husband hates it), I had to have it. I also had to have some of its friends! 

NAILS | The New Délice Pastel Collection from Bio Sculpture #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

I seriously struggled with coming up with a design for the new Bio Sculpture Délice Pastel Collection because I wanted to wear ALL THE COLOURS for this month's theme of "Brights and Summer". This creation here is me wanting to wear everything and making it work! This collection combined pastels and neons turning normally Spring shades into ones for summer that are so eye-catching that I might try to wear ONE shade at a time for once!

SHEET MASK | Missha x Kelly Park A Mask Sheet Only For Me Blue Day and Passion Day

Purchased by me

I don't even remember when I got these masks from Missha, but I remember that it was at the height of me discovering the world of sheet masking where I pretty much bought everything in sight! These masks had such gorgeous packaging that I grabbed them thinking they would make great flatlays and sure enough, they do! These masks were part of a collaboration with Korean artist Kelly Park which features her artwork as the packaging and explains why it was so eye-catching! I had no idea what I was buying at the time and after learning there were six masks in total, I tried looking for them, but to no avail so it will just have to be these two masks for today!

MAKEUP | I Turn the Big 4-0 Today!

The day has finally come and I cannot believe that 10 years ago I posted this giveaway celebrating my 30th birthday...I am in a much better headspace for 40 than I was for 30 I will tell you that! I feel like there was a lot of pressure for 30. When I turned 30, I wasn't married yet (engaged with TBA wedding date) and my career was still up in the air as I was finishing a second degree at UBC and still wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life. 10 years later, I am so much more content with my life than I was with no plans of going back to school or switching careers (unless it's in the world of LEGO or cats!).