NAILS | Cadillacquer Leilani Swatch (Thermal) #MidWeekMani

Purchased by me

It has been a few weeks since I have done one of these catch-up posts so how is everyone? After taking two weeks off to give my brain some time to recuperate from work, I dove back into my day job without skipping a beat. I would like to think that I am one of those people who still knows how to function when I go back to work after time off because from what I have seen with staff, someone people take two weeks off and then need another two weeks to remember how to perform basic skills. I also came back a little more fiery and less afraid of speaking my mind, but the main thing my therapist and I decided to focus on was starting my day with client-based activities as those tend to make me feel more productive and generally happier about my job! I haven't felt tightness in my chest for the last week which is something I have not experienced in months at work so I feel like we have definitely made some progress! 

BEAUTY | April 2024 Ipsy Glam Bag

Purchased by me

This is my FIRST review of the Ipsy Glam Bag in almost 10 years! Back then, there were a ton of subscription services and I was subscribed to probably five of them with a few brands like Glossybox and Birchbox sending me boxes to review. I was also receiving a lot more press samples so all of that combined left me overwhelmed and frankly, uninspired to review and use the products inside. I have not thought about signing up for anything since FaceTory until I took some time off at the start of this month and realized that I missed these little surprises and mini sizes of brands I haven't tried before! With the exchange rate and shipping, this box ended up costing about $27 CDN so not the cheapest, but is it worth the surprise of trying new things? Maybe! And, what's nice is that I can pause it anytime and resume with ease!  

NAILS | Purple Lilac Flowers #CBBxManiMonday

 

Press samples

Sunday was all about filing my taxes. I know, they are due in 9 days and I still hadn't done them. My dad usually does them for me, but he has been travelling so I was left to do them on my own which quite frankly, was the LAST thing I wanted to do after being at work all day. Today, I got up early, grabbed a Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha and hunkered down. I got them filed by noon and then had the rest of the day to relax! 

NAILS | Spring Pastel Gradient #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples except for China Glaze Fairy Dust 

I had a fairly uneventful first week back at work after being off for two weeks which I was grateful for because no one enjoys feeling overwhelmed and rushed on their first day back at work! I always think of that episode of The Office where Michael has just come back from Jamaica and he has a steel drum and beads in his hair. He is all relaxed and smiles and the first thing an employee says to him is "My bonus cheque was smaller than you promised" and in the space of a few hours, Michael's vacation energy has been zapped from him. While this has happened to me in the past, luckily it was not this way on Monday and if anything I was pretty much left alone save for a few technical questions.

SHEET MASK | I Dew Care Let's Get Sheet Faced Sheet Mask Set

Purchased by me

I think I asked a friend to pick up this set of sheet masks from I Dew Care from Ulta before the pandemic hit. What was supposed to be a 14 day routine that I FULLY intended to review in a jiffy is now 5 years in the making, but it's only because I got distracted in between you know with the pandemic and life and all. 

HAIR | Helping my Sensitive Scalp with Mayraki

Press samples

Back in December, I was introduced to the haircare brand Mayraki and was a bit hesitant to feature the brand because the product and customer service reviews were very mixed, but I have spent so much time using and enjoying the products I was sent that it seemed a waste to not let you all know how they worked out for me so just for a moment, we are going to isolate the product from the reviews and see how they did!

NAILS | Morgan Taylor Lace is More Collection #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

It's not often that I get to feature a new to me nail polish brand here so it is with great pleasure that I bring to you Morgan Taylor! I have seen Morgan Taylor only through a select number of Canadian retailers, but I was recently given the opportunity to try out their new Lace is More Collection for Spring and I could not have been more delighted with the quality!

SHEET MASK | Lush Queen Bee Sheet Mask (Both Amazing and Horrifying At The Same Time!)

 

Purchased by me

Last week, my friend Gerry and I did our yearly shopping/catch up event where we allow ourselves to splurge a bit after going on a low buy after the Holidays. The shopping area changes from year to year, but this year we felt like staying Downtown near everything. Our first stop was Lush in Pacific Centre as I had 10 black tubs to return (5 for Gerry and 5 for me) so that we could each pick up a new Fresh Face Mask (I picked up the Enzymatic Cleanser) as well as oogle some other goodies!

MAKEUP | NYX Cosmetics Duck Plump High Pigment Lip Gloss

Purchased by me

Some of you may have seen the marketing for the new NYX Cosmetics Duck Plump High Pigment Lip Gloss and I will say now that it had nothing to do with my decision to pick them up! If you haven't seen anything, it involved many men thinking that they could use this product to plump up their own genitalia. WHERE this marketing idea came from, I have no idea since literal humour like this is often seen as a bit cheap, but hey, it got everyone talking!

NAILS | OPI Nail Envy Powerful Pink #MidWeekMani

Press samples 

So, I just started therapy regularly to deal with work things and had a productive therapy session today where we had a little breakthrough on how I process negative thoughts and it gave me some hope for the future. I went to my first session last August which I was nervous about, but found it helpful AND I found a therapist I liked all on my first try! I went for another session in October to work through some fears about my flight to Paris and then didn't really think about booking with her again until last month when things at work started to escalate. After seeing her two weeks in a row, I think I like the regularity of having someone who isn't in my close circle check in on me and where I can sort of start over on a blank slate. 

HAIR | Olaplex Treatment Shine by the Drop Event at is. Salon

Gifted service

Last month I had the pleasure of visiting is. Salon in Yaletown to experience their Olaplex Treatment. This is an add-on treatment to any service you may be receiving and it promises to repair and leave your hair super soft and shiny through a couple of hair washes!

NAILS | Simple Easter Nail Art #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

I feel like the long weekend kind of crept up on me and I never realized it was the Easter weekend! A lot has been happening in my life and though I am legitimately scared for my mental state the next few months, at least I feel like I have some resources in my back pocket to rely on. 

SHEET MASK | Fan Beauty Secret Black Spruce Hydra-Filler Black Mask

Purchased by me

This week has been an interesting one as I have been very focused on the topic of mental health and though I hear about it all the time and understand how important it is, I never realized how much WORK it was to stay on top of it. It's like exercise or making something a habit and it's not easy. I won't get into the whys of why I have suddenly decided to start taking care of my brain more (at least not until it's less fresh), but I am going to be dealing with unpleasantness for probably the next year and I don't know how I'll do, but I guess I will take it day by day.

NAILS | Flowers and Butterflies #CBBxManiMonday

 

Purchased by me

Let me tell ya, these nails look so much better in these photos than in real life! I was looking through my collection for a really bright green and honestly, while most of my nail polish is organized by colour and in drawers, there are still around 100 bottles of random brands that I don't know where to put and it was in my search for bright green that I came across this mini SCENTED bottle of Sephora by OPI in the shade Watermelon (yes, it does still smell like watermelon once you apply it and for days after too!).

NAILS | Matte Green Flowers #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

I was so proud of myself for getting these nails done two weeks in advance! I really wanted any excuse to use this gorgeously bright green from Biosculpture as it is one of my favourite ones to bring out for Spring and Summer. I mean, look at it! How can it NOT make you happy?

SHEET MASK | Kumamon Sheet Mask

This was a gift from a friend

I had a really rough week, specifically a rough Thursday and Friday at work and ended up driving home with tears running past my sunglasses early Friday morning. I slept for most of the afternoon in the hopes that I would have the strength to survive a busy Saturday and I ended up having a really horrible day. A very minor conflict has had me WAY more bothered than it should which I know is not a normal way for my brain to function so I am in the midst of trying to figure out how to handle this as I feel like internally something is not right with my body.  

NAILS | Bacteria in a Petri Dish #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

This week's manicure was a bit of a fail as I did not get the effect I wanted, but I guess it cleaned up well enough that I received a few compliments on my nails. When I showed my husband he said it looked like "bacteria growing in petri dish" hence the name of the post. To me, my nails reminded me of the Ishihara Test for colour blindness! Nonetheless, I never like redoing my nails or hiding my failures so here we are this week with bacterial nail art!

SHEET MASK | Sally's Box Loverecipe Peach and Carrot Mask

Press samples

Wow, ok so it has felt like forever since I have written anything! I had all these beautiful scheduled posts (I know, I know!) for Jan and Feb and then I just got really pre-occupied with work, work and more work! My brain has been a mess of day job to do lists and even the to do lists for home have gotten to a point where I feel like I am flooding my brain with too much stimulation. I realized I also hadn't had CBD in awhile and immediately placed my order with Birch + Fog last week for my favourite tincture and gummies. 

NAILS | Green and Gold Glitter Tips for a Gala! #CBBxManiMonday

NCLA nail polish purchased by me

Hi, it's me. It has been a mentally-taxing last few weeks for me and beauty and blogging has been put on the backburner for awhile. I go through these phases where I feel so motivated to pump out content and then the total opposite if something else is going in my life. While I have been keeping busy and actually have had a relatively active social life the last month, I have also been experiencing only what I can describe as an extreme tiredness/lack of motivation at home. I have what feels like enough energy for a few hours and then I need to nap or I just want to literally sit on the couch and be on my phone or read. Reading at least is something I have been pretty productive at and I've read more so far this year than I have since 2020. Though today's nails are from a few weeks ago, it seemed only fitting to share them for our "Green" theme this month!

NAILS | Heartbeat Nails #CBBxManiMonday

Some press samples (marked with *)

I still haven't gotten my groove back. I am still feeling so tired and even though our Inventory went well, I feel like I am still playing catch up on work and life. I did get an hour of quiet time at work when it was quiet to actually enjoy some online Chaumet training which was actually pretty interesting! I love reading about the features and benefits of new products so I often have to tell myself to do this type of reading ONLY at work and not at home! 

SHEET MASK | Chando Himalaya Comfrey Pore Tightening Mask

 

Purchased by me

I have often raved about T&T Supermarket and their wide variety of well-priced sheet masks. I especially like that they sell quite a number of Chinese brands as most sheet masks we see are Korean. On one of my more recent visits, I came across the Chinese brand Chando and a collection of sheet masks that involved some mountain wildlife and what reminded me of an Asian interpretation of Snow White. It was definitely the packaging that sold me on this and it was a hunch that ended up working out! 

SKINCARE | My Routine with Augustinus Bader

Some press samples

The time has come for an honest to goodness skincare review that isn't a sheet mask! I have been eyeing luxury skincare brand Augustinus Bader for the last three years and took a tiny plunge by using my $100 Sephora gift certificate obtained through one of their Tues/Thurs point drops on The Essence and quite enjoyed it! Last year, I was given the opportunity to try The Retinol Serum and after 12 weeks I feel like I am finally ready to share my thoughts!

NAILS | Cirque Colors "Firecracker" Swatch (Magentic) Charity Polish

 

Purchased by me

I have been really exhausted for the last three weeks and just as I predicted last month, I had a ton of energy to blog and organize my life and then things just got tiring. I take naps on my days off at 12pm and one day I think I had three naps and still felt like my legs were weights. I have been grateful for the extra excursions for press events, but even with working some shorter weeks thanks to using the last of my vacation days, I have found myself really struggling to wake up in the mornings. I have been going to bed around 12:30am which I guess is still on the late side, so maybe I will have to be extra diligent about getting ready for bed earlier. This past week was a little busy as I was getting ready to attend the Fete Chinoise gala on Saturday and had to find a dress and shoes last minute as I was not planning on going, but then found a colleague to attend with me. This week is INVENTORY and I have talked about this "event" multiple times a year since I have started blogging and it is never fun and always exhausting. It has gotten progressively easier to handle as we do not have as much staff or stock as before, but the feeling of nausea never goes away after a 12-14 hour day.

SHEET MASK | Botanic Farm Natural Energy Mask Sheet in Aloe, Rice and Tea Tree

 

Press samples

It is the third week of my attempting #LunarFebruary and even though I miss having a feed of Valentine's pink and red, the only thing I have really liked about Valentine's Day was the nail art. I find the nail art that people have done, that I have done so much fun to do and it's all so cute! This year, I am also enjoying all of the dragon-themed stuff that brands have come out with like LEGO and their "Auspicious Dragon" and Coach with their embroidered dragon clothing and bags. Then there is Fendi with their Pokemon theme! I am dying over here, but I can't justify spending $4000 on a bag that I know I won't really use so I will have to admire from afar. 

SHEET MASK | I'm With Mugwort Sheet Mask Review

 

Purchased by me

It's Valentine's Day and we are talking about mugwort which I feel is an plant that has swept the Asian skincare market in recent years with one mask in particular that I keep seeing - the Mugwort Sheet Mask from Korean brand I'm From, a brand focused on "clean and natural ingredients" without any fancy packaging to ensure that the ingredients of their products take priority! While I haven't tried any other products from this brand, it does look like an interesting one and I have it on my list for the future once I get through some of my backlog!

MAKEUP | Youthforia BYO Blush Color Changing Blush Oil

Purchased by me

When it comes to getting Youthforia on the map, THIS right here is the product that launched them into the social media stratosphere of stardom! The BYO Blush is "the world's first colour-changing blush oil" that like all other Youthforia products, is makeup you can sleep in with 98% of the ingredients in this blush being bio-based and coming from renewable sources. Apparently having this blush on your skin even helps with fine lines and when looking at the ingredients list, most of the ingredients are plant oils like jojoba, sunflower and olive fruit which are oftentimes what I use in my night time skincare routine so it makes sense! 

NAILS | Red and White Hearts #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

I just really wanted to have red nails that worked for both Lunar New Year AND Valentine's Day and stumbled upon this juicy red in Gossip Mag from Canadian brand Trust Fund Beauty! This is the old packaging from eons ago, but I am so happy that TFB is still around as I started working with them more than 10 years ago when they were first getting started and then I sort of lost track of the brand. This polish still applied like a total dream though and could almost have been a one coater! I added some hearts using a dotting tool (I wasn't the neatest...) and then I was done! I have actually received a number of compliments on this manicure especially for the shade of red!

SHEET MASK | The Creme Shop x Hello Kitty Hello, Plump-kin! Printed Essence Sheet Mask

 

Purchased by me

We have now officially entered the Year of the Dragon! Maybe it's the Asian in me, but I kind of feel like I get another chance at things with Lunar New Year happening a month after the calendar new year. I feel like I have an excuse to buy something new and look at my calendar again. I tend to use this time to see how January has gone and though I don't like to put a lot of pressure on myself anymore, there have been little things I have been motivated to do, like posting every day on my work Instagram (@jaynehlim) or trying to have scheduled blog posts. So far, so good, but from what I have noticed, my blog posts tend to taper off in the Fall. Is it prep for Christmas and the holiday season that kills my energy and motivation? Is it the fact that the weather is generally more depressing and it gets dark earlier? Quite possibly! So, I guess for now, I will enjoy these 8 months of productivity!  

NAILS | OPI Infinite Shine Exercise Your Brights Swatch

Press sample

How do days off go by so quickly? Tuesday, I knew would go by quickly as I was out most of the afternoon for the Kiehl's event and then stayed downtown until 5pm so that my husband and I could go home together. I actually had a ton of client stuff to take care of so I ended up going to work and catching up on a few things. I had three glorious days off and now I am on the last one and I am sad. I feel like I never really got a break and what makes me upset is that it was my own fault. I was the one checking my work email since I have a few big client things on the go and I even shipped my very first Poshmark sale! I've been pretty lazy about poshing even though I know it's all the rage now, but I have always been uncomfortable with the idea of selling to strangers. I would honestly rather just give it away and save myself the hassle, but I tried it and we shall see if the buyer likes what she purchased!

MAKEUP | Youthforia Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation

 

Purchased by me

I have been raving about Youthforia for the last couple of months and since it is Asian-owned and founded, it seemed like the PERFECT brand to showcase for #LunarFebruary as I usually don't get the chance to feature a lot of makeup brands. It is often skincare brands that are Asian owned and what is interesting about Youthforia is that the premise is that this is "makeup you can sleep in"! 

SHEET MASK | Prreti Cleanse Juice One Pack in Kale Bright Shine and Kohlrabi Moisture ChokChok

Press samples 

NAILS | Matte Cartoon Hearts #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

Continuing on with my #LunarFebruary theme AND gearing up for Valentine's Day (I only like the nail art and cheap chocolate on Feb.15th), today's featured brand is Cirque Colors, which is Asian-founded and owned by Annie Pham. In addition to some of the most unique colours and collections on the market, Cirque also creates "Do Good" polishes with a portion of profits going towards organizations like To Write Love on Her Arms, a mental health and addiction non-profit, City Harvest, a food equity non-profit and Vietnamese Boat People, a non-profit that works to share experiences and connect people to the history of the Vietnam War. I have only met one Vietnamese Boat person and she told me that she was only 5 when she escaped and while on the journey, she almost drowned and then ended up getting an infection that left her deaf in one ear. It was an incredible story and I cannot even imagine coming to a foreign country not knowing if you will even make it. 

SHEET MASK | Neogen Surmedic Bright Glutathione Mask

 

Purchased by me

This is the first #SheetMaskSunday of #LunarFebruary and we are starting off with one of the more "serious" sheet mask brands - Neogen! This brand never messes around when it comes to their ingredients and their masks often lean more to the derm/medispa side and involve technology and mask materials and shapes that are different than other brands. Today's sheet mask is no exception with its shape, material and ingredients!

SKINCARE | Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream Cold Face Mask

 

Press sample

I was at an event for Clarins last week and it dawned on me that this was the first skincare brand I actively started using when I turned 21. I remember going into Shoppers Drug Mart on West Broadway and saying that my skin was now suddenly feeling very dry. I was recommended a Clarins Comfort Cream and from there I moved my way into the Multi-Active collection. I would never have thought I would get to explore more from the brand through their press list, but I am grateful that I will be able to grow old with this brand and hopefully continue to share their products here or in some form of virtual space. One of their newest launches is the Cryo-Flash Cream Cold Face Mask ($90.00 CDN), a mask that utilizes the anti-aging effects of cold therapy. While this isn't a treatment I have ever had done, I was extremely curious as to just how cold this mask was going to feel!   

NAILS | Purple Polka Dots #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples 

I said last week that I was running out of ideas for Peach Fuzz nails and then I was also getting really tired of seeing peach on me so here we are at PURPLE. Thank goodness for a free for all theme because I just needed to see a different colour on me! Ever since starting my #AGemADay New Year's resolution at work (I post ONE jewelry item on my work IG each day as a reminder to myself to engage with the product I am so fortunate to be around) I have been much more aware of what colour my nails are as I sometimes end up wearing or holding coloured gemstones. I want my hand and the jewels to look coordinated!

SHEET MASK | The Creme Shop x Hello Kitty Apple-y Ever After Printed Essence Sheet Mask

Purchased by me

This mask was supposed to be for October as it had the PERFECT Fall theme, but when my skin started to seriously act up after coming back from Paris and even prior to leaving (likely due to stress), I called it quits temporarily on all non-essential skincare. My sheet masks lay untouched for months until the end of December when I felt comfortable enough to try putting my skin through the rigours of a multi-step routine again. Luckily, I know that The Creme Shop has always sat well with my skin and I could not WAIT to try on this super cute, printed Hello Kitty mask!

NAILS | Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x Sesame Street Am I Not Adora-blue? Swatch

Purchased by me

I have always had a soft spot for blue nail polishes and though I feel like I have enough now to cover most of my favourite combinations, the other soft spot I have is for Sesame Street! I mean, who wouldn't?  

HAIR | Virtue vs. The Inkey List Scalp Exfoliant (Luxe vs. Reasonably Priced)

Purchased by me

Back in 2019, I got into scalp exfoliation and did a review of the Kristin Ess Bubble Mask and Scalp Scrub (here) as they were interesting products at the time with "entertaining" textures. They still are very unique ways of getting rid of scalp buildup, but I did find them a bit cumbersome to use at times even if they did the job. Last year, I was introduced to two scalp exfoliants - one fairly expensive and one relatively inexpensive so I decided to buy both and see how they compared to each other! Let the battle begin between Virtue and The Inkey List!

BODY | Maelys B-Flex Arm Cream, B-Tight Booty Mask and B-Flat Belly Cream

Press samples

I originally started off this Maelys review with "new to Shoppers Drug Mart", but in typical Jayne style, this month actually marks the 1 year anniversary of Maelys launching in Canada! Pronounced "my-lees", this is a body care brand with a sassy attitude when it comes to their products which is what caught my attention! I think we have all seen body sculpting/slimming products before, but what I found fun about Maelys was their concept of "Hey, it's OK if you just want to look hot just for you!" and a motto of "For the Love of Bod" which some might find sacriligious, but like I said, this brand caught my attention! 

NAILS | Neon Peach Fuzz #CBBxManiMonday

Some press samples 

I am running out of Peach Fuzz options. There are some ideas online that I have seen ranging from literal peaches to sponging on orange in the middle of a bare nail which I think looks like your nail is bleeding underneath depending on how intense of an orange you use. I got a bit desperate and looked to glitter polishes as my saviour and lo and behold, I did find one! The now gone, Rainbow Honey has saved me once more! I took this company for granted and just thought they would be around forever, but honestly so many of my favourite nail brands have disappeared over the years which has taught me to "never subscribe to anything that charges my credit card automatically" and to "assume my order might take a really long time to show up". All of these things have happened before!  

SHEET MASK | Huangjisoo Centella Repairing and Tea Tree Soothing Mask

 

Purchased by me

I have been absolutely dying to try and review these masks for awhile after seeing Huangjisoo's attractive packaging on Instagram, but the masks were a bit hard to find for us Canadians. I was just about to buy them on Amazon when they ended up showing up in my FaceTory subscription a few years ago and now I have finally experienced why people were talking about these sheet masks so much!

NAILS | OPI The Future Is You Swatch #MidWeekMani

Press sample

It is Day 2 of a very snowy Vancouver with all of us waking up to 20cm of snow plus more falling! What I love about snow days is how quiet it is. No one is going anywhere and sound gets muffled. It also looks extra romantic at night because it still looks light outside because the white of the snow gets reflected. I may also be looking at this with rose-tinted glasses because I was off yesterday and today so no having to struggle with getting into work for me!

MAKEUP | Bobbi Brown Long Wear Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow Sticks

Press samples

I know, I know. I am can't really call myself a "beauty blogger" anymore because WHERE are the makeup posts?? I ask myself that all the time and I am still having a hard time getting "dolled up" on my days off with nowhere to go. If I were smart, I would use the days that I go into work to document my journey with makeup, but I don't do that (anymore) for two reasons - the first being that I never seem to have enough time to take photos because I always get caught up doing something else that eats into my morning time and the second being that my work makeup is nowhere near as glam as blog makeup. Photos for the blog and social media need LASHES which if I don't have on the Falscara wisps, makeup kind of looks "wah wah" in photos. This leads me to say probably for the umpteenth time that I am not a morning person and makeup needs to be foolproof and fast! 

FASHION | My Obsession with Vivaia Shoes (I Fell For the Instagram Ad and I'm Glad I Did!)

Purchased by me

Don't you hate it when the Instagram ads get you? It takes me a long time to actually buy something from an ad I have seen as I like to read reviews first and with Vivaia, I was probably getting fed those ads on Instagram for a solid year before committing to a purchase. I watched and read numerous reviews and it looked like overall, people were happy with the quality and how they looked on the feet. I was looking specifically for a work shoe that I could comfortably wear for 8-10 hours and wouldn't you know? I found some! Though this post only shows three pairs of Vivaias, I actually now have SIX pairs!  

NAILS | Peach Fuzz 3D Dots #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

Here is my next Pantone Peach Fuzz attempt and I think it turned out alright! I am glad I did this manicure before this cold started to kick my ass because after sleeping poorly last night from the freezing temperatures in my apartment (the heat was on the fritz) and feeling bloated from the sniffling and coughing, I woke up feeling like total crap. I was delightfully sandwiched by Buster and Harper in my sleep so I ended up feeling quite toasty in the end!

SHEET MASK | Healing Bird Botanical Face Masks in Ultra Moisture Coconut and Elasticity Jojoba

Press samples 

These Healing Bird sheet masks were sent to me as part of the Beauteque subscription box and I had never heard of the brand prior to that. It turns out, Healing Bird is most well-known for their body and hair products and I don't even know if they still make these sheet masks now...see there I go again with taking too long to review stuff and then it just vanishes! I have to say that this doesn't happen nearly as often with Western brands! Maybe the packaging changes a bit, but the products still exist years later! Regardless, if you still visit this space of mine on the Internet, you probably aren't here for the latest in skincare and beauty anymore, but instead for my charming personality. Right?

NAILS | OPI Infinite Shine Kiss My Aries Swatch #MidWeekMani

Press sample 

I wore this manicure the week before Christmas because it truly is a festive holiday red! Though this was from the Fall Big Zodiac Energy collection, I totally think that "Kiss My Aries" is the perfect Christmas red with how much fire it has in it AND this was a one coater! Like, what?! I have used this shade a few times in my manicures since receiving the collection and it is one of my FAVOURITE reds to use. It also works for Lunar New Year, so I might keep it out for next month as well!

HAIR | L'Oreal Colorista Spray in Silver 01

Press sample

It is amazing what you discover when you go through old photos! This is a post that I started three years ago and just never got around to finishing! When the L'Oreal Colorista Sprays first launched, it was the era of unicorn hair and as a way to spare my fragile colour-treated hair, this was a fun way to get the lavender balayage I always wanted or in today's case, be SILVER! 

NAILS | Peach Fuzz and Purple #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

Peach Fuzz - described by Pantone as "a delicate shade that sits between pink and orange. It sounds lovely enough to eat and yet this is a shade that looks positively awful on me and it is the Pantone colour of 2024 AND marks the 25th anniversary of the Pantone colour program! 

SHEET MASK | Duft & Doft Hydra Soother Deep Hydration Mask

Purchased by me 

We have made it through our first week of 2024! Do we remember much? Or were some of you still on Christmas vacation? My husband's work isn't officially back until tomorrow and traffic in the mornings has seemed lighter than usual so I think that is probably the case for a large chunk of the population, but not for me! I have put in my 4 days of work (thank goodness we are still closed on New Year's Day) and I am tired. I suspect the next couple of weeks this month are going to be unfortunately quite stressful for myself and the team and I honestly don't know how I plan on dealing with it. I am a bit scared that I might not handle it well or want to run away. I guess we shall see how I do and whether I find a way to deal with the stress. Luckily, there is always sheet masking and hopefully my skin will not betray me like it has the last couple of months, but then again it was probably my body's way of telling me to be kinder to myself!