NAILS | OPI Nail Envy Big Apple Red #MidWeekMani

Press sample

This week is just FLYING and yet I feel like I have accomplished nothing and am playing catch up. This week at work we have had a few corporate visits which always seem to take half the day along with a new hire which always takes some extra time to make sure they are up and running. I feel like I haven't had a moment to myself until today in the late afternoon and though I know that my job title involves giving up my time for others, I know that what makes me happiest is dealing just with clients so when there are weeks like this where I can't really do that, I can feel my energy resources depleting. Tomorrow I have about three hours to get what I need done and then the rest of my afternoon will be client-based which is nice.

NAILS | Wild Print #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

As much as I love having Sunday and Monday off, I know that means that for the next 5 days I will feel exhausted and tired. It's why I prefer having my two days off split so that I can have a break on Wed/Thurs when I am just starting to burn out. With my job, I try to conserve my energy, but after three days I usually can't help feeling people'd out after being "ON" for so long. It has been a bit better the last two month as I took my therapist's advice and focused my day on clients and wouldn't you know, clients take up A LOT of time! And in a good way!

SHEET MASK | Tonymoly Fresh to Go Grape and Cucumber Mask Sheet

 

Press samples

I tried to get this Sheet Mask Sunday post up on Sunday, but alas I was too carried away with doing house stuff and running some errands that by the time it felt like a quiet time to sit down, I was ready for a nap! Then came dinner and watching season 3 of Clarkson's Farm, time to shower and then finally time to do my nails which kind of incapacitates me for a few hours as I can't really touch anything. Nonetheless, here we are on Monday, but because I have it off, I have the luxury of catching up now with these two sheet masks from Tonymoly!

BEAUTY | May 2024 Ipsy Glam Bag

Purchased by me

Another month, another Ipsy Glam bag! I have to say, now that I have less PR coming in and no other subscription boxes, I really enjoy it when the I get my notification that my Ipsy bag has shipped! I feel like this is what it should have felt like back when I was subscribed 10 years ago!

NAILS | Sally Hansen Up to Snuff Swatch #MidWeekMani

Purchased by me

This week started off with my working on Victoria Day which was a bit of weird day as we weren't busy until about the last hour and ended up having to stay late, but such is what happens often on holidays. I think people just get a bit of a later start to their day (I call it a "vampire start") which I understand. On Tuesday, I was invited to a lovely press lunch with Pixi Beauty but I had to leave after 1.5 hours as I was on a lunch break which always makes me feel a bit antsy as I constantly look at my watch out of guilt. We are a bit short-staffed right now due to vacations so I felt some pressure to head back to work ASAP. Nonetheless, I still had a good time meeting some new people as I'm now a "moldy oldy" when it comes to the beauty scene as I am usually a solid 10 years older than most attendees. 

SHEET MASK | Double & Zero My Sweet Macaron Mask Aqua Energy and Brightening Energy

Press samples

I had a really hard time falling asleep last night because I felt so excited to have today off. I feel like I haven't had a moment to really spend time with my products and blog in the last week or so and I miss them! I miss the smell of my beauty products all together and so I am really happy today to have time to spend with my kitties, my husband (now napping from having to do a presentation online at 6am) and my lovely beauty things. 

NAILS | Hermes Bleu Electrique #CBBxManiMonday

Purchased by me

Today was Victoria Day, but I was working and oddly enough it was dead quiet until an hour before closing when it got kind of crazy. I did about 4 hours of continuous talking which was fun, but I was so parched by the end of it! I'm super sleepy so I'll keep this short, but I picked up this new Hermes polish for summer and once again had to sneak some summer stuff into our CBBxManiMonday "Spring" theme...I know I'm totally just jumping the gun for summer!

SKINCARE | Okoko Cosmetiques Delice Overnight Mask

Purchased by me 

It has been a few years since I have featured Vancouver-based skincare brand Okoko Cosmetiques on Cosmetic Proof, but that is mainly because since my last review (here), I've pretty much been using the same products repeatedly because I like them and haven't seen the need to change things up too much, but one product that I haven't talked about that I have found fun and interesting to use is the Delice Overnight Mask!

NAILS | Dior Summer Stripes #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

I think I may have jumped the gun here a little but and made today's #CBBxManiMonday more of a summer mani than a spring one, but with our 25 degree weather this past week in Vancouver, it has definitely felt much more like summer than spring! 

SHEET MASK | Frienvita Honey Bear Silky Skin and Pearl Mask

 

Press samples

Oh goodness, I have no idea how I let May go by with just ONE lonely blog post, but I feel like this month has been busy in terms of things going on in my life outside of work which for once has been a nice change as it is usually things AT work that keep me busy/tired. I feel like I have had a more positive outlook on things that last few weeks thanks to going on anti-anxiety medication and what scared me initially about going on SSRIs was that I would come off as a zombie and wouldn't be able to feel anymore. Instead, what I have noticed is that I still feel the same emotions, but my brain doesn't let them get to a point where I feel physical discomfort like a racing heart or an aching in my chest. If anything, I find that I now can process how I am feeling and then consciously decide whether to move on or deal with it, but all in a very perfunctory way which is GREAT. I love having this sort of professional distance from emotions at work and I think that this is the only way I will survive work with the current situation being unchanged and just as ridiculous as ever.

NAILS | Dior Pastel Mint with a 70s Vibe #CBBxManiMonday

Pastel Mint #203 purchased by me. Rest of polishes are press samples.

I don't know if I have mentioned this, but in terms of a personal makeup brand focus, I have decide it will be Dior. I was going through some of my old Dior press samples, where I was hopelessly spoiled for years, until I no longer qualified for their PR list anymore (hey, it happens) a few years ago and realized just now NICE their makeup was! I started looking at what new things Dior had and I became so enamoured with their packaging and products once more that I decided that I would devote my beauty spending budget to predominantly THIS brand! I even have an Excel spreadsheet started just to make sure my spending is budgeted. I will focus on buying Dior through my SA at Holt Renfrew followed by Dior.com. I will avoid Sephora as much as I can because I find the service much better with the latter two. I mean, the GWPs are just SO MUCH better!