BEAUTY | July 2025 Ipsy Glam Bag

Purchased by me

Heyyyyy, we are now in July for our Glam Bags (renamed IPSY Original) and then after this, I just have September to share with you all and then we are all caught up for the holidays! Though some of the previous bags I have shared had products that seemed appropriate for throughout the year, this one definitely feels more geared towards the summer so if that bums you out, I apologize!

MAKEUP | Christian Louboutin Le Fluide Sublimating Fluid Foundation (With Before and After Video)

Purchased by me

Foundation is still one of my most favourite makeup products to try and even though I have slowed down on other types of makeup products, a new foundation always peaks my interest. The Christian Loubotin Le Fluide Sublimating Fluid Foundation has been on my wishlist since its release last year and I finally picked it up a few weeks ago!  

SHEET MASK | The Creme Shop x Miffy Dewy Dreams Hydrating Animated Essence Sheet Mask

 

Purchased by me

I got sick this past Wednesday and five days in, I think I am on the tail end of things, but I'm still very congested and coughing. I don't know WHERE I managed to catch this as no one at work is sick AND I have been on my own at home for the past two weeks as my husband has been traveling. I drive to work and don't take transit so the only place left is the handful of clients I have interacted with over the last 2 weeks which seems unlikely, but I suppose not impossible. I have been suffering a little on my own and I am glad to see some light at the end of the tunnel!

BEAUTY | September 2025 Favourites

Press samples

I realize that the last time I did a favourites post, it was for September 2024...this is almost like an anniversary! As my poor nails need to grow back in order to paint them (I sadly did not have any backup posts), I thought doing a cozy little favourites post would be nice to launch the Fall season!

SHEET MASK | Mad Beauty True Loves Kiss Face Mask

Purchased by me

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all of my fellow Canadians! I am working this long weekend so we kept our festivities to a minimum by just having a family brunch today and then taking it easy for the rest of the day which felt very needed. I still feel like I need a break, but I don't think I am going to get it this month or next which takes up to December where I will be exhausted from retail life. I haven't figured out how to replenish my energy stores yet. I feel like I am still at the peak of life so feeling this tired all the time just doesn't seem like a good use of my days off! Someone tell me what you do to stay energized!

NAILS | Dior #908 Bold Black Swatch #CBBxManiMonday

Purchased by me

Easing into the Halloween spirit with some dramatic nails and with this new nail shape, they look extra spooky! Can you believe it is October already? Here in Vancouver, it feels like Fall in the morning and Summer in the afternoons! I'm sure the rains will come soon, but I whipped out my first turtleneck dress last week and I realized that I love autumn/winter work clothing way more than summer work clothes because I'm just always hot in the summer, but you still have to cover your arms and legs in a professional environment so I just never really know what to wear.

BEAUTY | May 2025 Ipsy Glam Bag

 

Purchased by me

I know, I know. I really should stop this subscription, but I do love the surprise of the products and so far, I have been enjoying most of the products in my Ipsy bags. I do every other month now just to slow down the influx of products as well as save a little bit of money. I am about to catch up though with my Ipsy bag reviews as I would like to keep all the 2025 Glam Bag reviews actually WITHIN the year 2025! Firstly, I will start off by saying that I enjoyed the design of May's bag as this blue and white canvas print really makes me feel like it's summer (which I now know is technically over).

NAILS | Dior Shocking Pink #580 Swatch #CBBxManiMonday

Purchased by me

I had to make a bit of a nail shape change as one side of my nail broke, but luckily when you have longer nails, breakages just mean different nail shapes so in this case we went from square to stiletto! As this last #CBBxManiMonday of September, let's just enjoy this new Dior shade from the Miss Dior Fall Collection!

SHEET MASK | JNN-II Cooling and Aqua Moisture Masks

Press samples

Omigoodness what a week! I feel like I have been super busy with work and having to either come in early or stay late which after a few days just makes the day feel extra long. Even with having Friday off, I stayed out late on Thursday for work reasons and then had a Dior facial planned for Friday morning. While you would think that a facial would be ultra relaxing, I'm still driving downtown and then fighting traffic on the way back so by the time I get home, I am hungry and then after I eat I inevitably have to have a nap. I tried to stay awake on Friday for as long as I could, but I started feeling "sick sleepy" so I took a 1.5h nap and then went for a 5k walk afterwards with my husband which actually ended up being a nice way to end the evening!

NAILS | Essie Expressie Power Moves Swatch #MidWeekMani

 

Press sample

Ashamedly, I used to judge people who only posted nail swatches and no nail art, but now I know why. They are tired. I have not had the energy to do anything remotely creative these last few months so I have just been happy with having something on my nails. I was feeling like I needed a bit of a pick me up, so I went to my favourite colour family - the magentas!

SHEET MASK | 23 Years Old Cocoon Willow Silky Mask

Purchased by me 

I am a sleepy girl this morning. I can no longer sleep in past 8am as my kitty Buster will wake me up promptly at 7am for food. He sleeps all through the night and then right at 7am, awakens from between my legs and just starts walking all over me and chatting away. I should be grateful that I have cats that let me sleep until a decent hour! I would like to think that Buster "keeps me honest" when it comes to getting up at a reasonable hour. Does he do this to my husband? NOPE. Just to me. I was a bit cold last night which was a nice change so I found that I didn't sleep all that well last night because I was only wearing a tank top and no sleeves.

NAILS | Dior Wild Beige #321 #CBBxManiMonday

 

Purchased by me

I think I may only be doing swatches for awhile as the effort of doing nail art in the last few months has really felt like too much! Honestly, my nights have been filled with watching Succession and then Pixyling until it's time to go to bed. I know, I'm such a nerd, but that's how things have been the last little while and I am not hating it! I did pick up all of the Fall polish releases from Dior though so at least I have some new things to share with all of you this month!

SHEET MASK | JMsolution Pokemon Stamp In Panthenol Mask (Horsea)

 

Purchased by me

The first Sunday of September and the temperature has cooled off significantly and the sky is dark. Fall has come to Vancouver with a vengeance and while I cannot wait for sweater dress season, saying goodbye to summer and hello to 8 months of rain fills me with a bit a dread as I am not quite ready to embrace it yet. Hopefully September will be kind to us and we will get some more sun. 

BODY | L'Occitane Almond Hair and Body Mist

 

Provided by This is Butterly. Affiliate links.

I honestly cannot get enough of L'Occitane's Amande (almond) scent! The Almond Hair and Body Mist is safe to spray on clothing and is a gourmand scent of bergamot, vanilla and fresh almonds. Though this leans more towards a summer scent for me, the vanilla is warm enough that I can see myself wearing this well into the Fall and Winter season as well. 

NAILS | #77 Hermes Rouge Grenade #CBBxManiMonday

Purchased by me

Happy September 1st! I love the summer vibe, but there is something productive-feeling about the month of September. I just organized my shoe collection yesterday into some stackable clear bins and I think I am finally ready to let go of the press samples that have been cluttering my life! Unfortunately, my poor nails have still been suffering and at time of this nail painting, my cuticle area was also sadly involved.

BEAUTY | March 2025 Ipsy Glam Bag

Purchased by me

So, this is the March Ipsy Bag. I know we are practically in September, but I feel like now that I do Ipsy every other month I don't have as much to catch up on! I also feel like I took a bit of a summer break the last month just enjoying being lazy AF and doing other hobbies that bring me joy. Soon, the rain and cold will come and all I will want to do is stay inside so much of the blogging has gone to the wayside this month. It has been fairly warm for Vancouver these last two weeks and it is expected to be very warm next week which I am not looking forward to. Heat and getting older definitely don't agree with me! Let's move on to the beauty stuff, shall we?

SHEET MASK | Benton Fermentation Mask Pack

Purchased by me

It has taken me far too long to try this cult classic of a sheet mask from Benton and I think it's because it is so understated in terms of packaging and letting people know just how good it is. No fanfare needed, just good old fashion ingredients and a mask material that does the job!  

SHEET MASK | The Creme Shop x Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Pure Destiny and Guardian Charm Masks

Purchased by me

I was strolling through Miniso a few weeks ago on my lunch break and saw that they started carrying a few Creme Shop sheet masks. While I have ordered directly from Creme Shop before, it was in USD and with the exchange now and the last couple of years really, it hasn't been fun to order from so when I see them locally, I go for it! When I saw these Sailor Moon masks, I did not hesitate as my childhood rushed back to me!

MAKEUP | Dioriviera Summer 2025 Collection

Purchased by me

Now, that we are more than halfway through summer, I realized that I should really get on sharing with you all the items I picked up from the Dior Riviera Summer 2025 Collection! Now, that I do not receive Dior press samples, I am extremely selective about what I buy from each Dior collection and rightly so! The collection was much larger than the items I picked up, but truthfully I didn't want more lip oils so I stuck to, what I think, are the prettiest pieces in the collection.

NAILS | Just Purple #CBBxManiMonday

Press sample

My nails are still itty bitty compared to what the normally are after a 4 week nail polish hiatus, but they definitely are looking better than before! I don't know what it was, but they were SO dry that even my good photo hand was breaking and splitting. My right hand is still nubbin-like, but we will get there because I want to have long nails for Halloween nail art! 

SHEET MASK | Nacific Fresh Herb Origin Mask Pack

 

Purchased by me

You know, it's not like I've had a lot going on my life this month so I don't know why I have only posted here twice! I generally prefer to write on my days off and looking back, I have been out every single one of my days off so I just haven't had the time, but summer is about enjoying the outside weather especially in Vancouver when the rain starts in the Fall and just does not stop! I have an extra day off this week so we shall see if I can find a way to catch up, but I won't beat myself up if it doesn't work out.

SHEET MASK | Petitfee Artichoke Soothing Hydrogel Face Mask

 

Gifted with Bellbees order

I did not intend to take a week long break from writing, but here we are! Even though it was a relatively chill week, my boss was away on vacation so I suppose I was tired from being "the only senior manager"? It was also the first summer without that horrid beast of an employee and usually when my boss would go away, the shenanigans would begin on Day 1 and every day she would either piss off myself or someone else and it would ultimately mean me being involved anyway because she was so careless and would bait management for a reaction. She would take people's sales, complain incessantly about the temperature, the homeless people on the street outside, it just never ended! To not have that for the first time in years has been SO REFRESHING! Finally, we can carry on business as usual without such time-wasting garbage. As you can see, I'm still very angry about all of this considering HR and the higher ups could have taken care of this years ago, but it's all still relatively new and I know that over time she will become a distant memory.

HAIR | BKIND Moisture and Nourish Hair Mask #CanadianSummer

 

Press sample

I was trying to feature mainly Canadian brands last month as it was Canada Day on July 1st, but I didn't have time to feature all the brands I wanted to so I am turning this into #CanadianSummer to keep the love going! Today we are featuring once more Quebec-based BKIND (see my previous BKIND review here) and their Moisture and Nourish Hair Mask! 

FRAGRANCE | 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods and Cherry Ambition #CanadianJuly

Press samples

As a big Dragon's Den fan, I tend to bingewatch the episodes whenever they are available on Netflix and I am amazed at how many of the products I use that have appeared on the show! I use makeup brand Youthforia, the Scrub Daddy, Blume, Cheekbone Beauty, Elate Cosmetics and now 7 Virtues!  

SHEET MASK | Life Brand Freezing Hydrogel Facial Sheet Mask #CanadianJuly

Purchased by me

There aren't really that many Canadian sheet mask brands out there other than Maskeraide (review) and Viva Organics (review), both of which I have reviewed in the past, but then I realized there was the Shoppers house brand Life!  

LIFESTYLE | Sticker by Number Art with Pixyls (Another Instagram Ad I Fell For)

If you follow me on Instagram, you might be aware of a new hobby that I got into late last year called Pixyls. This is a fairly new Canadian company founded by Rachel Curwen and it was recommended to me as an Instagram ad! I was intrigued and looked into it right away and was even more convinced to try it when I saw that Pixyls was based out of Ontario!

NAILS | Hints of Flowers #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples marked with *

I will keep this short as it took me TWO hours to get home from work today due to Lions Gate Bridge being closed in both directions. I ended up turning around and taking the Seabus, but THAT also was delayed and packed with people and tourists so right now I am trying to decompress still at 11:30pm.

SHEET MASK | Saturday Skin Spotlight Brightening Mask

Purchased by me 

Today, I am feeling much more awake compared to Friday when by the end of the day, I had taken three naps. What happened to feeling full of energy? Is that something that disappears in your 40s? I've been told yes, by numerous people and I don't even have children so I cannot imagine where all of your energy comes from as a parent!

LIFESTYLE | Five on Friday

It's Friday and what feels like the end of a very long week! I have a day off today and had a very long day yesterday as I worked and then had to attend a work event until late. I had hoped to continue my blog posting streak, but alas this week was just a bit too much for me. As tired as I am from last night, it feels like this week will be ending on a good note so I can't complain! Just gotta survive one more day of work tomorrow and I can relax again on Sunday!

 
ONE

A colleague of mine brought me candy LEGO bricks that are actually buildable! I won't lie - I munched on these candy bricks all day! They remind me of PEZ candy (are those still a thing?)!

SKINCARE | FirstBase Fresh Start Organic Essence #CanadianJuly

This one I technically bought, but I was originally sent a press sample!

This review is long overdue! So overdue that I had to BUY a second bottle to take photos of because I FINISHED the press sample that was originally sent to me! I became a massive fan of Calgary-based FirstBase Skincare after trying their first product - the Double Dose Vitamin C Serum (my review) of which I have already gone through two full sized bottles which says a lot for someone like me! Their vitamin C serum was their first and only product for awhile until their second product release in 2023 - the Fresh Start Organic Essence which *spoiler* also turned out to be another winner!    

SHEET MASK | Catkin Summer Palace

 

Gifted by a friend

Happy Sunday! As I type this, I am sipping my coffee and watching a replay of Stage 9 of the Tour de France and happy as a clam! That is what Sundays should be all about - coffee, cats, husband and TDF! Today's mask is from Chinese brand Catkin, who I got to know through Instagram for their pretty packaging paying tribute to traditional Chinese art.

LIFESTYLE | Five on Friday (Poke, Chocolate, Pompon, Walks and Pixyls)

ONE

I keep thinking about this tuna and mango poke bowl I had at Cactus Club during my birthday week and just how refreshing it was! It was also plated beautifully which helped!

SKINCARE | Skoah Hydradew Mask #CanadianJuly

Purchased by me

Founded here in Vancouver, BC I have not posted about Skoah since 2014 and it's mainly because I worked there and had a bit of a negative experience at head office where I worked, but now that I have had 10+ years of hindsight and life experience, it's mostly in the past and I feel comfortable sharing about this brand again. It also just goes to show how good the Hydradew Mask is that I have felt the need to come out of "hibernation" to let you all know just how good this mask is!  

SKINCARE | BKIND Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm #CanadianJuly

Press sample

I have been raving about Quebec-based brand BKIND and their nail polishes for the last few weeks of CBBxManiMondays and now we are moving into their skincare! I know that single product reviews are sooo 10 years ago, but you know what? I find that doing a mixture of both round-ups and single product posts keeps me more organized and helps me remember better what I have talked about with all of you here! Sometimes certain products deserve a conversation of their own and since we are featuring Canadian brands this month, BKIND is gettin' their own post!

NAILS | Neon Polka Dots #CBBxManiMonday

Some press samples

Look at that! I am on time! I was watching a replay of Stage 2 of the Tour de France all Sunday afternoon as we finally decided to subscribe to Flobikes which is the only way you can see TDF in Canada, but at $50 for the month, it has been worth it so far! We watched most of the 4 hour ride which ended around 7pm and then my husband started making dinner. I was about to do TDF-themed nails like I did back in 2023, but as it was already late by the time I cleaned up, I decided to stick to something bright for today as this month's CBBxManiMonday theme is "Brights"!

SHEET MASK | My Scheming Hyaluronan Moisturizing Mask

 

Press sample

Happy Sheet Mask Sunday everyone! I feel like I have not been great about consistency with my Sunday posts, but now that I have had a little vacation and rest, I feel like I have more energy. Granted, I have only been back at work for one day so we shall see how I feel next Sunday when the fatigue has gotten to me!

LIFESTYLE | Five on Friday (Birthday Festivities)

This last week definitely deserves a solid blog entry as I had taken it off to celebrate my birthday so there were lots of things and events to note!

ONE

HAIR | AG Care Vita C Collection (Smells Like Vanilla & Oranges!) #CanadianJuly

Press samples

For the first time in awhile, this is a haircare review where I have found the products made a noticeable difference to my hair and scalp! I was about to review the AG Care Vita C Collection anyway, but now that this month is all about Canadian brands, it kind of works out that this awesome brand was founded right here in North Vancouver, BC by husband and wife team, John and Lotte Davis, with all products being made in Canada! Their daughter Mackenzie Davis is also a great actress! I first noticed her as the cool new Terminator and then I really liked her in the movie The Happiest Season! She probably always has the healthiest hair ever! 

SKINCARE | Sunscreen Roundup 2025 (The Good, Bad and the Just OK)

Press samples marked with *. Affiliate links.

Despite my slowdown in blog posts over the last few years, the one thing I love doing every summer is a rundown of new sunscreens I am using. Yes, I am still using some favourites featured over the years like the Biore UV, Tocobo and La Roche Posay Invisible Touch, but this year I've got a whole new set of new-to-me UV blockers to share with you!

LIFESTYLE | I Turn 42 Today!

 

I made it! I have been having THE BEST week celebrating my birthday with friends and doing activities with Dior that have totally brightened up my whole summer! Unfortunately, today I am not feeling so hot due to a stomach bug that may or may not be caused by anxiety. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling super sick and then ended up throwing up which I HATE. I don't know who else out there has emetophobia aka "the fear of vomiting", but I will do my best to avoid it all costs even if it means suffering with nausea for hours and hours. So, that happened this morning and all day I feel like I have been mentally on edge with monitoring how my body has been feeling. I am annoyed at my body and my mind for doing what it is doing, so I am anxious to wake up tomorrow feeling like a brand new person!

NAILS | Pink Abstract #CBBxManiMonday

Some press samples*

It is the last day of June and one day before my 42nd birthday! I have been off work the last few days celebrating and every day has been pure joy spending it with people I like and doing things I enjoy! It's hard to believe that the first birthday I celebrated here on Cosmetic Proof was my 29th birthday and here we are at 42. It's sobering how much time has passed and how things have changed and yet stayed the same. This is a place that anchors me and where I can happily sit in nostalgia with "how things used to be". With the way AI is going, people won't even have to read makeup reviews anymore, but I like having things here for me. I have always said this place is my diary, my online journal and even my own personal database of swatches and beauty products I have tried so I feel like I will continue to write here even if more and more people go towards TikTok and Instagram for their makeup reviews. I am here for all of us who are in our 40s or more!

SKINCARE | Teaology Matcha Tea Ultra Firming Collection

Press samples

Wow! I have an honest to goodness full routine of skincare to review for all of you! I don't often use all the same brand anymore and when I do get an opportunity to do a full routine, I do it very gradually so even though I received all of these products back in January, I have been slow about phasing them in, but now I am intimately close with them and can share my thoughts!

SHEET MASK | Bring Green Tea Tree Cica Fresh Mask

Purchased by me

Well, Happy Sunday to all! We are officially in Summer now and less than a week until my birthday and all of its celebrations! I am EXCITED for the heat (not 40 degrees please!) and lazy summer days off to begin! Today in Vancouver it is dark, gloomy and 14 degrees so not exactly summer weather as I sit here in my Aritizia hoodie, but hopefully it clears up a bit later on in the day. Today I have from Bring Green what I thought would be a summer sheet mask, but based on the results I think this mask could easily be used throughout the year as it is quite hydrating! I think I have already let the cat out of the bag with that last sentence, but I'll try to keep the rest of this post entertaining.

BODY | The New L'Occitane Almond Shimmering Oil

Press sample. Affiliate links.

I have already done a mini review of the new L'Occitane Almond Shimmering Oil on the ol' Gram, but I loved it SO MUCH that I wanted this product to be Googleable so that everyone can know about it! 

NAILS | Glitter Pride #CBBxManiMonday

Press samples

Today was my day off and I had high hopes that I would wake up at 7am and start the day early with a cup of Nespresso (I just recently started using my machine again) and then leave to run a bunch of errands. I ended up getting up at 9am after falling back asleep and even though I had my coffee, I felt like a snail all morning. I did end up completing my errands and even ended up doing a little bit of beauty shopping at Shoppers and finding a good read at my local library! I came home, made some lunch and then had a little nap. I ended up getting a second wind of energy around 4pm and then made dinner early so we could eat at 6pm and have an early night. My husband just got back from a work trip in Australia so his jet lag has been pretty awful so he tends to want to crash at around 8pm so I figured if we had dinner early, he could sleep if he wanted to. And that, everyone was my very boring day as an adult!

SHEET MASK | Teaology Matcha Tea Superfood Firming and Blemish Tea Glow AHA Sheet Mask

Press samples

I have been enjoying a much needed day off today as I just was not in the mood to work yesterday. And by that, I just mean that I wasn't finding tasks that I normally enjoy as fun as usual. I always like to stay busy regardless of how I feel as standing/sitting around on my phone makes me feel mentally and physically worse so if I don't feel like doing a mentally exhaustive task, I will switch to visual merchandising or organizing repairs or just flat out cleaning! I got up relatively early (thanks to Bustyboo) and ended up having breakfast and going for a 5km walk before noon! I have really been trying hard to get at least 10K steps/day and so far, I have been able to keep it up for a over a month! My Apple watch has been telling me what a good job I have been doing LOL!

BEAUTY | October 2024 Ipsy Glam Bag

Purchased by me

I am well aware that it is June, but hear me out! With the Canada Post strike at the beginning of November, this bag actually arrived AFTER my November Ipsy! Now, with Tariff War 2025 happening, I have slowed down my Ipsy subscription (they only let you skip every other month) in order to avoid the exchange rate and focusing less on American goods. When I did start using the October Ipsy bag I did notice that almost every product felt more suited to NOW than October so it all worked out!

NAILS | Mermaid Scales #CBBxManiMonday

 

Press samples

I am very excited to share today's mani with you because it is the first time I get to try BKIND's nail polishes! BKIND is a Quebec-based, woman-owned, vegan and plant-based beauty brand and in today's economy and trade war sitch, I am all about supporting Canadian brands! While I will have a separate post for BKIND's hair products and skincare, the nail polishes were the first products I literally GRABBED!

NAILS | Dior Coral Pop with Butterflies #CBBxManiMonday

 

Purchased by me

June is here and we are officially halfway through 2025! How crazy is that? The last 6 months has absolutely flown by both at work and in my personal life and I am looking forward to summer! My birthday is in a month which means vacation and annual birthday shopping spree is coming up so lots to look forward to. It has also been 6 month at work where for the first time in YEARS, I am actually enjoying the "managing people" part of my job in terms of educating the staff by putting together what I think are fun features and benefits emails, but for jewelry! It is the first time I have ever seen anyone do this in our location and I can only hope that the staff find this information useful. We have almost the perfect team and I say that in the sense that we have half a team of people who are keen to learn and care and the other half who are riding this job out until retirement so it is extremely hard to get ANYTHING from them. They make mistake and they don't really care to improve or apologize, BUT they are the most senior members of the team and currently the most knowledgeable since everyone else is so new. This situation is definitely loads better than the having the awful and toxic employee we used to have (thank God she left in December!), but still leaves us with questions on how to move forward.

SHEET MASK | Jumiso HelloSkin Chewy Elasticity Mask

Press sample

I wasn't feeling well almost all of last week. I had a headache for a week and even today I am still feeling it in bits and pieces. My guess is that it was mainly due to weather pressure as the humidity in Vancouver has been on the higher side, but waking and going to be with a sinus/pressure headache has sucked! We had a really intense work day last Sunday when we all came in while the store was closed to do a massive visual merchandising project that had us opening hundreds of boxes and disposing of them. It was a lot of physical work that left us all exhausted the next Monday morning. I was SUPER grumpy and pretty much kept to myself the next day just doing more paperwork than people things. I think it's time for a much needed vacation!