NAILS | Back to School Nail Art #ManiMonday

Last week's ManiMonday was seriously science-y and although I've maybe done one or two back to school themed nails before, this will be my first time doing them while NOT a student anymore! I was in university for two separate degrees from 2001-2011 and by the end of it I was done. I was exhausted from going to school full-time and working 40 hours a week and my then-boyfriend and I had decided that getting engaged was only going to happen once I graduated so I REALLY  wanted to be finished!

The Sally Hansen x Crayola collaboration has been one of my favourites to date and all I want to do is keep these polishes out forever because not only is the packing incredibly cute, the formulas are fantastic! Almost every single shade is a one-coater! This collection has reminded me of why Sally Hansen polishes were the first polishes I ever purchased because for the price, you get consistently good formulas and brushes that make nail polishing easy, fun and approachable. 

MAKEUP | Burberry Full Kisses Lipsticks with Lip Swatches

I'm really glad glossy is coming back because my lips have been so temperamental lately. I don't think I have ever mentioned this here, but whenever I get stressed, my lips get super swollen with tiny blisters and then flake like crazy for about a week. You can't even see anything, but my lips just feel very tight and uncomfortable. If anything, I have been asked if I have had lip injections whenever I have a flare up because my lips look so full! These flare-ups started when I got a big promotion at work in 2013 and then while I was prepping for my wedding. It went away while I was in the beauty industry and then came back when I started my current job two years ago. It is what it is so whenever I have a flare-up I go back to my glossy finish lipstick buddies to mask my dry patchy lips. My new friends go by the name of the Burberry Full Kisses* ($33.00 CDN) and they are a creamy full coverage, luminous finish lipstick lasting up to 8 hours!

NAILS | Pretty & Polished April Showers Swatch (It's a Thermal Polish!)

Whenever I wear an indie polish it really gives me a sense of nostalgia as this is when I first started getting interested in nail polish and while it is still a very large part of my life, I don't follow the indie game quite as closely now that my collection is in the thousands(!) and I've gotten more busy working with mainstream brands. This doesn't change the fact that I still have numerous indie untrieds to share with including Pretty & Polished April Showers that I picked up, I kid you not, 3-4 years ago! P&P did/does some great thermal polishes with many of the colour changes being extremely fun. April Showers is a bit more subtle, but has these wonderful bits of blue and white glitter that really make this a unique polish.  

SKINCARE | Mediheal Line Friends E.G.T Timetox Ampoule Mask Review

Hey, hey, hey! It's sheet mask time again! A lot of the masks I try to feature here on Cosmetic Proof are predominantly for the fun factor because I love a good, honest mask selfie. Some sheet masks are for show while others may look boring, but are in actual fact highly effective. Today's sheet mask is a little bit of both and was a collaboration between well known Korean sheet mask brand Mediheal and Line Friends! Line is a mobile messaging app that I started using a couple of years ago and within the app are very expressive sticker emojis that eventually became a character line beloved by all.

BATH & BODY | Crystal Hills Organics - Crystal Infused Skincare!

Last month I had posted on my Instagram stories about a local new-to-me brand that I found interesting, but had a few questions about. Crystal Hills Organics is based in Kelowna, BC in the gorgeous Okanagan Valley (their Instagram will have you wishing you could work your 9-5 job there) with a goal of using the healing power of nature to soothe, cleanse and protect and enhance the body. Crystal Hills has their own organically certified farm for all the grapes, herbs and flowers used in their products and the soil is enriched so that only the freshest and highest quality ingredients are used. Not only was I happy to learn of this, but also that the founder, Andrea Barone, has a background in Biological Science and Occupational Health and Safety. There are so many indie green brands popping up that I tend to gravitate towards the ones that have some scientific process or at the very least surround themselves with people who do. 

NAILS | Nucleotide Skittles Version 2.0 #ManiMonday

I started bullet journaling last month and in trying to keep to themes and staying organized, I have chosen "Back to School" and "Science" as my themes for beauty! You guys know that I love drawing molecules on my nails and I am hoping this theme will keep me focused and allow that creativity to come back. There will still be new Fall polishes featured. but academia will take priority!

Some of you may have already seen in stores one of the cutest and most perfect nail polish collaborations - Sally Hansen and Crayola! I mean talk about one of the best pairings ever! These polishes are bright, happy and pigmented to the max like most Insta-Dri polishes and have been so much fun to play with! It only seemed appropriate to use these new polishes for an updated version of the DNA nucleotide base nails that I did more than FIVE years ago. I cringe at how my photos and nails were back then, but hey at least I'm growing up!