Newish Drugstore Products That Just Didn't Work For Me

Okkkayyy, I don't typically leave negative reviews, and this isn't super negative - but, once I started really sticking to a budget and being more intentional with my purchases, it's highlighted if I spend my money on something that doesn't work for me, I feel like I should share it! 

 I purchased these products - this post contains affiliate links

These are drugstore products, so I haven't spent a crazy amount of money on them, but it's more so that they just didn't work for me personally - a couple of these were super hyped up and the other one was something I'd never seen before and scooped it up on a whim! 

Charlotte Tilbury Glow Gasm Beauty Light Wand - Swatches, Review and Thoughts

Okay, I know that I'm always late to reviews - I like to try things, okay?! It's not a bad thing, but I know that since I've prepped my thoughts on the Beauty Light wands, the brands have released a matte version, so naturally I'm sharing my thoughts on the older style product now! 

I purchased these products on my own - this post contains affiliate links

Charlotte Tilbury Glowgasm Beauty Light Wand ~ $52.00 CAN. A liquid highlighter wand that illuminates the face.

These products featured are mini sized - these aren't regular sold in mini sizes (although they should be because that price tag is high), but I did pick them up before Christmas in a holiday mini set to try them out! 

Manicure Monday - Rainbow Tip Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a good weekend! And Happy First Day of Spring! 

I purchased everything in this post

It's St. Patty's Month and the #CBBxManiMonday group was planning green or Spring nails for the whole month - I haven't actually done any green nails, so I should probably get on that next week! 

Five on Saturday - March 18, 2023 ~ Disneyland, Venco Book Review, St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun Trap, Disneyland Souvenirs, and Next in Fashion Season 2

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you all had a great week - it's been a bit of a week trying to get back in to the groove of being back to work after vacation. We had a time change, plus Spring back so it's taken a few days to catch up on my sleep! 

ONE 

I purchased everything on my own - this post contains affiliate links

All of last week we were away at Disneyland!!! It's been since pre-pandemic so I was so excited to have a little family getaway - we went to Anaheim and had a blast! We spent two days at the Disneyland Park, two days at California Adventure Park, and one day at Universal Studios! 

Manicure Tuesday - Olive & June Press On Short Diagonal Neon Nails Review

Happy Manicure Tuesday - I hope you all had a great weekend! I've been a little absent, but I'm back from holidays and slowly getting back in to the swing of things! 

I purchased everything in this post

I rarely miss Manicure Monday posts - last week I didn't have anything prepped for nails and no time to do them before I left for my California trip. So luckily (or unluckily since these were pretty terrible - check out my thoughts at the bottom), I found these on my first night shopping and applied them! 

Five on Friday - March 10, 2023 ~ Thrifting Haul, Elliott's 100 Day of Kindergarten, Amazon Finds, Disney Dreamlight Valley Game, and New Survivor Season

Happy Friday everyone - hope you had a great week! Also, I have been in Anaheim, California so I hope you have been following along on my instagram to see how my trip has been! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post - this post contains affiliate links

The first Wednesday of each month is 50% off Customer Appreciation Day at all the Calgary WINS locations and I found some great items - I also went to a GoodWill and all of this was under $60. This Goodwill was full priced, but there was great brands - brand new Nine West shows, BCBG skirt with tags on a Talula blazer! So many great finds! 

Five on Friday - March 3, 2023 ~ Meeting Cherie Dimaline, Month of Pescatarian Meals, New Hair, The Mandalorian, and New at Sephora Canada - Glossier and Paula's Choice

Happy Friday everyone and happy March - it's been a week alright. At the start of the week, Elliott got a stomach bug and was up all night one night and then yesterday we caught it in the middle of the night. But, we are all recovering and we are off to Disneyland tomorrow so I'm ready for a busy, fun vacation. 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post - this post contains affiliate links

This past week, Calgary Wordfest held an event with my favourite author - Cherie Dimaline, for her new book Venco! I'm a huge fan so this was amazing - listening to her speak about her book and everything that went in to it was fabulous! I'm halfway through and it's about feminist witches taking down the patriarchy and it's great! 

Monthly Beauty Favourites - February 2023

Here's a look at what I was loving this month:

I purchased everything in this post - this post contains affiliate links

Last year I started just picking any number of products I'm loving, instead of trying to find 5 each month (which I did previously!) So, whatever number of products I'm loving, that's what I will be sharing. 

Monthly Reads - February 2023

I hope you all enjoyed all the book reviews last year, since it's just another hobby of mine, it's not going anywhere! I loved doing the Monthly Wrap-up last year to share mini reviews on all the books I've read each month! 

It could be a big range from 2 to 10 books depending on how much I read, but I figure I can share a little synopsis and quick thoughts on each book. I will still be doing more in depth reviews on books that really capture me! 

Where Darkness Blooms was received as a review e-copy

So, in February I read 10 books - a mix of genres from adult dystopian to non-fiction memoirs. I love most genres, and I really want to keep my reads diversified this year - I think I have been doing a great job of that so far! Also, I've been trying to read a mix of old and new books and I've managed to do that this month, with mostly old  I read 6 audio books, 3 physical books, and 1 e-book! 

Monthly Beauty and Book Haul - February 2023

Last year I set a monthly beauty and books budget at $200 per month and I really stuck to it! I am trying to be thoughtful in my purchases, so this has been holding me accountable for being reasonable with my spending. Since it worked so well last year, I'm really trying to do the same thing this year! 

I do always love my Monthly Haul posts - it's a good way to keep track of everything that I picked up each month. I don't always blog about everything I pick up (I try to), but if you ever spot anything in here that you really want me to talk about, let me know! 

I purchased everything in this post

Sephora Haul ~ $120.75 CAN. There were a few new releases that came out this month that I was really excited about - the Urban Decay Quickie concealer and the Fruit Babies set really caught my eye! I have already reviewed and tried the makeup products - you can see my full post here! The Makeup By Mario lip balm came highly reviewed and the Olaplex was the coupon code, with a couple of foil samples. 

Manicure Monday - Matte Red Pink and White Striped Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend! 

The BioSculpture and China Glaze polishes were received as PR samples

Even though it's past Valentine's Day, the #cbbxmanimonday group is doing white, red and pink nails for the whole month and I always love this colour palette - I love the nails we do this month and I get so much inspiration. 

Skoah Illuminate Mask

I'm always excited to share a new product from Skoah - this is a brand I have been working with for a while. I hope you know that I only agree to work with brands I love and my reviews are always honest no matter what. This is a brand I have been loving for years before working with them! 

I received this product as part of the Ambassador program - this post contains a referral link

Skoah Illuminate Mask ~ $52.00 CAN. This gel based mask will boost your glow with brightening, hydrating, and soothing properties.

I've been using this Skoah masks for years - I love the Hydradew and AHA masks and used them for years! I have been trying all their serums and other products recently, so seeing a new mask from them got me really excited to try (this mask just released on February 7)! The illuminate serum was one of my Favourite Skincare products of last year, and you can see my thoughts on the Illuminate Serum here! 

Five on Friday - February 24, 2023 ~ Matching Family Moment, Wildlife Festival, Aerie Shorts Order, February Declutter, and The Perfect Match

Happy Friday everyone - I hope you all have a great week! We had a crazy amount of snow and cold, so it's been a long week, but I did take Tuesday off so I had an extra day hiding from the snow! 

ONE 

The JVN Embody Foam was sent as part of the Ambassador program, everything else I purchased - this post contains affiliate links

Nothing crazy, but we had a really cute matching family moment - we all got ready and picked our clothes out and turned out that we all matched up! So cute - we had lots of family birthdays and family time over the weekend and it was great! 

New At Sephora Haul, First Impressions and Swatches ~ Urban Decay Quickie Concealer, Makeup By Mario MoistureGlow Lip Serum, Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm Powder Flushed, and Glow Recipe Fruit Babies Set

Okay, I really enjoyed doing this last month with my Sephora haul last month - I've picked up a few new goodies this month again and instead of doing individual reviews on each of them, I thought doing a collective haul, thoughts and swatches here! 

I purchased everything in this post - this post contains affiliate links

Like last month, there were a few new releases that have caught my eye - the new Urban Decay concealer (they used to make my favourite concealer and then it got discontinued), the new Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm blush also caught my eye and I'm so excited to try both of them! 

Manicure Monday - Abstract Rose Stamped Nails

Happy Manicure Tuesday - I'm a day late this because it was family day weekend! 

The Curls & Pearls polish was received as a PR sample

I've been working on my stamping this month and so I'm really excited for this simple stamping that I did and I feel like it turned out so well! I love the abstract splash behind the stamped roses and they turned out quite perfectly if I do say so myself! 

Spring 2023 - The Jilly Box Subscription Unboxing

I'm a big fan of Jillian Harris, so when she announced that she was starting a subscription box, I was so excited! The box started with the Winter 2019 box and sadly, I was not one of the lucky originals who won a subscription spot, so I sign up every season and hope to get picked for a lottery spot! 

I purchased this box on my own 

The Jilly Box is a quarterly seasonal subscription box - the products within the box include some of Jillian’s (and Team Jilly’s!) favourite items (and brands) from home decor, fashion, bath and beauty, health and wellness, accessories perfect for each season. Some of the items included will be custom designed exclusively for the Jilly Box. The Jilly Box really focuses on including products from small, local businesses while being ethically sourced and inclusive. They also focus on reducing plastic waste and packaging - the big boxes can be turned inside out and reused! Also, they try to include Canadian, woman owned brands, as well as Bipoc and LGBTQ owned brands as well. 

Five on Saturday - February 18, 2023 ~ The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina Book Review, Valentine's Day, Porch YYC, Heart Espresso Cups, and Dollarama Finds

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have had a great week - mine was normal, but I'm certainly looking forward to having a long weekend! 

I purchased everything in this post

Right on the back of a book review last week, I've got another book I really enjoyed to share with you! The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova is an adult fantasy/magical realism novel that is lovely, layered and magical. It is described as a combination of Encanto and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and I loved both of those so it's no surprise that I loved this one too! This book follows the Montoya family and starts with all of Orquidea's descendants being introduced and called to her for her funeral, while she is still alive. Orquidea has a large family and has lots of secrets from the family - it starts a little heavy with all the family members and trying to keep track of who everyone is, while using a duel timeline to introduce Orquidea's story (she also has an incredibly complex past). Upon her death, Orquidea gifts everyone a seed, but a few of her grandchildren and great grandchild are gifted magic in the form of a flower growing from them. These are the characters we focus on for the rest of the story, so it makes it easier to focus following the initial introduction to a lot of characters! 

Finally Trying Victoria Beckham Beauty - Cheeky Posh Cream Blush, Lid Lustre Eyeshadow and Posh Lipstick

I have been wanting to try out Victoria Beckham products forever - this brand was on my list last year to try, so I got a few lovely products from my husband for Christmas and I was so excited to finally try out the brand! 

I purchased these products (or my husband did)

I will start by saying that certainly, this brand is a little pricey - it is a luxury type brand, along with the rest of the Victoria Beckham name, so that doesn't surprise me. But, it is what has stopped me from trying from the brand for so long - they are a bit more of an investment when you pick them up! 

Manicure Monday - Valentine's Easy Heart Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend! I had a fun girls night out and a quiet weekend overall! 

I purchased everything in this post - this post contains affiliate links

I'm excited it's February and that means we are going to see a whole bunch of white, red and pink nails from the #cbbxmanimonday group - I always love the nails we do this month! And, it's Valentine's week so naturally, I have to have some type of heart nails this week! Personally these were quick and easy (which I needed this weekend!)

Five on Friday - February 10, 2023 ~ Under The Whispering Door Review, Romance Novels on My TBR, Vegan Cookbooks, Costco Finds, and YYC Hot Chocolate Fest

Happy Friday everyone - I hope you all have had a great week! 

ONE 

The Simple & Delicious Vegan cookbook was received as a review copy - this post contains affiliate links

I'm so excited to get right in to adding book reviews for books I'm loving this year and I'm excited to dive right in with the lovely all ages (YA and adult) fantasy - Under The Whispering Door by T.J. Klune. This is truly a delight - all I can say is that I don't know how a book surrounding death can be so full of love! This book is heavily surrounding death, so if that's not something that works for you, I would be aware - we encounter our main character, Wallace, at the end of his life as he meets a reaper and a ferryman who are there to assist him in passing through to the afterlife, or "the whispering door". Wallace realizes that perhaps he didn't live his life the way that he wanted, and he wants to make amends and is not quite ready to pass. Eventually Wallace is given a seven day timeline to get his affairs in order and be ready to move on and we following everything from there. 

Lush Kitchen Subscription - February 2023

The Lush Kitchen Subscription box is a monthly subscription box full of exclusive Lush Kitchen goodies made exclusively for the box - every month subscribers vote on the monthly menu of products that they would or would not like to see in the box, so you can help pick what is included in the box! Also, all of the products included in each box will be vegan. 

Each month the Lush Kitchen Subscription is $49.95 CAN box is  per month + shipping (shipping to Alberta is $6.00 CAN and likely varies province to province). The subscription will come with 4-5 exclusive products and I think it will include a variety of products that Lush makes; but, will of course be mostly bath and body products.

I purchased this box 

Each month you pay and vote for products that are coming in the following month's box - so for this February box, you had until January 5 to vote on the products you'd like to see and then payment comes out on the 6th of the previous month. Then, Lush spends the month making the products and ships it out at the end of January so you receive it in February! 

Quarterly Beauty Empties ~ October - December 2022

Monthly Empties posts were getting a little overwhelming - they were a lot to write and keep notes about. I've decided to still talk about empties, but only makeup products and skincare products (no more body, hair, nail or personal care products!) It was just getting too much, but I still want to share my thoughts on products I've used up! 

Some products may have been received as PR samples - this post contains affiliate links

Physicians Formula Butter Believe It! Skin Mist ~ $17.49 CAN. Incredibly weightless formula smooths skin texture and effortlessly sets and refreshes makeup for all-day wear!

I didn't really need a new setting spray, but I couldn't resist! I love the scent of the Physician's Formula products, and this has that summery scent that smells delicious and I loved that! I finished this one, but this one was a little thick and the spray wasn't as thin or easy to apply. 

Repurchase: No 

Manicure Monday - Crazy Cat Lover Nails

Happy Manicure Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend! 

I purchased everything in this post

I'm excited it's February and that means we are going to see a whole bunch of white, red and pink nails from the #cbbxmanimonday group - I always love love month so I'm hoping I will have a bunch of inspiration for fun nails! 

Monthly Beauty and Book Haul - January 2023

Last year I set a monthly beauty and books budget at $200 per month and I really stuck to it! I am trying to be thoughtful in my purchases, so this has been holding me accountable for being reasonable with my spending. Since it worked so well last year, I'm really trying to do the same thing this year! 

I do always love my Monthly Haul posts - it's a good way to keep track of everything that I picked up each month. I don't always blog about everything I pick up (I try to), but if you ever spot anything in here that you really want me to talk about, let me know! 

I purchased everything in this post

Sephora Order ~ $126.00 CAN. I was really excited for some of these newer products at Sephora (especially that Rare Beauty highlighter!) - I did a full unboxing and first impressions of the products! First impressions of everything was good and the Rare Beauty Positive Light made my Monthly Favourites for January! So, good first haul of the year! 

Five on Saturday - February 4, 2023 ~ WINS Thrifting Haul, January Month of Vegetarian/Pescatarian Meals, RW & Co Haul, Declutter, and Thoughts on the #MascaraGate Drama

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have had a great week! It's been busy here and I'm glad it's the weekend!  

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post

I'm so excited with my thrifting haul! The Women in Need (WINS) Thrift stores in Calgary do a 50% on the first Wednesday of each month for a customer appreciation day and it's been a while since I've been thrifting there. This month I managed to get to two stores and found some amazing deal! I got three pairs for jeans (two RW&Co and one pair Eddie Bauer all great condition), plus a brand new pair of boots and slim winter boots and some books! Great finds!

Monthly Reads - January 2023

I hope you all enjoyed all the book reviews last year, since it's just another hobby of mine, it's not going anywhere! I loved doing the Monthly Wrap-up last year to share mini reviews on all the books I've read each month! 

It could be a big range from 2 to 10 books depending on how much I read, but I figure I can share a little synopsis and quick thoughts on each book. I will still be doing more in depth reviews on books that really capture me! 

Bad Cree was sent to me as a digital e-arc - this post contains affiliate links

So, in January I read 10

 books - a mix of genres from a middle grade graphic to an adult horror. I love most genres, and I really want to keep my reads diversified this year - I think I have been doing a great job of that so far! Also, I've been trying to read a mix of old and new books (this month, I focused a little more on the newer books, but will work on a better mix in the future months!) I read 7 audio books, 2 physical books, and one e-book! 

Monthly Beauty Favourites - January 2023

Here's a look at what I was loving this month:

The JVN Hair product was received as part of their review program - this post contains affiliate links

Last year I started just picking any number of products I'm loving, instead of trying to find 5 each month (which I did previously!) So, whatever number of products I'm loving, that's what I will be sharing. 

Manicure Monday - Lavender Haze Nails

Happy Manicure Monday everyone - hope you all had a good weekend! It was so cold here all weekend, I hibernated inside! 

I purchased everything in this post

Okay, there were a few viral nail trends last year - the glazed donut and chocolate nails, so naturally, when Taylor Swift just dropped her Lavender Haze music video this week, I have seen these gorgeous lavender nails everywhere! Personally, I love this look of light, gentle shimmering lavender nails! 

Five on Saturday - January 28, 2022 ~ Damian is 18, Printed Cupcakes, Bulk Barn Valentine's Haul, New Plants, and a Weighted Blanket

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all had a good week. It was a long week here, just lots of work and it was busy! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post

You guys - my first baby turned 18 this week! I can't believe - time has flown by. But, we went out to celebrate at a pub (family friendly so his friends could come and so could his little brother). You guys loved up doing a tequila shot together on instagram (my most watched reel in a while!) 

The Three Worst Products I Tried in 2022 - Skincare and Makeup

You should know by now that I really try and shy away from poor or negative reviews - I like to keep things positive around here, so I typically only share things I love! Now, that doesn't mean I will lie, if something isn't great I would never say it is, but I tend to keep my content to things I enjoy. 

But, I make an exception for the Worst Products of the year, because these aren't just a little bad or I didn't like them, these are all pretty terrible products that I could never recommend them!

I purchased these products on my own

It's 2023, but do we still need disclaimers like, "just because I didn't like this single product, doesn't mean I don't love the brand" or, "please, don't be offended if one of these is your favourite products"? Because, yes all of that is true, and I think it should go without saying - a lot of these products are from brands that I like and have tried other things from and one product is not a reflection of the whole brand! And really, to only have 3 terrible products to talk about means it was a pretty good year! 

Manicure Monday - Magenta Floral Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend! 

I purchased everything in this post

I always get excited because the start of a New Year means a new Pantone Colour of the Year - I'm so excited for the 2023 Colour of the Year because it is Viva Magenta! I love pinks and magentas and it's such a gorgeous colour family - I feel like I'm going to get a lot of inspiration from this colour! 

Five on Friday - January 21, 2023 ~ Valentines Day Haul, Gaz Oakley Book, Strange World, That 90's Show, and The Last of Us

Happy Friday everyone - I hope you all had a great week! It's been pretty quiet here. I am taking a slow approach in to blogging, so I'm enjoying time to myself and indulging in some other hobbies as well! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post 

Is it too early to think about Valentine's Day?! I just rarely go out to a store, so when I did last weekend, I had to pick up a few goodies. Elliott loves squishmallows, so he will get this on Valentine's Day and some cute chocolate for the boys. Then, the Power Bracelet slap on bracelets for E to hand out in class! 

New At Sephora Haul, First Impressions and Swatches ~ Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter, Sephora Collection Color Shifter Eyeshadow Palette, and Sephora Pout Perfect Lip Set

Trying something a little different here - I don't often do a full haul with my initial swatches and thoughts, but I picked up a few little new sets and items from Sephora that I can't do full posts on each item, so thought I'd share my thoughts here and show you what I picked up! 

I purchased everything in this post - this post contains affiliate links

There have been a few things that have caught my eye lately - specifically the Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter and the Sephora Collection Color Shifter Eye Shadow Palette!

Manicure Monday - Viva Magenta Dotticure

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend! I've been loving starting these weeks with lovely pink nails! 

These products were all purchased by me

I always get excited because the start of a New Year means a new Pantone Colour of the Year - I'm so excited for the 2023 Colour of the Year because it is Viva Magenta! I love pinks and magentas and it's such a gorgeous colour family - I feel like I'm going to get a lot of inspiration from this colour! 

Five on Saturday - January 14, 2022 ~ New Plant, Costco Finds, Calgary Zoo, New Miley Cyrus Music, and New Reddit Obsession

Happy Saturday everyone! Phew, what a week - this is when everything is back at and I'm exhausted! I know I was back to work last week, but this week the boys were back in school, basketball started again and so did volleyball for me. The adjustment I think is hard on everyone, so it feels like it's been a really long week! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post

I'm actually trying not to buy a lot of extras or useless stuff this year - if you saw my goals, I'm trying to be thoughtful about everything I pick up. But, this Monestera was only $19.99 at Costco, and since I spent more than that on protein bars for my husband, I figured this couldn't hurt. It's huge and lovely, but I didn't research that this is labelled as "toxic" to my kitties - I did a bit more diving and saw nothing is toxic, but there is crystals on the leaves that are an irritant (I'm not saying that's good, just I'm not going to kill my cat accidentally). So, I got an elevated stand and they don't like it so it works. 

Best Product Discoveries of 2022 - Hair, Skincare and Body

I always love rounding up my favourite products of the year - I just completed my Favourite Makeup of 2022 and I'm excited to share the rest of the best products I tried this year! (Also, I do mean what I tried this year - some products were not released this year! 

The JVN & Skoah products were received as part of their ambassador programs - this post contains affiliate links

I personally didn't try a ton of new products all year - I'm really working on trying something and using it all up before trying too many other new products in the same category! With that being said, everything I talked about on my Monthly Favourites, I still love; but, when I think of the best products of the year, I think of the ones that have been total standouts or game-changers in my routine! 

Manicure Monday - Magenta Stripy Abstract Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend! 

The Biosculpture polish was received as a PR sample - this post contains affiliate links

I always get excited because the start of a New Year means a new Pantone Colour of the Year - I'm so excited for the 2023 Colour of the Year because it is Viva Magenta! I love pinks and magentas and it's such a gorgeous colour family - I feel like I'm going to get a lot of inspiration from this colour! 

My Top 10 Favourite Books of 2022 (And A Little Yearly Wrap Up and My Five Worst Books of the Year)

I've wrapped up all the books I've read all year through my Monthly Reads and I've been sharing reviews on everything I've rated 4.5 and 5 stars (so my top 10 might not be a total surprise as I'm sure you've seen these around here)! 

I purchased all of these books - this post contains affiliate links

I read 110 books this year - a good mix of older and newer books and from every genre you can think of!  There is a mix of adult and YA from all different genres - fantasy, romance, contemporary, and historical fiction, so a little bit of everything in there! 

Five on Friday - January 6, 2023 ~ My 2022 Tarot Spread, Reviewing My 2022 Goals, Setting Goals for 2023, 2022 Brand Recap and Brands To Try in 2023

Happy Friday everyone and happy first Friday of 2023! I always find it a little hard to get back in to the work groove after the holiday break - it was a busy week, so I'm happy it's Friday and looking forward to a weekend with Elliott (he was at the cabin for a week so it was quiet here after Christmas!)

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post - this post contains affiliate links

I love getting prepped for the New Year - I'm not big in to resolutions or anything, but I am in to feeling reset and refreshed and planning and looking ahead! So, since I got the beautiful Phantomwise Tarot deck (designed by the talented Erin Morgenstern - my favourite author) in November, I have been trying to get back in to tarot. I often just draw a card a day to manifest the day, but I saw her do a spread for the year - a card a month, plus a summation card for the year. This is my year ahead and I really enjoyed summing up each month and will make sure to reflect back on this! 

Monthly Beauty and Book Haul ~ December 2022

I'm switching up my Monthly Haul posts a little bit this year, because I'm actually *trying* to stick to a bit of a budget! I've been going a little crazy on the beauty and books front, so I just want to be a little more thoughtful in my purchases. So. I'm trying to keep my beauty and book purchases to $200 a month - we'll see! 

I do always love my Monthly Haul posts - it's a good way to keep track of everything that I picked up each month. I don't always blog about everything I pick up (I try to), but if you ever spot anything in here that you really want me to talk about, let me know! 

Sephora Order ~ $35.27 CAN. I needed to pick up some cleansing oils and balms - I was trying to pick new, affordable cleansers and so far, the Innisfree Cleansing Oil is a favourite! It made my Favs on December - plus, the samples were from brands I love. I haven't tried the Inkey List yet, but I will try it out soon! 

Best Makeup Discoveries of 2022 - Top 10 Favourites

I always love rounding up my Favourite products I've discovered every year - this is the  Personally, I include products that I've discovered within the year (not necessarily products that were released in the year, or I don't include every category as I just want to pick the best products I've tried overall!)

The XO and Estee products were received as PR samples - this post contains affiliate links

With that being said, everything I talked about on my Monthly Favourites, I still love; but, when I think of the best products of the year, I think of the ones that have been total standouts or game-changers in my routine! So, that is what I'm going to focus on for this year's Top 10 Favourites! 

Manicure Monday - Magenta Warm & Fuzzy Winter Penguin Nails

 Happy Manicure Monday - can we believe it's 2023 now?! It's so exciting! 

I purchased everything in this post

Well, I always get excited because the start of a New Year means a new Pantone Colour of the Year - I'm so excited for the 2023 Colour of the Year because it is Viva Magenta! I love pinks and magentas and it's such a gorgeous colour family - I feel like I'm going to get a lot of inspiration from this colour! 

Reflections of 2022 ~ Yearly Recap

Happy 2023 Everyone! 2022 was another year to remember - it's been full of highlights and a few ups and downs; but, we always make the best of it. I finally got my trip to Italy in that was postponed and all restrictions were lifted, so it was nice to see things get back to normal! 

I'm a super nostalgic person and I love looking back a moments in time and remembering how it was and picturing myself back there (this is why I'm a big scrapbooker too!), and despite dealing with a pandemic, there was some really amazing moments from this year!