Skincare Sunday - Maskingdom I Wish "Having A Baby" Mask

Happy Skincare Sunday - I'm still easing myself in to blogging slowly here! My little guy is just 1 week old so I'm still trying to get in to a routine here! 

My skincare has fallen a little to the wayside the last week so I have been trying to get a lot of masking in when I can! 

Maskingdom I Wish "Having A Baby" Mask ~ $7.00. Trying to hard to get pregnant? The mask of Ylang Love essential attributed to its properties as an antidepressant and aphrodisiac. Helps you sooth your body and get your man ready for everything.

Okay.... so I bought this thinking it was a fun baby announcement, post baby! Trust me, I am not planning on using this to help me get pregnant at all.

April 2017 - What I Bought This Month!

It's time for my monthly haul!! I have really enjoyed seeing what I buy every month! I like that I get to share everything I have purchased (because really some of it would get lost in my beauty collection if I didn't!) Also, helps to keep me on track - starting next month, I am planning on sticking to spending around $100 per month on beauty since I will be on a slight budget with a new baby! 

I will only include products I have spent money on - gifts, pr samples, and freebies are usually shared on posts like my Five on Friday posts! 

Here is what I bought this month:

Scratch Monthly Mani Kit ~ $19.52. This subscription is $10 US + $5 shipping, and I like getting this subscription every few months when I want the limited edition wraps! I did a quick review on this here if you are interested! I won't be getting next months since I'm not really interested in the wrap design, but this is a great way to get some fun nail goodies! 

Five on Friday - April 28, 2017

Happy Friday everyone!! Holy moly, this has been a big week for us! 

ONE

This Sunday, April 23 we welcomed our beautiful little boy, Elliott to our family! He came at 2:08 in the morning - I ended up being induced because of my blood pressure (which has been high my whole pregnancy). Elliott came pretty quickly, but gave us a little scare as he had his umbilical cord around his neck twice and needed a little extra oxygen after he was born. He recovered really well and is doing great! 

Mask Wednesday - Holika Holika Before & After Mask Sheet "After Night Overtime" Review

Happy Mask Wednesday! I have been so looking forward to masking - it has been a few days since I have worn a mask and my skin can tell!

Holika Holika Before & After Mask Sheet "After Night Overtime" Review ~ $3.00 CAN. This mask sheet contains vitality essence (peppermint, chamomile, acerola, blueberry) . It improves dull skin after night overtime. 

I will say a newborn baby at nighttime is the exact same thing as working nighttime overtime (maybe even harder). And, I used to work shift work so I definitely know this! I'm am lacking in the sleep department right now so my skin could use some vitality right now! 

Manicure Tuesday - My Favorite Nail Art Looks!

Happy Manicure Tuesday everyone! If you follow me on Instagram, you know I welcomed my newest addition to the family early Sunday morning! We are getting settled, and actually I spent my Manicure Tuesday filing his nails instead of doing my own!

Thank goodness my nail wraps from last week are still looking good (thank you Scratch for making good wraps), and instead I am going to recap for you some of my favorite nail art I have done! 

Octopus Nail Art

I looooove how this octopus turned out! This was on a little harder scale of nail art that I have done (and I did use some acrylic paint to make it a little easier to do). Check out my how-to on this nail art! 

Earth Day Skincare Saturday - Lush Cup O' Coffee Mask Review and A Look At Lush's Environmental Practices!

I decided to move my regular Skincare Sunday post to a Skincare Saturday this week - today is a special day because it is Earth Day! I think today of all days, it's not only important to feature a review of a product from an environmentally friendly brand, but also to talk about how the brand is contributing to a better environment overall!

When I think of a brand that makes amazing products and is environmentally friendly - I immediately think of Lush! I am total Lushie and have been for quite a while - my husband just goes to Lush on any occasion and scoops me up a gift basket, because he knows I love pretty much everything! 

Lush is not only an environmentally friendly brand, but they also focus on fighting animal testing and buying ethically sourced ingredients for their products. They do not test their products on animals and only source ingredients from suppliers that do not test on animals as well. In addition to fighting animal testing in the industry, they have created a Charity Pot program - where 100% of the price goes to charitable organizations. Through their initiatives, since 2007 Lush has donated $17 million to 1400 grassroots charitable organizations in the areas of environmental conservation, animal welfare and human rights. 

Five on Friday - April 21, 2017

Happy Friday everyone! Hope your week is good - mine was a little busy with a few appointments (baby is only 2 weeks away at this point in time!), but I still had plenty of time to relax this week! And, relaxing is exactly what I needed this week! 

ONE

Did you guys get your Benefit sample in the mail this week?! This sample of the Benefit Cosmetics "They’re Real! Double The Lip Lipstick & Liner in One" is actually bigger than a sample - it is a travel size product worth $14.00! 

The shade I received is "Pink Thrills" and it is described as a true pink. This is a liner and lipstick in one product! I'm super curious to test this out - when I have time, I will do a post on it!

April 2017 - Boxycharm Unboxing and Review

Boxycharm is a beauty subscription box for $21.00 a month + $5.00 shipping to Canada (shipping is free to the U.S.) Boxycharm sends 4 to 5 full size and luxury size beauty items. 

This subscription focuses heavily on make-up items - so that is something to keep in mind! (I personally love all the makeup though and they have sent full size palettes in the past!) While it is a little pricier than the inexpensive beauty boxes, the majority of the products are full size! 

Every subscriber generally receives the same products, but their is usually 1 or 2 items that have a few variations, so our boxes may not be identical! 

Here is a look at my April Boxycharm:

This month's theme is "Boho Glow" and Boxycharm always includes a detailed product card explaining the items that were included in each month's subscription. 

Mask Wednesday - The Face Shop Real Nature Face Mask "Peony"

Happy Mask Wednesday - this week I'm sharing a Real Nature mask from The Face Shop! The Real Nature line is The Face Shop's basic mask line. They are inexpensive and are generally pretty good masks! 

The Face Shop Real Nature Face Mask "Peony" ~ $3.00. The mask sheet drenched in a smooth serum with oil with the vibrant life energy of Peony provides skin with illuminating radiance. Formula is without added parabens.

I can say that the Real Nature line used to be $2.00 each and now they are $3.00 - not a big deal, I still think they are really affordable! I have tried quite a few masks from The Real Nature line and some are really great - the rice mask is great for brightening skin. 

Manicure Tuesday - Scratch and NinaNailedIt Tropical Floral Wraps!

Hope you guys are used to Manicure Tuesday by now instead of Manicure Manicure, because that it just the way my life is currently going! Also, I'm back to not being able to stand the smell of nail polish, so it's a good thing I have a solid supply of nail wraps! 

The wraps I used for this week's Mani are the Scratch and NinaNailedIt Tropical Floral Wraps - these are a limited edition design because they came in the April Monthly Mani Kit. This is the $10 subscription from Scratch - you can check out my past reviews on the subscription here! 

Beauty Packing Essentials - What's In My Maternity Hospital Bag

This isn't my typical post, but I'm officially over 37 weeks pregnant, so I could have this baby at any point in time! It was time to pack my hospital bag (and most importantly, my beauty essentials for a night or two at the hospital - I tried to pack my beauty bag like I was traveling for a night or two!)

I'm trying to keep my Maternity Hospital Bag as natural and as simple as possible! Everything in here needs to be quick and easy to use because I will be exhausted and will probably not have a lot of time to myself! 

Skincare Sunday - Nip + Fab No Needle Fix Eye and Moisturiser

Happy Skincare Sunday everyone! I am reviewing some newer products from Nip and Fab - products from their No Needle line! I have reviewed some products from the Nip and Fab Dragon's Blood Line before and was pleasantly surprised! 

Nip + Fab certainly delivers on eye-popping branding - bee sting line, viper venom line, dragon's blood line, no needle fix, etc. When you walk by those names in a store, you will do a double take! 

Five on Friday - April 14, 2017

Happy Friday everyone! Well - I have officially been off work for 4 weeks pre-baby and I have to say this week really feels like I got in to a routine. My first few weeks were a little relaxed and I just sort of procrastinated everything. This week, I made a task to get done every day and met all of them so it feels pretty good! I'm certainly not overdoing it though and enjoying my time to relax, read and watch netflix! 

Also, happy Easter weekend - hopefully the bunny comes along and gives you a lovely egg hunt. I have eaten my fair share of mini eggs already, but hopefully more come on Sunday! 

ONE

I always have to start with my pretty mail! I just received my April Scratch Monthly Mani Kit, which is a nice, affordable subscription that includes 1 set of nail wraps from GoScrachIt that are exclusive to the kit and designed by NinaNailedIt.

Cougar Beauty Liquid Lipstick "Rioja" - Swatch, Makeup Look and Review!

One of my favorite parts of being a beauty blogger (and subscription box addict) are all the new beauty brands I have found myself being introduced to. I was first introduced to Cougar Beauty through Boxycharm last year, so I am happy to showcase a liquid lipstick from the brand because I think it not well known in Canada! 

Cougar Beauty is a cruelty-free brand that is manufactured in the UK. They focus on providing high quality must-have products! They are focused on using innovative formulas, while staying environmentally focused. All ingredients are sourced locally, so transportation and manufacturing emissions are kept to a minimum. I really love this brand philosophy and think any company taking an environmental and cruelty-free stance is great! 

Mask Wednesday - The Creme Shop Calm Down, Skin! Kitty Face Mask Review

Happy Mask Wednesday everyone! Two of my very favorite things are cats and animal masks, so when I find a product that combines both of these I get pretty excited! Enter The Creme Shop Kitty Face Mask that I found while shopping at Winners a couple of weeks ago! 

The Creme Shop Calm Down, Skin! Kitty Face Mask ~ $4.00. Refresh with a cat nap and a cat mask. Infused with pink grapefruit, this calico cat is rich in lycopene to heal inflammation and sun damage.

I haven't actually heard of The Creme Shop before, but it looks like it is an American company that has their products made in Korea.

Manicure Tuesday - Easter Bunny Nails!!!

It's time for an Easter Mani - and i'm thinking cute little bunnies are the perfect way to go! 

These little bunnies are so cute! I may have went a little too fast with the top coat and caused a little bleeding, but they still look good! 

Milk Makeup Holographic Stick "Supernova" - Lavender Unicorn Highlighter Trend!

I was so excited when Milk Makeup announced that they were coming to Canada at the beginning of March! They have some great products, but their best known product is the Supernova Holographic Stick! 

Clearly, unicorn makeup and lavender highlighter are so trendy right now! And why not?! It's such a gorgeous colour! 

Milk Makeup is a brand focused on multi-use products because they believe in no rules and self expression with their products! Everything is paraben-free, cruelty-free, and eco-conscious ingredients.  

Skincare Sunday - Lush Easter Collection!

Happy Skincare Sunday everyone - it's no secret around here that I love Lush and I love their special holiday releases! Their Easter releases are always so darn cute! (Let's be real, last year I bought myself the biggest Easter wrapped gift because I wanted to have ALL the goodies!)

The Lush Easter collection has everything in it - face wash, soap, lip scrub, shower gel, bath bombs, and bubble bars (plus they always have cute wrapped gifts too).

Five on Friday - April 7, 2017

Happy Friday everyone - hope you all had a great week! I have had a pretty relaxing week - it has been a little hard to keep my motivation up being at home every day! I have been making sure to go for walks and I have lots of thoughts on what I want to do, but I have recently been sucked in to a Pretty Little Liars marathon on Netflix! 

ONE

I have finally found the Diaper Bag I want!!! This is the Kate Spade Watson Lane Stevie Diaper Bag! The best part about this find is that it was only $75.00 on Kijiji and it is in pristine condition! (To put this in perspective, this bag is currently on Nordstrom Canada for $558.73 CAN or on Kate Spade for $398.00 US). 

Lush Grand Opening Party - Chinook Mall, Calgary Event

It's no secret on here that I love Lush Cosmetics, so when I heard that they were expanding the size of the store in the mall near me, I was so excited! I had to attend their grand re-opening party on April 1! 

How cute is the set-up of the new store?! It's so huge now! The new store location in Chinook Mall Calgary is just down the hall from the old location and it is now over 6 times the size of the old location!!! 

Mask Wednesday - Montagne Jeunesse 7th Heaven Soften Glove Masques

While I mostly focus on sheet masks and face masks on my Mask Wednesday posts, I love using all masks so I am so excited to share a hand mask with you guys this week! 

Montagne Jeunesse 7th Heaven Soften Glove Masques ~ $5.99. Say goodbye to rough, dry hands… Our Softening Glove Masques provide rich moisture using softening Shea Butter to help treat rough, dry and chapped hands. We’ve also popped in pressed Rose Petals for a deliciously floral fragrance you won’t be able to resist!

March 2017 - Monthly Favorites!

Here is a look at my 5 Favorite goodies that I was loving in March! 

Beauty Clinic - Mediheal Dress Code "Blue" Mask ~ $3.00. Herb, Aqua care, (Anti-wrinkle function). Herb aqua solution- With this Mediheal Mask Dress Code, Experience a beauty beyond compare during intensive skin care and complete all skin care steps with mask dress's dignity. Uses a highly concentrated formulation of natural materials, helps your unbalanced skin become healthier by making it resistant to stress and restoring skin balance.

Manicure Tuesday - Geometric Color Block Nails

Nail Time - happy Manicure Tuesday!!! So sad story, last week I snapped one of my nails off (wahhhh.... seriously right in half, bleeding and everything - it was so sad!) So sadly, I had to cut off my nails! It is hard to think of nail art for short nails, but I have been color blocking lately! 

I'm loving Periwinkle shades right now, so I am loving this Spring color combination!

March 2017 - Month in Masks & Mask Empties!

Masking is a huge part (and probably my favorite part) of my skincare routine! I try to use all types of masks as often as possible as I find they really help moisturize and improve my skin! 

This post is a review of all the masks I use each month and mini reviews on all of them - I also consider the Month of Masks my Mask Empties post, because I do not feature my sheet masks in my monthly empties post! You can check out my past Month of Masks here! 

Here is a look at the masks I used in March:

March 1
TONYMOLY I'm Real Mask Sheet - Seaweed ~ $1.99 US. Purifying sheet mask. Contains seaweed. Makes dull skin bright and radiant.

This mask was featured on a Mask Wednesday - you can check out my review here! This mask was not my favorite sheet mask at all. I did not find it moisturizing at all and I need hydration out of my sheet masks! 
Repurchase: Maybe another Tony Moly mask, but not this type! 

Skincare Sunday - Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Recovery Mask-In-Oil Review!

It's Skincare Sunday - this weekend I am sharing a look at a new, unique product from Estee Lauder!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Recovery Mask-In-Oil Review ~ $100.00 CAN. The concentrated formula strengthens, nourishes and rebuilds, helping to create a virtual nighttime cocoon. Prepares skin for the day ahead by boosting its natural resistance to daily environmental assaults. Use it every night and awaken to skin that looks more healthy, renewed and radiant.

This oil acts as a repair-lock to help seal in the benefits of a nighttime serum - this added step encourages vital, natural skin recovery over night, while protecting and prepping skin for the day ahead. 

March 2017 - Monthly Empties!

Time to look at my beauty garbage for March:

Skindinavia The Makeup Primer Spray ~ sample size (full size is $35-$49). Pore-clogging silicone primers have no place on your face! Get perfect makeup now and a virtually poreless, more even-toned complexion later. Our lightweight, silicone-free primer mist delivers a smooth canvas for impeccable, long-wear makeup application, and offers long-term skin benefits you’ll love as well!