December 2019 - Monthly Favourites!

Here are my Favourite Products I have been loving this month:

The mist was received in PR - this post contains affiliate links

Clearly this month is a little heavy on the glitter eye shadows - I tried so many in November and December, and there was so many that I really loved that I couldn't help but include more than one! 

Manicure Monday - Best Nail Art of 2019!

Happy Manicure Monday everyone! Can you believe this is the last Mani Monday of 2019?! And, I'm being a bad nail blogger without having anything new this week! But, instead I'm recapping my Favourite Nail Art looks from the past year! 

The rest of the #CBBxManiMonday crew is featuring Holiday nails, so I'm veering a little off course! I haven't done a ton of nail art this past year, so I like looking back at the best looks and hopefully it inspires me to do more nail art in 2020! (Also, it's kind of holiday because it's a New Yearsish recap, right?!)

Some polishes featured in the looks may have been received as PR

Emoji Nail Art 

This is probably my favourite nail art of the year! I did these Emoji nails for Valentine's Day and I think they turned out so cute. I love how the lips and the kissy face turned out - and the heart eyes and heart turned out well too! You can see the original post right here! 

December 2019 Tribe Beauty Box x Angeschka - Unboxing and Review

I'm always on alert for beauty boxes and what they are sneak-peeking. I've previously subscribed to Tribe Beauty Box earlier this year, so when I saw that they were teaming up with Angelica Nyqvist (Angeschka) I was pretty excited! 

I purchased this subscription - this post contains referral links

Tribe Beauty Box is all about indie brands and woman owned companies. They describe the box as "discover the wonderful and untapped world of indie brands through our customizable subscription box. This box gives you a chance to receive a mix of trendy and indie products that have been expertly curated. Every Tribe Beauty Box contains at least 3 items from female owned brands." And, Angeschka is a Swedish youtuber who really focuses on indie brands too! Tribe also is a Canadian subscription, so they often feature Canadian brand as well! 

December 2019 What I Bought - Monthly Haul!

Time for a look at everything I picked up in December - I really love these Monthly Haul posts - they give me a way to share everything I pick up each month as I don't always post about everything I get!

For 2019, I put myself on "stricter" $100 a month budget, not because I need to; it's actually to be more conscious about what I purchase. I also really want to make sure that I'm enjoying and using everything on my collection! But, over the past couple of months, I got a little less strict and went over budget! (I still think I'm being a little more thoughtful in my purchases while I go overboard!)

I purchased everything in this post

Shoppers Drug Mart Haul ~ $50.64 CAN. (I also redeemed $220.00 worth of Optimum points). Alright, I love when Shoppers has a point redemption event, so I stocked up! I picked up a back up of the Estee Lauder Double Wear, as well as Double Wear Light. Then I picked up a Too Faced Glitter Glue, Urban Decay Naked concealer (hoping to replace my Naked Skin concealer), then I picked up the Catrice, Patchology, Quo and bath bomb sets - that I featured in my Stocking Stuffers post. I picked up the Quo crackers that were supposed to arrive before my friends Christmas party, so now I will save them for next year! I also bought the Catrice mascara and liner as well as a Double Cleanser from the Inkey List! 

Five on Friday - December 27, 2019

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have had an amazing week and a fantastic Christmas or holiday, however you celebrate! I had such a busy week - lots of family time with my family and my husband's family! And, Christmas with the kids was amazing! 

ONE 

All products in this post were purchased by me - this post contains affiliate links

It's time for a look at my Winter 2019 Reading List! I always like to pick a variety of books to read over each season. But, my to-read list is getting so long, I've had to break it up in to fiction and non-fiction reads, so this is my fiction list for Winter! 

Manicure Monday - Christmas Nail Art

The countdown to Christmas is on!!! Woo hoo - only 2 days away! Today is my last work day before just over a week off, which I'm so excited about - I'm looking forward to the holidays with my family and some time off! It will probably be a quiet week around here so I can enjoy the holidays.

The OPI polish was received as PR - this post contains an affiliate links

The #CBBxManiMonday group is carrying on with our holiday nail art for the whole month of December, and this week I went with some good ol' Christmas nail art! 

Skincare Sunday - Lush Christmas Collection

Is it even Christmas if I don't blog about some Lush Christmas goodies?! I get so excited for the collection every year that I have to make a list of what I want and then cut it down to a reasonable amount! 

I purchased these products on my own

Lush always just comes out with new and adorable products for the Christmas season! They do seasonal collection so well; but, their Christmas and Halloween collections are always amazing! 

Five on Saturday - December 21, 2019

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all had a great week! Are you all ready for Christmas?! I'm getting so excited! We are all ready to go and I can use a week off of work - it's been so crazy and I've been pretty overwhelmed! 

And, it's the First Day of Winter so it's the shortest day of the year! But, that also means the days are going to start getting longer now! Yay! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post - this post contains a referral link

How amazing is this mug?! It's made by CaraKozik and it's exclusive to OwlCrate - she made a couple for Harry Potter year 2, 3, and 4 and had included them in one month's box. I wasn't subscribed at the time, so when they released a pre-order for the mugs I jumped at the chance for this one! And, it shipped in November and just arrived! 

20 in 2020 Project Pan and December Shop My Stash Look

This past Summer, I started my first Project Pan and I only had 4 projects to use, or hit pan on within 4 months, and even though it was short, I really enjoyed doing it! All through 2019 my goal has really been to make sure I've been using and enjoying the products I have in my collection - palettes of the week, monthly makeup baskets and shop my stash posts.

So, now I'm planning a year long project where I set a goal to hit pan or finish up 20 makeup products in the year 2020! 

The lip oil was sent as a PR sample - this post contains affiliate links

I'm starting the year off with the first 10 products and will treat this like a rolling project - once I reach my goal, I will add a new product to the mix! I have a mix of goals between finishing products and hitting pan, so this should be a lot of fun! I also picked a mix of products that I will reach my goals quickly on and some that may take close to the whole project to reach! I plan on updating the Project every two months (so you will see update 1 in February, update 2 in April, etc.)

High-end Liquid, Cream and Shimmer Eyeshadow Roundup - Try-ons, Swatches and Thoughts

I've picked up so many new liquid and cream shimmer shadows, that I thought the best way to show them all off is a round-up post! Last week I did a round up of the drugstore shadows that I've tried recently - you can check it out here! 

All shadows were purchased by me - this post contains affiliate links

And, now it's time for all the high-end shadows, so be prepared for a little steeper prices than last week! Last week's post talked about shadows that were $7 - $20, so this week's lowest priced shadow is $26. I love a little splurge and I tend to use these style of shadows all the time, so it makes it worth it for me (but I keep my standards really high when I'm spending this much on a single shadow! 

Beauty Stocking Stuffers Under $30

The final countdown is on for Christmas! I always leave stocking stuffers for the last minute, so if you're in the same boat and you need some last minute ideas for the beauty lover in your life, look no further! These are also great additions to gift baskets, white elephant exchanges - you name, beauty products are always a great go-to! 

The Catrice, OPI, I Love, 7th Heaven and Thursday Plantation products were received as PR - this post contains affiliate links

Or, if you're just a beauty lover yourself, most of these are holiday sets and sets usually come with a good value for what you pay! They are a great way to try new products from a new brand or brands you love! 

Manicure Monday - Mini Candy Cane Nail Art

We have made it to the single digit count-down to Christmas!!! Woo hoo! Are you guys all ready to go?! All my gifts are bought, cards are going in the mail today and everything will be wrapped this week! 

All polishes were bought by me - this post contains affiliate links

I haven't done any holiday nail art yet this year, and I love candy cane nails, so I thought that it would be fun to do little mini candy cane art on my nails! 

November 2019 - Monthly Empties & Month in Masks

Time to dig in to my beauty garbage from November! 

Some products were received as PR - this post contains affiliate links

Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer ~ sample shown (full size is $45.00 CAN). A replenishing face primer that hydrates, smoothes, and brightens skin for a dewy, healthy looking finish.

This was a really hydrating primer - I liked the faint coconut scent and it was really nourishing. With my combo/oily skin I could probably only get away with using this in the Winter! 
Repurchase: Probably not

Cozy Winter Self-Care Night

I'm the type of person who talks big about self-care (because I truly believe in taking care of yourself); but, as soon as I get busy or overwhelmed I tend to forget everything I preach. I have been extremely busy with work and life since November basically, and I've had to force myself to do nothing and take some time for myself - and seriously it is the best decision I've made! 

The mug and lotion were received as PR - this post contains affiliate links

I thought right before the holidays was the perfect time to talk self-care! I know this is a really busy time and people feel pretty stretched - I also know with some time off around the holidays, I feel even more pressure at work to get everything done before I have the time off. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way too!

Five on Friday - December 13, 2019

Happy Friday everyone! What a week - it's been crazy! We had a busy weekend last weekend with two Christmas parties and then Tuesday my car broke down and I had to rush 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post unless otherwise noted - this post contains affiliate links

So, I've been getting a little bored with beauty subscriptions as of late - I've received all the makeup boxes I could over the past 5 years, so I think I've lost the excitement of them. But, I recently got in to a book box and it sent me spiralling in to the world of bookish goodies, and as a total bookworm, this speaks to me! (Do you remember when I used to have a book challenge page on here?!) So, in this world of bookish goodies, I can across Novelly Yours who makes these stunning candles and then boom, they have a candle subscription and amazingly the November box is about The Starless Sea! I absolutely love Erin Morgenstern and her books - if you saw my birthday post, my husband pre-ordered me a signed copy of The Starless Sea for it's November release! I love the book and the atmosphere it created so I had to have this!)

November 2019 What I Bought - Monthly Haul!

Time for a look at everything I picked up in November - I really love these Monthly Haul posts - they give me a way to share everything I pick up each month as I don't always post about everything I get!

For 2019, I put myself on "stricter" $100 a month budget, not because I need to; it's actually to be more conscious about what I purchase. I also really want to make sure that I'm enjoying and using everything on my collection! But, over the past couple of months, I got a little less strict and went over budget! (I still think I'm being a little more thoughtful in my purchases while I go overboard!)

All products were purchased by me

The Body Shop Haul ~ $32.55 CAN. How cute is this little banana shampoo and conditioner set?! It's called "Go Bananas" and I love it! The shampoo and conditioner are my favourite and the little banana towel is super cute! Plus, I wanted to pick up the Vitamin E mask to try it again as my first experience wasn't the best with it. 

Battle of the Newer Drugstore Liquid Eyeshadows - Try-ons, Swatches and Thoughts

I've picked up quite a few new liquid/cream style eyeshadows that I thought instead of reviewing them all individually, why not compare them all in a "show-down" post?! I'm breaking it down in to drugstore and high-end brands, so let's start with the drugstore shadows since they are more affordable! (And, for the record even though I said battle, I really want all my makeup to get along for the greater good of my face!)

Products were purchased by me - this post contains affiliate links

This trend of liquid shadows started with the Stila glitters a couple of years ago and it's exploded since, but especially this year - tons of brands have some type of liquid, cream, glitter or jelly shadow and I love it! I've been pretty impressed with most of the formulas I've tried and they are all a little different which I also think is great! 

Manicure Monday - Holiday Dotticure Nails

Happy Monday everyone! It's been a busy weekend - full on Christmas celebrations here for the whole weekend, so I needed a quick nail art look while keeping it festive still! 

The OPI polishes were received as PR 

A dotticure is such a fun way to incorporate a bunch of colours in to a quick look, so it was the perfect nail art to do this week! 

Five on Saturday - December 7, 2019

Happy weekend everyone! Hope you all had a great week - I'm almost done my Christmas shopping and feeling pretty good about! Just a few little stocking stuffers left. 

ONE 

All products were purchased by me - this post contains affiliate links

It's time for a look at my December Monthly Makeup Basket! Each month I've been picking a few different face products to focus on for the month! I'm really trying to focus this year on using and enjoying my whole makeup collection! 

Masking - Last 50 Days Of My #100DaysofSheetMasks

Way back on August 1, I started a #100Daysofsheetmasks challenge with a fellow blogger, Jayne from Cosmetic Proof and the challenge went all the way to November 8. Basically, we wear a mask every day for 100 days straight! I shared my reviews and thoughts of my First 50 days on another post - you can check it out here if you are interested! 

Some masks may have been received as PR or won in giveaways - this post contains affiliate links

While I found the first 50 days really fun, I did actually think the second 50 days was quite hard to get to - it almost made masking feel a little like a chore to me (sadly), so I actually haven't used a sheet mask since I finished the 100 days! But, I certainly plan on starting again in moderation! And, this challenge was good and my skin certainly benefited from it, I think I'd do a month timeline as a max for the next round! 

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 Mini Lip Set - Swatches, Try-ons and Reviews!

Charlotte Tilbury is a brand that feels really luxurious to me - it's a bit of a splurge for their products, but everything I've tried has been really good! So whenever I see a high-end brand come out with affordable minis, I feel compelled to try them (I don't mind a good splurge, but when I can, I will save some money when I try products!)

I purchased this set myself - this post contains affiliate links

Charlotte Tilbury released this Hot Lips 2 line of lipsticks earlier this year - it was a line of 11 shades inspired by "strong icons, rule-breakers, record-makers, and history-shakers." I had been eyeing up trying the J.K. Magic shade because it is named after J.K. Rowling and I mean Harry Potter was pretty influential in my life, but I shied away because $43.00 a lipstick is a little steep for me! 

Manicure Monday - Winter Wonderland Nails!

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight. Walking in a winter wonderland."

The OPI polishes were received as PR samples - this post contains affiliate links

Happy December everyone! Are you counting down the days until Christmas?! I'm getting so excited - I love everything Christmasy and I can't wait! 

November 2019 - Monthly Favourites!

I could not narrow down my favourites this month to 5 products, so here are the Top 10 products I was loving in November! 

Some products were received as PR samples - this post contains affiliate links

Everything I used this month was gold - I was just loving everything! And, there is such a fun mix of products in all beauty categories this month: nails, hair, skincare, makeup and tools!