March 2020 - Monthly Favourites!

Here are the top 5 products that I have been loving this month:

The Paula's Choice was received as PR - this post contains affiliate links

This month's favourites are a really good range of products - a few makeup products and a couple of skincare products! 

Manicure Monday - Happy Face Nails

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a great weekend - ours was quiet (obviously), but good. I'm really trying to stay positive, but sometimes it's not always easy under the current circumstances, so I thought I would enlist the help of my nails to help keep my positivity motivated! 

The Bio Sculpture polishes were received as PR - this post contains an affiliate link

Funny story - The CBBxManiMonday group picked "pastel nails" for the month of April, and this is what I picked. And, honestly I didn't notice until I went to schedule this post for today (last night) and my blog calendar reminded that is in fact still March, which should be "blue and green nails" so I'm feeling a little silly right now that this is neither! 

March 2020 What I Bought - Monthly Haul!

Happy haul day everyone! Early this year, I set one of my 2020 goals to be actually sticking to my $100 a month Beauty Budget - are you ready to see if I was able to do this?!? 

I always love my Monthly Haul posts to share with you everything I picked up (since I can't review everything I buy)! I also am trying to hold myself a little more accountable to buying products that I really want and will actually use!

I purchased everything in this post

Facebook Auction Find ~ $10.00 CAN. This was a brand new mist I picked up on an auction and this was a product that has been huge on my to-try list! This is a full sized product that is regular $37, so I was pretty excited to pick it up! 

Five on Friday - March 27, 2020

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you've all good week - it's still been pretty exhausting here, but I'm feeling better this week. I really hope everyone is doing okay and hanging in there! 

ONE 

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

I  received my March Owlcrate subscription and this month's theme is "Music of the Night". Each month the book Owlcrate includes is signed by the author and comes with a note from the author as well - they often have special edition covers just for the box, and they seem to include a lot of exclusive items just for Owlcrate, which is so fun! 

This month the items included in the box are:

Storybook Cosmetics Fairy Tales Little Briar Rose Palette

I have been talking about Storybook Cosmetics on the blog for years - starting back in September 2017 with their Wizardry and Witchcraft palette. I know they've had some up and downs over the past couple of years (they've tended to sneak peek ideas very far in advance and haven't made some of them, but they also got in to Ulta and have come out with some really great palettes). It's a brand I find myself really drawn to because I love their ideas and I love the Storybook inspirations! 

I purchased this palette myself 

Storybook Cosmetics and Boxycharm announced that for their December box they were collaborating on a line of Fairy Tale palettes - two minis and a full size Briar Rose palette! I'm not subscribed to Boxycharm anymore, but this is for sale on the Storybook Cosmetics website still! I've talked a whole bunch on here about how much I love Sleeping Beauty, so I clearly really wanted to pick this and give it a try! Briar Rose and Aurora are Sleeping Beauty's other names and "Little Briar Rose" is the original name of the fairy tale story that everything Sleeping Beauty has been based on! 

Spring Cleaning with New (To Me) Cleansers - Indeed Labs, NO7, Kosmea, and The Inkey List!

Who doesn't look forward to Spring cleaning as part of there Spring routine?! I'm sure there is some of you getting a head start on their decluttering and organizing with this extra time at home!

The Kosmea cleanser was received as a PR sample - this post contains affiliate links

I'm actually not planning much Spring cleaning for the house (because extra time at home with a toddler does not leave time for any house chores!), but I will get back in the habit soon! But, I happened to accumulate some new cleansers, so why not talk about Spring cleaning for your face and my thoughts on how these new (and new to me) cleansers work! 

Manicure Monday -" Stay Home and Eat All The Treats" Stamped Nails

Anyone else finding themselves eating a lot more sweets and junk food with all of this extra time at home?! We have been baking cookies and muffins and treats for the weekends (today I snuck some zucchini in the chocolate muffins) - but it's actually an activity that will entertain both a toddler and a teenager so we are doing it often! 

The OPI products were received as PR samples

But, I have been trying to counteract the time at home eating junk with workouts too (finally did an at-home barre class and it kicked my ass), so that's balance right?! 

Five on Friday - March 20, 2020

Happy Friday everyone! (Is it still okay to even say that given the circumstances?!) And, did we even realize that the first day of Spring snuck in yesterday??? Did we notice because I totally forgot! I've had a pretty rough week, but am trying to turn it around and stay as positive as I can! 

ONE 

Well it's been two weeks since I've done a life update and clearly shit has hit the fan in the last two weeks here - wow! On March 11, 2020 WHO officially declared Covid-19 a pandemic, on March 15, 2020 Calgary declared a state of emergency and the province of Alberta announced that all child care centres and schools were closed indefinitely, and then on March 17, Alberta declared a state of emergency. 

So, basically schools are closed until at least the start of the next school year, and daycares we have no idea! We are very lucky to have my Mother in Law, as jails don't close during emergencies so my husband and I still have to work during this time. Most businesses have closed down entirely at least for a couple of weeks and no one is allowed gatherings over 50, but everyone is recommended to stay to themselves and maintain social distancing! So, let's stick to the recommendations to stop the spread!!!

TWO

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

It's Spring now, so it's time to share my Spring 2020 Reading List! (And, seriously if now isn't a great time to pick a new book it, I don't know when is!) I'm starting with my fiction picks, and I will share some non-fiction books soon too! And really, most of these are fantasy style books, because I need an escape before bed each night right now! And don't go out to get a book - we have some local book stores offering free delivery and Indigo has free shipping on right now too! 

March Shop My Stash - Green St. Patrick's Day Makeup Look

I almost forgot that St. Patrick's Day was yesterday, with all the craziness that is going on! I did get a very green makeup look done by Shopping My Stash! 

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

I rarely reach for greens when doing my eyeshadow, so I had so much fun doing this blown out green eye look! March is the perfect time to play with greens - St. Patrick's Day and the start of Spring, so let's will the warm weather and good vibes our way! 

Manicure Monday - St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Dotticure

Hi everyone - late Mani Monday coming at you! I can't open with my typical Happy Monday greeting because it's not this week - it's been a long weekend with Calgary declaring a State of Emergency, cancelling all school and daycare indefinitely and closing most public places. I don't disagree with this response to covid-19, it's just incredibly stressful with a teenager and a toddler. Also, coming in to work this morning was really tough - a jail is a pretty crazy place to work and we don't have cases yet, but if we ever got one, it would spread quicker than a cruise ship, so our response is pretty intense and overwhelming. 

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

It's hard to believe this week is St. Patrick's Day - so much stuff is overwhelming it. I don't typically go out and I hope if people are choosing to go out, they are doing it responsibly! I would personally recommend making your own green beer and picking up take out or ordering in from your favourite spot! 

Five on Saturday - March 14, 2020 ~ Natasha Denona, ColourPop, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Glamlite Cosmetics and Moschino + Sephora Collection palettes!

Happy Saturday everyone! I'm doing something a little different for this Five on Saturday post and I'm taking a week break of sharing my life update (because it's been a really heavy new and information week). I'm sharing 5 palettes that I've been keeping in my collection for a while and totally missed getting reviews up on them in a timely fashion! 

The Marc Jacobs palette was received as a gift - this post contains affiliate links

I did this as well in November as a little break and now all the palettes in my collection as shared on the blog! know this sounds like a lame problem - but as a blogger, I feel like I have to photograph and review everything I pick up and there is products that I want to use and at this point feel a little too old to have a whole post dedicated to only them! So, they still deserve a little love on here! 

Spring 2020 FabFitFun - Lifestyle Subscription Unboxing

I restarted my FabFitFun subscription last Summer for an annual subscription and was excited to give the subscription another go when I started! I really liked my Summer box and the Fall and Winter boxes were okay. This Spring box is the last in my annual subscription before I decide if I'm renewing or not! 

I purchased this subscription myself - this post contains affiliate links

FabFitFun is a quarterly lifestyle subscription box full of fabulous finds in beauty, wellness, fashion, and fitness － hand-picked by the FabFitFun team! Each box will contain $200 or more in retail value. Each season's box (ships out around the start of each season) is $49.99 US plus $8.00 US for shipping to Canada (or free shipping in the U.S. and $10.00 US shipping to the U.K.) Or, you can subscribe for an Annual Membership for $179.99 US (plus shipping costs). 

Mask Wednesday - Drunk Elephant Babyfacial

It's Mask Wednesday and I have been meaning to talk about the Drunk Elephant Baby Facial for a full review for quite a while! 

I purchased this product myself - this post contains affiliate links

I've been raving about this product for a few months - it made my Monthly Favourites back in November 2019 and it was easily in my Best Skincare Discoveries of 2019! It was an instant game-changer in my skincare routine and I use it every week religiously, both to resurface my skin when it's acting up as well as for maintaining bright and clear skin! 

Manicure Monday - Green and Leafy Nails

Happy Manicure Monday! It was a busy weekend and we were gone all day Sunday, so I had to pull something quick together for my nails this week! 

The OPI polish was received as a PR sample

The whole month of March, the #CBBxManiMonday group is featuring green and blue nails, so I went with a very green and leafy mani because I'm so sick of white and snow here in Calgary - a girl can dream right?! 

February 2020 - Monthly Empties and Month in Masks

Time to look through my February beauty garbage: 

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

Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer in Nude Glow ~ sample size (full size is $64.00 CAN). A daily illuminating moisturizer to give your skin an instant hydrated glow—with hyaluronic acid, green tea, and highlighting pearl particles, your skin will be moisturized, energized, and glowing.

I really like this moisturizer - it's super glowy and bright and it's amazing mixed with a light tinted moisturizer just for a gentle glow to the skin (you can see it on me like that here!) This also smells so good! 
Repurchase: I did really like it and I have another sample to use! 

February 2020 What I Bought - Monthly Haul!

Yay - time for my first Shopping Haul of 2020! Early this year, I set one of my 2020 goals to be actually sticking to my $100 a month Beauty Budget - are you ready to see if I was able to do this?!? 

I always love my Monthly Haul posts to share with you everything I picked up (since I can't review everything I buy)! I also am trying to hold myself a little more accountable to buying products that I really want and will actually use!

I purchased everything in this post

Shoppers Haul ~ $6.79 CAN (originally was $142.50 CAN). I always love when Shopper's Drug Mart has your spend your points events, so I always stock up on a bunch of goodies. I picked up some Neutrogena face wipes, a new cleansing balm, cotton pads and dry shampoo. Then I picked up a couple of new products from the Physicians Formula Rose All Day line - you can see my review on the products here! I picked up a few different Essie products too - make sure you check out my recent Mani Monday posts for my thoughts on the polishes. And, I picked up the new Covergirl cream blush - I can't wait to try this soon. 

Five on Friday - March 6, 2020

Happy Friday everyone and Happy March!!! Okay, while January dragged on forever, February just flew by! I always love March because it means the end of Winter is coming (although in Calgary, Spring in snowy season for a few more months), but I'm looking forward to some warmer weather! 

ONE 

I still think I'm playing a little catch-up this week - I had the worst cold last week and all of last weekend. It totally wiped me out and I couldn't do anything! I actually felt really rough at the start of this week too. I couldn't even do anything fun for the extra Leap Year day we had! But, I'm finally feeling better now! 

TWO

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

I'm keeping up my Monthly Makeup Baskets for 2020 because I really enjoyed that they helped me shop my stash and allowed me to use and love everything in my collection! I always like to remember the older products and not let them get pushed aside when I get something shiny and new! 

Show Your Lips Some Love With New Affordable Lip Products From Catrice

I recently did a Full Face Using All Catrice Products as it was a newer brand to Canada (just starting coming to Shopper's Drug Mart a couple of months ago) and I was really excited to try their products out! And, I have to say, there were some seriously impressive products that I tried - I know the foundation was an instant favourite! 

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

So, when this adorable little "lip care" package arrived from Catrice, I couldn't wait to give everything a try (perfect timing too as my usual lip mask had ran out and I was hoping to find a replacement in here!)

Manicure Monday - OPI Spring 2020 Mexico City Collection

It's no secret that I have been loving the OPI collections that have been coming out lately - last years Spring Tokyo collection was my favourite of the year, so I had high hopes when I heard this year's Spring collection was another travel inspired collection! 

This collection was received as PR

And, this OPI Mexico City collection did not disappoint! It is inspired by the vivid fashion and art scene of Mexico City. All the shades in this collection are vibrant and bold (even those that are lighter and more pastel shades are so pigmented!)

Skincare Sunday - Ciate London Watermelon Burst Hydrating Eye Patches

It's been a minute since I've done a mask review here on Skincare Sunday! I'm hoping to get back in to the regular swing of things! 

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

I have really only thought of Ciate as a nail polish brand; but, they have been really catching my eye with their makeup and skincare releases!