TV + FOOD + TRAVEL + MAKEUP +EVERYTHING ELSE
I’ve had a pretty crazy 2020 so far. Because I’m very good at justifying things to myself, I thought my hard work so far this year deserved a treat in the form of a trip (online) to Sephora. Bite Beauty Changemaker Foundation in L40 I […]
After seeing the spoilers, I thought I would sign up for Boxycharm for the month of January. I thought I’d be pretty satisfied with any of the variations I was seeing online. Plus, they had a pretty good sign up deal with a few free […]
This was a really interesting read. It had a really different style than I was used to. My Sister, the Serial Killer had short chapters and it was a really quick read, but it was gripping right from the beginning. I finished it in a few hours because I just could not put it down. It had a few interesting twists, and I loved the style of the book. There’s a reason this was one of the most talked about books of 2019.
I think this was my absolute favourite book I read in 2019. The whole book followed the life of Eva Thorvald’s life. Every chapter is from someone different in her life’s perspective. It was heart-warming and breaking. I loved the story.
I’m a little late to the game on this one, I know. This was a nice little vacation read. It was definitely dark and twisted, and the ending wasn’t THAT surprising. It was still a page-turner regardless. I tried to watch the show, and that’s just not for me!!
As a Top Chef fan, I was really excited to find a book by former Top Chef contestant, Edward Lee. It is a really cool book about Edward visiting various communities in America where immigrants have had a big impact on the cultural and food scenes. I learned a lot from reading it and there were some recipes inspired by the communities in the book.
I’ve been looking for another author that does it for me in the way that Sophie Kinsella does. I believe I have with Katie Fforde. Sure, you know where a lot of her stories are going right from the beginning, but that’s fine with me. She creates some really nice stories, and I have really enjoyed reading her books this year.
Taskmaster was on my 2018 Favourites too. It deserves a place in this favourites list as well because it is just so good. It makes me laugh so, so hard. Series 8 and 9 which came out this year were two of the best seasons. Every episode is amazing. You can watch episodes on YouTube here.
I put this on as something to watch. I didn’t really think I would like it that much, since I usually prefer my reality shows to have a bit of a competition element to them. I was wrong and I loved it. I motored through all of the seasons in a matter of weeks, and I can’t wait for the new season to come out!
This was on my list of ‘Things to Watch in 2019‘ ( I tried my best, okay?) and I’m mad at myself for waiting for long. It is so, so unbelievably funny. And in its later seasons it’s developed this beautiful warmth that has gone hand-in-hand perfectly with the comedy of it.
This is one of my more recent discoveries. I’ve had a great time watching this show. It’s a fun twist on your usual trivia shows. It features people from all walks of British celebrity.
I resubscribed to Boxycharm for this palette specifically, and it did not let me down. I received the Reina del Caribe V1 palette and Ojitos Brush Trio in Boxycharms as well and I’ve been very impressed with all of their products. The products are not crazy expensive in comparison to other brands. I love this blush palette, it was perfect for spring and summer. There’s a sale on a bundle right now including all three products I mentioned plus a lipgloss that you can find here.
I own a lot of lipsticks, but this one really stands out to me for both formula and colour. It leans purple, but it’s not unwearable. I love the Amuse Bouche formula. It’s creamy, but pigmented. Here are all of the BITE products I’ve tried.
Hayu quickly became my favourite streaming service of 2019. I spent a lot of hours watching shows on Hayu. My Vanderpump Rules and Top Chef watches couldn’t have happened without it! It’s also pretty reasonably priced at $5.99 a month.
The Bon Appetit Test Kitchen videos took the internet by storm this year. Who doesn’t love charming people talking about and making food? I know I do. Obviously Claire Saffitz’s ‘Gourmet Makes’ series is my favourite.
A friend introduced to me Who? Weekly very early on into 2019. It quickly became one of my favourite podcasts. I never miss an episode (and there’s 2 a week!). If you love pop culture, this podcast is a must.
In this household we are suckers for Google Home. Sorry, we can’t help it. We recently got a Google Home Nest for the kitchen and it is a game changer. It’s great for playing music, looking up recipes, and watching videos. I really love having this in the kitchen.
Food posts on Instagram is not for everyone, but it is very much for me. I started following Allison on Instagram after hearing about her on the Jam Session podcast. Since then, I’ve been a big fan of her and even bought her two cookbooks. I love her approach to cooking and hosting, which is that it’s not going to be perfect and that food is to be enjoyed.
I’ve been hearing about Lightroom for years, but never really explored it. I finally tried it out early this year, and I love it! It’s an easy way to make photos look nicer. If you can believe it, I’d been using PowerPoint for years to lighten and edit photos. I graduated from that this year, and I think my photos have benefited from it.
I am a lipstick fiend. Sorry, I can’t help it. I love all of the bright colours. I love the way lipstick makes you feel. Because of this, I have accumulated many, many lip products. One of my favourite brands is BITE Beauty. BITE Beauty […]
Colourpop is one of my favourite makeup brands. It’s incredibly reasonably priced, and I haven’t come across many duds in their line up. It’s not the most easily accessible brand in Canada. With international shipping, duty fees, and exchange rates, the costs can add up. […]
I had refrained from making any Sephora purchases for a good portion of the year. But with my recent engagement (and subsequent need to get my skincare act together, and a Sephora sale I thought it was as good a time as any to put in an order. A few items were purchased before the sale, and a few were purchased during.
Here’s what I got:
I’ve had my eye on this lipstick since it was released. I love BITE Beauty products – I even made my own lipsticks with them last year! I would have probably bought the Orange Fizz shade if it wasn’t sold out, but I do love this hot pink. The formula is very nice. It’s creamy but very long-lasting. The first time I wore it I got a bunch of compliments on the colour. If they weren’t $30 a pop (I know, I know – that’s ridiculous) I would buy the whole collection.
I was looking for a chemical exfoliant that wouldn’t be too tough on my skin, and this seemed like the perfect thing. After one use, I liked the results and my skin didn’t freak out so I’m happy to keep using them.
While I was at it, I also got a physical exfoliator!! I just wanted something that would be a nice little scrub to use a couple times a week. I like it so far, but I’m not obsessed with it or anything.
I think I’m obsessed with the Sephora Collection skincare collection? It’s pretty reasonably priced for Sephora, you know? Anyway, I really like this moisturizer. It’s pretty light-feeling. But it maaaay be breaking me out, I’m not sure yet.
I have been blessed with breakouts on my back from the tender age of 13. Over the last few years, since I’ve been a real-life adult, it hasn’t been as bad as it was when I was a teen. But it’s still not totally gone, so I figured I would try this scrub to see if it would help. This is a HARDCORE scrub though, wow.
I’ve been a follower of Allana Davison for a couple years now. I enjoy influencers, especially Canadian ones. Allana is known for makeup and lifestyle posts and videos. I like her style, it’s very classic with a twist. I find her approachable and fun. She […]
Another few months have come and gone, and so have a few products. I’m actively trying to finish things before purchasing new ones. It’s easier for me to use up skincare products rather than makeup products. With skincare, I don’t feel the need to have […]
Sephora, our higher end beauty mecca, is infamous for having very few sales. Sorry if you fell in love with a $30 mascara but can’t justify paying that every time the suggested 3 month usage period is up. Luckily, Sephora does have a sale in Spring and Fall.
The next sale is just around the corner. For VIB Rouge members, the sale starts April 26th. For the rest of us plebeians, it starts May 2nd. Depending on your reward status, you’ll get 10-20% off your entire purchase.
These are the products I recommend picking up.
I got this palette a couple years ago and it’s still going strong. At $35, it’s not the cheapest thing at Sephora, but compared to other highlight palettes they carry it’s not too bad. There is great variety in this palette and I use it regularly.
I really like pretty much everything I’ve gotten from the Sephora Collection and this is no exception. I bought this in my last Sephora Haul because it was on sale and I think it’s awesome. It’s a perfect subtle highlight for those days when you want a little glow. Or it’s great to use under a highlighting powder when want a poppin’ highlight.
This is my favourite high-end mascara. I’ve gone through a couple mini tubes of this mascara that I’ve gotten as samples or in kits. I have a heard time spending money on high-end mascaras, but if it’s something you like to do this is a great mascara.
After hearing so much hype about this cream, I thought there was no way it would live up to it. After receiving it in a Boxycharm box, I fell in love. I even bought a backup. It has the most amazing scent, and the cream itself is very nice.
I love every product I’ve ever owned from BITE. I even went to their Lip Lab in Toronto to make my own lipsticks! This mask is so nice. I mostly use it before bed when my lips are super dry. My mom loves to use it as a lip gloss during the day.
I love the Tartelette Tease and Tarteist to go palettes. They are perfect for travel, and they’re really high quality which isn’t always the case for mini palettes. You can see I’ve hit pan in the one shadow, which is a first for me with eyeshadow. If I could only have one palette for the rest of my life it would be one of these ones.
This lipstick was purchased at a MAC store, but it is now available at Sephora! This is my favourite MAC lipstick I own. It’s the perfect orangey-red and it’s a great colour for spring. I personally love the formula of MAC lipsticks.
I don’t usually go for lip gloss, but I couldn’t resist this one as a birthday treat to myself last fall. I avoided lip gloss for a long time because I don’t like sticky lip gloss, and it’s hard to find one that isn’t. Thankfully this one is. It looks great over lipstick or on its own. It has a good lasting time for a lip gloss.
I love this cleanser. It is perfect for everyday because it’s super gentle. I have repurchased this a couple times and will probably continue to do so. The cleanser is featured in a couple FAB sets if you’re looking to try a couple different products.
God, I love this primer so much. It is moiturizing and it smells wonderful. I want to buy a large size but it’s pretty expensive for a primer, so the sale is a great time to pick it up.
Of course there are a few things I want to pick up in the sale. I think I’m going to pick up one or two skincare focused things. Here is what’s on my wishlist:
What’s on your Sephora VIB Sale wishlist?
I am currently trying to pan some of my makeup products, but here are some of the things I finished up in the month of March. Joico Blonde Life Brightening Shampoo I got this shampoo as part of a set for my birthday last year […]