TOP FIVE: LADY MEMOIRS

Some of my favourite books are memoirs, I remember the first one I ever read was Elvis & Me by Priscilla Presley. I couldn't tell you what drew me to this title; most likely it was the only thing on my parents bookshelf that I knew anything about. But once I got into it, I couldn't stop... I loved reading about her life and from what better perspective than her own. I have always been a bit of a dreamer and I tend to romanticize a lot in my life. So I think reading about her average life turned extraordinary made me feel optimistic about how extraordinary my own life could be. I mean, she married The King of Rock 'n' Roll. As I've gotten older, my ideas of what an extraordinary life looks like has changed quite a bit. I mean, a job with benefits? Yes, please! But I still love hearing about these stories and reading memoirs by strong, influential women. 

I feel like we're in this fantastic era filled with incredible women of comedy. Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Amy Poehler... These women brilliantly stick out in the world of comedy, a world that was for too long completely male dominated. Sure they stand on the shoulders of many hilarious women who came before them, Lucille Ball, Fanny Brice, Whoopi - to name a few. But either way, I think these ladies are pushing the envelope, their voicing opinions on things that need to be addressed and not apologizing for any of it. If you couldn't tell, I really admire these women. So in honour of this, I thought I would share some of my favourite 'lady memoirs' from just a few incredible women of comedy.  

“Do your thing and don't care if they like it.” 

- Tina Fey, Bossypants 

OILS, OILS, OILS...

I discovered some really great products in 2016, a lot of which I have shared here. But what I have neglected to share is my love and now reliance, on oil based products. At the end of last year when the weather started to get colder, my skin was really dry and my moisturizing lotions just weren't cutting it anymore. After some research and suggestions from friends I thought I would try out a few oil products. Safe to say, I am now hooked. I love the way these products make my skin look, not only are they moisturizing but they make my skin look refreshed and vibrant. Listed below are various oil products that have become a part of my everyday beauty routine. 

BENEFIT: DOLLY DARLING

Dolly Darling is a limited-edition makeup gift set released by Benefit for the holiday season! This set comes wrapped & ready to give in a collectible doll-head tin. Gift sets are the perfect gift to give or receive during the holiday season and usually come at a really good deal. I was gifted this Benefit set earlier in the month and these products quickly became apart of my everyday makeup routine. And so, I thought I would share my thoughts on the products included below! 

DECEMBER IPSY

I have been subscribing to ipsy since September 2016, after hearing really great things about it. I used to subscribe to Glossybox, but found it became too much of a financial commitment. There are definitely a few comparisons that can be made with regards to these beauty subscriptions. A few things I liked about Glossybox were the sample sizes were bigger and the products varied more so compared to ipsy. This being said, since subscribing I have noticed that the products have got increasingly better with ipsy. More mid-range product samples have been included in recent months. Overall, I am pretty happy with my subscription and it is at a price point that I feel comfortable with.

I thought this month in celebration of #blogmas and in the spirit of posting as much as possible, I would share with you all what I received in my December glam bag! Enjoy xxo!

CHRISTMAS BEAUTY WISHLIST

With Christmas right around the corner, I thought I would share some of my beauty wishlist products. Most of these I have been wanting to try for awhile, but have yet to commit. I really like to take my time researching and watching Youtube tutorials before I purchase products that are a bit more expensive. One too many times have I spent a lot of money on a product that just wasn't good. After browsing the internet, I've narrowed it down to six products that I am really curious to try this season!

WINTER SKINCARE SAVIOURS

As soon as that first bit of snow hits the ground, my skin instantly gets dry and my lips chapped... It is not a pretty sight. Which typically means that I have to up the ante on my winter skincare products. I begin to rely more on heavy moisturizers and revert to the basics; old fashions, trusted, unscented basics. Don't get me wrong I love those fancy and beautifully scented lotions, but they just don't cut it in the winter months.

For a lot of years, I didn't take too much interest in my skin. But as I have gotten older, I have noticed my skin being effected more and more by the elements. So I have definitely upped by skincare game within the last couple of years. To the point where I think I have finally mastered this routine during the winter months. And who are we kidding, I live in Canada... We are longer in winter than any other season. So I thought I would share my winter skincare saviours with you all today.

LUSETA BEAUTY

By this point most of you know the journey I have been on over the last year to repair my hair to its former glory. During the process I have spent a lot of money on high end and lower end products for my hair. It got to a point where I was sick of spending so much money for little reward. I just wasn't seeing the results that I was hoping for.

A couple of months ago, I received a sample of the LUSETA Argan Oil Hair Masque. This hair masque is a treatment for damaged, weak and colour-treated hair. My hair certainly fits that profile, so I thought I would give it a try. This masque is to be used after shampooing and is to be left on for about five minutes. As directed, it says to use this masque once a week for intensive repair and moisture infusion. Since trying this product, it has quickly become a part of my Sunday night routine in preparing for the week ahead.

NO7 DUO

I've never been one to stick to the same face regime. My face is normal/combination and I've never really struggled with acne or dryness. So there are a lot of different options out there for me and I really enjoy trying new products. No7 is a face product line developed by Boots, a leading UK pharmacy, health and beauty retailer. More recently, I have noticed these products being sold in Shoppers Drug Mart's in Canada. I've been curious to try out their products for awhile, so I thought I finally would. So far, I have been really impressed by quality of the products I have tried. With the weather getting colder, I've been using the Beautiful Skin Day Cream for dry/very dry skin and the Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser for normal/dry skin.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the year. Twinkling lights, holiday cheer and the smell of falling snow. Yes the smell of falling snow, Lorelai Gilmore is not the only one who thinks fresh falling snow has it's own special scent. My family is all about tradition and without tradition Christmas is just not the same. Even at 24, there is nothing more precious to me than huddling together with my siblings and listening to my Dad read The Night Before Christmas. In the spirit of Christmas and well, #blogmas. I wanted to share some of my favourite things around this time of year.

TOP 3: PORE MINIMIZING

I have pretty large pores and my makeup just doesn't look the same without using a pore minimizing product. I have tried every cream, gel, exfoliate and strip to try and minimize the size of my pores but none have worked. So I have learned to rely on really good pore minimizing makeup products. I've tried a lot of these types of products and have finally narrowed it down to my personal favourites.

TOP 5: THE FACE SHOP

I go through phases with beauty products, I get really jazzed about a product or brand and I fully commit to it until something else catches my eye.

One brand in particular that I really like at the moment is The Face Shop. This is a relatively recent discovery, though I may have mentioned them before. I could spend hours in these stores looking through all their products. They literally have a fix for any skincare/beauty concern you may have. I have decided to narrow it down to my top five The Face Shop products at the moment.

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Hello All! The Summer months have flown by and Autumn is in the air. I wish I could tell you what I did this summer, but I don't think I could. I have no idea where the Summer went, four months just flashed before my eyes. What DO I remember... It was hot, I worked a lot and I spent a week on 'The Sea Bound Coast'. Pretty much the only opportunity I had to breathe all summer!

You know that moment when you realize you meant to do something but you just keep thinking.. Oh, I will just do that tomorrow. That is literally what I spent the majority of my summer doing. And now, it's Fall and I am desperately trying to play catch up! It was not my intention to completely neglect my blog, but that seems to be what happened. You know that saying, make time for what you love. Well I spent the summer running that through my head and totally not following through with it!

WEEKDAY SMOOTHIE

Good morning! I thought today I would start the week of right and share with you my favourite smoothie recipe. I am not the biggest fan of smoothies, but I love this recipe. I usually make this smoothie weekday mornings to bring to work with me. This smoothie is about 200 calories and is so easy to make. Enjoy!

VACATION - NOVA SCOTIA

I have been a bit absent from my pretty little page here, but alas I have returned! I recently got back from a nice vacation to the East Coast. I sat by the ocean, soaked up the sun and ate WAY to much seafood. I always have a hard time getting back into the rhythm of things when I return from holidays and this trip has been no different. But I am really trying! So I thought for today’s post I would share some of my vacation photos with you all! I hope you enjoy and please keep tuning in, more great content to come! 

CAVANA SPA

In celebration of my best friends birthday, we headed to Cavana Spa in Orilla for a much needed spa day. It is not often that I get the chance to have a spa day. As a recent graduate desperately trying to pay off student loans, I cannot justify it. But a special day calls for a special celebration!

Cavana Spa is absolutely gorgeous, one of the nicest I have ever been to. The spa is located within a beautifully converted old home. The landscape is impeccable and the home very inviting. I was even more blown away upon entering the spa. The interior is beautifully crafted with a modern Victorian look. Between being offer a glass of wine upon entrance, the sparkling chandeliers and luxurious Victorian furniture; I was in heaven.

At Home: Skinny Iced Coffee

To say that ‘I love coffee’ is a complete understatement, I need coffee! I like my coffee black, iced, double-doubled (Oh, Canadians) or really any way. But with the summer months upon us, I especially like my coffee iced. I find that a lot of iced coffees out there are full or sugar and more calories than you realize. Not only that, but buying an iced coffee every morning can really add-up! So I went on a journey to find the best at-home iced coffee recipe and well… I think I found it. Check out my deliciously refreshing Skinny Iced Coffee recipe below and enjoy! 

MY BIRTHDAY!

I am not sure how to feel about being 24 this year; but I do know that I had an amazing birthday. I was lucky enough to win second row Toronto Blue Jays tickets on my actual birthday and had a blast. I then ventured to the city and spent my entire weekend in Toronto celebrating with friends. It was such an incredibly beautiful weekend, I definitely lucked out. I shopped at Kensington Market, patio drank along Lakeshore and just wondered around Toronto. Check out some of my pictures from the weekend below!

May Wishlist

Yay, it's May. The flowers are in bloom, the weather is warming up and summer is right around the corner. May is by far my favourite month, largely because it is also my birthday month. We didn't have a long winter, but it lingered too long into the spring months. With the warmer weather finally upon us I am so excited for summer to hurry up and get here already! I think that can be reflected in this month’s wishlist, check out my May Wishlist below!

It Cosmetics - CC+ Cream Illumination SPF 50+

Marc Jacobs - Daisy

Quay Australia - Gemini Rose Sunglasses

Bumble and bumble - Surf Infusion

Anastasia - Liquid Lipstick in Pure Hollywood

tarte - Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse

ROC SKIN CARE DUO

ROC HYDRA+ ANTI-FATIGUE

As you may know, I have been well into skincare products as of late. I swear I can feel myself being drawn to the skincare section anytime I walk into a drugstore.  Lately, I have been hearing really great things about the quality and effectiveness of ROC products so I thought I would try a few products out. The Hydra+ Anti-Fatigue promises to reduce signs of fatigue for a more radiant skin. With lack of sleep and stress I often see changes in my skin and so I have been looking for an effective anti-fatigue product. I am so impressed by this product; the cream is rich and leaves my skin feeling well hydrated.  This face cream also absorbs into my skin fast which is great when you’re layering products. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a quick pick-me-up on those tired and stressful days. 

ROC DOUBLE ACTION EYE MAKEUP REMOVER

This product… is unreal! I have long been searching for a good waterproof make-up remover and I finally have. This makeup remover is very gentle and ideal for anyone with sensitive skin. This makeup remover is for eye makeup, but I use it to remove all of my makeup. It is a touch more expensive then the removers I usually use, but it is so worth it. It removes all traces of makeup so easily, it is almost unbelievable. Get this product, seriously! 

SPRING SCENTS

In my opinion, perfumes are one of those products that you get what you pay for. I used to love body sprays and mists as a kid. Maybe I over did it, but I cannot stand these smells any longer. I feel as if you can sense if a perfume is cheap from the smell. Or perhaps, I just don't like the way these perfumes settle and smell on myself. Anyways not to over complicate anything, I just enjoy a higher end perfume product. More specifically, I like a light, flowery perfume scent. Check out my top three scents for Spring below!

Light Blue by DOLCE&GABANNA

This is the perfect scent for Spring/Summer. This clean, crisp perfume is by far my favourite at the moment. This scent will definitely last you the work day and you do not need a lot of product. The packaging is pretty basic, a frosted bottle with a blue lid. I like to display my perfumes so I prefer a 'prettier' bottle, but this scent is just too good to pass up. 

Si by Giorgio Armani

I would consider this perfume to be quite heavy. The one thing about this perfume that stands out the most is its longevity, it lingers forever. It's a very feminine and classy smelling perfume. I prefer to use this perfume for special occasions opposed to everyday wear. 

Chance By Chanel 

This a a beautiful light, floral scent. I find it to be very feminine and mature. This is an nice scent for everyday wear due how airy and light it is. Chance by Chanel is really a classic perfume.