March Favourites

Another month has finished, so it's time for my favourites! Keep reading to find out what I put on my face, ate, and did during March. 

I don't change up my products that frequently (since I don't have that many) but I'm definitely feeling the spring vibes with these ones!

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer - I got this bronzer in a LuxeBox a while ago, and haven't stopped loving it since then. I love that it smells like chocolate, but it also blends really well into my face. The colour is really good for me, it doesn't look muddy or anything, and contours well.

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer - I've loved this primer for the whole year that I've been using it. Paired with their long-wearing foundation it feels very silicon-y, but recently I've just been wearing BB cream and this keeps it put even during a workout.

Joe Fresh Matte Sheer Tint - I featured this in last month's favourites as well, but I couldn't help myself. I often work out before my shift at the gym, so I don't want to bother with re-applying makeup: with the primer, this lasts really well, and isn't too matte for my dry skin.

Bausch & Lomb Bio True contact solution - When I first got my contacts in December, I went for the lens solution that had the most interesting packaging in Shoppers. Yup. Turns out I really like the product! I bought a small bottle at the start, and now I keep that one for when I'm travelling, and a big one for home use. I have pretty sensitive eyes but this works very well for me.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette - This is my only real palette for eye shadows (I have Naked Basics and a Clinique quad) and I don't feel the need to buy another (although the Loreal Nudes and the Nyx palettes look so cute for their price!) which is great considering how many Beauty YouTubers I watch. It's such a great collection of colours, and there are so many different combinations you can make.

Morgan Taylor nail polish in "Eye Candy" - I received this in my Spring LuxeBox, and LOVE it. I got so many compliments on it all March, and am already sad that I put on a different colour for today.

Ombrelle Face Ultra Fluid SPF 30 - You should wear sunscreen every day! This one is a great mattefying primer, too!

The Body Shop Nutriganics Drops of Youth serum - This was one of those products I got tricked into buying when I needed another product to get stuff free at the store, and it turns out that it's really good for me.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in "Bad to the Bronze" - My basic eye look is this eye shadow and maybe some eyeliner. Perfect.

Nyx Butter Gloss in "Eclair" - I wasn't sold on this colour when I first got it in an Ipsy bag a couple years ago (wait, is it expired by now?), but now I love it.

I absolutely love my agenda from Ban.do. The colours are gorgeous, the spaces are just right, and who doesn't love their beautiful floral cover?

I also picked up "Tropical World: A Cloring Book Adventure" by Millie Marotta, which is a lot more fun than my previous colouring book, because I have lots of freedom with it.

My Hubmar AromaSens Ultrasonic Aromatherapy Nebulizer is fantastic.

Lots and lots of paska. What is paska? It's a Russian Mennonite/Ukrainian Easter bread, it's eggy and citrusy, and we put icing on it. Breakfast, lunch, dessert, pre-workout, it's great for everything. Check out the recipe that Nic used, on Mennonite Girls Can Cook. 

Like I said before, Nic and I have enjoyed using our new colouring book. It's pretty fun to sit side-by-side and do it.

On Easter, one of the boys in youth brought his adorrrable bunny, Flopsy. Mom and I were so excited to hold her! 

My favourite DIY of the month, these cool marble Easter eggs!

February Favourites

February has been a pretty good month for me. My family came to visit, I went to #emptyROM, Nic and I tried out some new coffeeshops (Black Cat Espresso, Box Car Social, and Settlement Co), and I achieved some fitness goals!

I love to read, and I'm currently working on my "What I Read in February" post. I also like to use the hashtag #whatjanessareads on Instagram, so you can always see some of the books I'm reading, or check me out on GoodReads. 

I'm currently trying to follow through on my goal of reading all the Canada Reads 2016 books, and "Birdie" by Tracey Lindberg is the second one I'm on.  

Check out my January books post.

In yesterday's post I talked about getting selected to go to #emptyROM, which was a super awesome event where about 10 of us got to go into the dinosaur room before the museum opened and photograph everything without having people in our shots. It was a lot of fun! 

For my product favourites, I don't have many, but I do love these!
Joe Fresh Matte Sheer Tint in "bisque" - I was so excited to see that this BB cream lasts through a workout! And by workout I mean everything from yoga to legs day to stairmaster! I'm so happy with the results! It also doesn't get too matte, so I don't get dry patches.
NYX HD Concealer in CW01 - I haven't found a concealer I like in a long time, so I was delighted to find this on sale at my Shoppers (so glad NYX is now here at Shoppers!). The colour is a great match for my under-eyes, and also lasts pretty well on any imperfections.
MAC "Kinda Sexy" matte finish - My favourite nude
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in "Diffused Heat" - This will probably always be my favourite blush. It's so perfect to give you a great flush and glow with the gold streaked through it.
Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm with Vitamin E - just love.

Nic's been growing this adorable sweet potato vine! I can't wait until we have tons of vine to drape around everything. 

When we were in Dollarama a couple of weeks ago, Nic decided he would buy this trellis for his golden pothus. It really adds a lot of character to our white bathroom!

I have gotten really into Crosswords this month. Yes, I sometimes cheat, but it's really cool to notice how now I'm getting the hang of the secret language of crossword clues.

January Favourites - Beauty, Skincare, Music, Decor, & Activities

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My favourite playlist on Spotify (other than my own!) is the Relax & Unwind one. It's exactly how it sounds- super chill and folksy. I love listening to it in the evening, or while I'm practicing yoga at home, because it encourages me to be more fluid with my movements, and make it more dance-like.

In January I didn't try many new products. My face has been peeling a little with eczema, so my friend recommended I try shea butter. If we're being honest, I made my own shea body butter a few years ago, but forgot about it. Also, everyone always suggests that I put coconut oil on, but I'm pretty allergic to that. 

I went to my local health food store and bought this Shea Butter by Alive: Approved by Nature. It was $8 for 8 oz/227 g, which was a much better deal than a lot of the other ones they had. It helps to warm it up a little bit in your hand and then melt it onto the affected area. After one night of application above my eyes, the eczema was gone! Unfortunately the same can't be said for the eczema in my left elbow or right knee. 

The second skincare favourite is Burt's Bees honey lip balm with vitamin  E. I've normally used their regular balm, so this one helps heal the cracks and peeling on my lips. 

One of my favourites for the month is going through all my 2015 photos and putting together a photo book. Check out this blog post to read my thoughts about the process. 

My cousin Conrad visited us from Manitoba for an interview, and brought us these lovely tea light holders from his trip to Egypt. They're gorgeous and we love to light them in the evening!

People who don't get makeup won't get that this can be my full face of makeup on a regular day. It's true, it's a little excessive, but in the winter I look dead (past vampire dead) so I need all the help I can get to look more alive.
The only new product is my NYX stay matte not flat powder foundation. I like the coverage, it's a lot better than the Body Shop one I've been using for years.
As always, my palette obsession is the Too Faced Chocolate Bar. I couldn't even tell you which colours are my favourites, because they're all being used at a pretty similar rate. That's how you know it was a good investment in your pallette.

Matcha green tea lattes!!! So good! Check out my tips on this blog post.

November Favourites

 

Makeup Favourites

1) Essie - Wicked
2) Rimmel London - 621 Orion Trio Eye Shadow
3) NARS duo - Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer
4) Too Faced - Chocolate Soleil Medium/Deep matte bronzer

Last week I brought out my Balsam & Cedar Yankee Candle. It doesn't smell quite as strong as I remember last year, but it still does smell good.

Skincare Favourites

1) Aveeno Baby Eczema Care Moisturizing Cream
2) DermaMed All-Purpose Balm (I really appreciated this when I had a bad eczema breakout on my face when we flew to Winnipeg for Grandpa's funeral. Not sure if it was the environment or the emotional stuff, but it was really bad. Too bad that little pot is $10, because it felt like it oculd be the magical natural cure for me.)
3) MUJI - Mild Cleansing Oil
4) YesTo Cucumbers Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Wipes

This month I taught myself how to crochet, and I've really loved having another creative outlet. I'm currently working on snowflakes for Christmas. Next, I will make one of those large cushions/poufs with awesome grey yarn.

Lip Product Addict Tag!!!

This is one of the tags that I love to watch on YouTube, so I figured I should write up one of my own. I won't even bother counting how many lip products I own. (I've cut some out? Does that make it okay?)

1) Favourite Lip Balm/Treatment

 

A) Lush's Mint Julips -  Normally I have made my own brown sugar lip scrub, but I bought this sometime last year and have loved it. I love that the instructions say to lick it up once you're done scrubbing. It's delicious.

B) The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick - (I can't find it on their site). For when I don't want the stinging beeswax balm, I use this balm. It's good. 

C) Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm - All-time favourite. So good. 

2) Best Eye-Catching Red

1) Rimmel London 107 - Best drugstore red for me, it stays put all day.
2) MAC's Russian Red - What a stunner.

3) Best Luxury and Best Drugstore Products

Luxury: NARS Funny Face - A beautiful fuchsia, fantastic formula, and brightens every day that I wear it.
Drugstore A) Rimmel London Apocalips in Apocalyptic - good stain, matches the Funny Face lipstick
Drugstore B) Rimmel London 110

4) Best MAC Lipstick

I have two MAC lipsticks, "Kinda Sexy" and "Russian Red." I love them both.

5) Most Disappointing Product

 

A) The Body Shop's Lip and Cheek Stain - it dries out your lips, feels horrible.
B) Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Elusive - The colour is terrible for me, but even worse, it creases into your lips in seconds. Looks terrible.

6) Liner?

 

If I'm doing a red lip, I'll use liner. I do use that Essence liner on it's own, but otherwise I don't bother.

7) Best Gloss

I don't use gloss. This one is from Burt's Bees, and I'm sure it's expired by now. 

8) Something Extra

Clinique's High Impact Lip Colour in Very Currant - my absolute favourite lipstic, the one I also wore on my wedding day.

September Favourites

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray - for my long days at GoodLife

Smashbox Hydrating Primer - my skin has gotten pretty dry with fall coming so this primer is perfect

Smashbox Studio Finish Foundation - My skin is pale again on my face, so this foundation works for me again. 

My current eye look

Maybelline's 24 Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
Crave from the Naked Basics pallette as the crease colour
Maybelline Collossal Volume

I've had a backup of Bad to the Bronze for months

Creatures Great and Small

"Adult" colouring books are such a big thing right now, and I got this one to celebrate my new job as a Fitness Advisor for a GoodLife in downtown Toronto.

Each page of this book has different types of creatures, and I've really enjoyed the relaxation the colouring provides. They even suggest pulling the pages out and framing them afterward, and give information about each animal on the page, so you get to learn at the same time!

This month I started taking an adult ballet class at City Dance Corps. It is a beginner class, which is great for me since I haven't danced since I was 14. I'm loving it so far, it's a great way for me to increase some strength, and I've loved moving that way again. 

I absolutely wanted to have a wreath on our door to make the place more homey. Nic and I went into the ravine by our apartment to gather grapevines, which take over the rest of the plants. I twisted them up together, and with the help of some twine, held it together. It's getting an update for fall.

July Favourites!

A tray of favourites!

 I love my IKEA Idelisk tray. It currently sits on our coffee table to hold the coasters and stuff. Last year I kept it on my vanity with jewelry.

I saw Kraft's chocolate-peanut butter spread, and it's phenomenal. In two weeks the jar is almost gone. Oops.

The jar on the left is "Beeswax Skincream" from Little Rock Honey. My mom found it for me at a Christmas market last year, and it's been really helpful for eczema. I've been getting heat rash in my elbows since there's been so hot in Toronto.

Sweaty face makeup (plus my favourite summer lipstick)

I don't wear makeup every day, since I'm still job-hunting. Yoga and meditation at home doesn't require makeup. When I do decide I want a little coverage, I always wear my Garnier Ombrelle face sunscreen, which feels mattefying like a primer. Then I use the Body Shop's Vitamin E Cool BB cream. If I'm not being active, I can use this Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer, which I don't have specific thoughts about, but the colour only matches me in summer. Eyebrows are Annabelle 020 Blonde. Lashes are Maybelline's waterproof "Pumped Up Collassal". The best part? Revlon's Lasting FInish by Kate Lipstick #110.

This month I decided to try meditation. I figured that since I'm not working yet, and I've been lying around doing yoga and reading, I must have time to try meditation. I searched online to find Android apps that are good guides, since previokusly I've never liked the apps  found. I found Calm, which has some guided "courses" for learning how to meditate, timers for once you're comfortable, and sleep guides. The guides I've done so far have been very calming and encouraging.  They even have a calendar that tells you if you're on a streak (I'm 6/6 so far!). I can't tell if it's relaxed me that much, since I'm not stressed right now, but I look forward to continue doing it.

Our amazing clock

This tree trunk clock was a wedding gift from my Oma. It was made by a man named Henry Neufeld. He is pretty "famous" in the Mennonite world for his carpentry. So obsessed.

Glass box of honeymoon souveniers

Today I found a beautiful glass box from Urban Outfitters to put the little things we found on our honeymoon. Yeah, maybe they tell you to not take anything "except pictures" but we grabbed some shells, rocks, seaweed, driftwood, and a claw. 

March Favourites

My ferocactus and jade succulent

Kelsey and I enjoyed shopping at the Ottawa Vintage and Antique Show

This March was a pretty great month for me in general. It's under 3 months until the wedding (the invitations are going out), every once in a while it gets warm, I squatted 180lbs (and rarely have back pain!!), and have read lots of books.

The  wedding invitations going into the mailbox!

Returning from the gym in SHORTS!!

BEAUTY
My last beauty post mentioned my new foundation, Smashbox's Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation. I have been loving it. It might be slightly too pink for me, so I hope that's not a bad sign for finding a summer shade (and I will need to, for the wedding). I don't have to re-powder during the day unless I accidentally got food on my face and wipe away makeup.

Last spring I bought Hourglass' Ambient Lighting Blush in "Diffused Heat." I've been using it pretty frequently in the past year, but during March I especially loved how much light it brings to my face because of the gold running through it. It has really great payoff, I don't need to touch the brush to the pan too much. I use the Sephora Pro Airbrush #55 for blush.

Essie "Cute as a Button"
from iheartpolish.wordpress.com

My favourite nailpolishes for March are a little odd in comparison. I love my Essie "Cute as a Button," OPI's "Uh oh, roll down the window," and "Here Today, Aragorn Tomorrow."

OPI "Here Today, Aragorn Tomorrow"

The bright pink is great for making me feel like it's actually warm outside. The OPI polishes aren't very opaque, but I'm okay with multiple layers because I found them at Dollarama for $3 each. Obviously because they're kinda hideous, so they didn't sell in store.

OPI "Uh Oh Roll Down the Window"

The Essie polish is really great for spring, and I get compliments when I wear it. I'm not normally a pink-lover, but I always get happier when I see that colour in my bin.

I've kept my makeup look pretty similar this year so far, just changing up if I want a strong contour, or a darker smokey eye. Since I'm trying to remind myself I have absolutely no money and need to use what I own, I've had fun finding different ways to use my eye shadow pallettes, like my Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. I wish I could say I have a favourite lip product this month, but my lips were dry a lot of the time, and then I had a cold sore, so I didn't want to wreck that product with the herpes virus.

I have been hunting for a white rabbit cookie jar, and Mom found me one at an Apple Annie's in California.
It goes well with her chicken cookie jar.

SKINCARE
Since I'm allergic to everything, I almost never change skincare. However, since I've been using my Benefit They're Real Mascara, I've needed to use waterproof eye makeup remover far more frequently. I absolutely LOVE my Body Shop Chamomile Waterproof Makeup Remover. I have regular QUO round cotton pads, and a bit of the liquid on it removes all my eye makeup, one side per eye. It's very gentle, so even when I do have itchy eyes or a little rash on my eyelid, it doesn't affect that or make it worse.
Every once in a while, if I've gotten sick, haven't slept enough, or am stressed, I get... cold sores. I've always hated them, and used to try to hide them, or pick at the scabs, which made it take way longer to heal. Last year I found a natural antiseptic cream from Holista, which has Vitamin E (for healing) and Tea Tree Oil (to disinfect). One and a half days of applying this to my cold sore, and the sore was gone! I just needed to moisturize afterward to heal the scab. #ChefRecommends

One weekend, Ryan, Deanna, and Nic came home to Ottawa. I baked a strawberry rhubarb pie, and it was phe-no-me-nal.

ENTERTAINMENT
Mom and Dad were away in California for two weeks, so I needed TV on to keep me company. When there wasn't anything awesome on TV (like Bride shows on TLC) I put on Friends on Netflix. That was an awesome decision. I forgot how much that show actually makes me laugh out loud. I used a lot of our internet bandwidth watching it.

Some of my favourite books for March were the "Scene of the Climb" by Kate E. Dyer-Seeley, which is about a recent journalism grad who ends up working at an adventure magazine, and "Eco-holic Body: Your Ultimate Earth-Friendly Guide to Living Healthy and Looking Good" by Adria Vasil which introduced me to some awesome eco-friendly beauty brands I'd love to try out.