Runs on Coffee and Cream

Are you a Sephora Insider member? It's free to join and you get different perks based on how much you spend over a calendar year. The best part? You get to take part in member-only sales. Their Holiday event starts today for me (I'm a second-tier member so I get a bit of an early start on the sale). 

Saving 15% is a big deal. Nowadays, our budget is tight with inflation and sales don't happen often on skin care and makeup. So I'll be grabbing a few of my favourite must-haves at Sephora during this sale. 

Here are my picks:

Do you use whatever bar of soap you have in your shower or near your bathroom sink to wash your face? 

I'm a complete sucker for beauty products. Whether it's pretty eyeshadows, face masks, or a glittery nail polish, I have a hard time turning them down. So when I head to Winners or Marshalls and check out their beauty section I'm in trouble. I've been having great luck finding MAC, Dr. Jart+ face masks, and Philosophy products there recently. This only keeps me coming back to search for more.

These are some of my favourite beauty products I've picked up recently (both from Marshalls and Sephora):

Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturizer with White Tea


I was on the lookout for a new face moisturizer since the one I was using (from Kiss My Face) was almost gone and it had been discontinued. I wanted something fairly light and natural but still something that would keep me from drying out. I've been using this new moisturizer for a couple of weeks now and so far I love it. It smells absolutely amazing, it doesn't leave a heavy or greasy feeling, and I've had no breakouts from it.

The Creme Shop Charcoal Face Mask


I picked up a pack of these at Marshalls since charcoal face masks are all the rage right now. Plus, I had tried a charcoal mask from Dr. Jart+ last year and I liked it. Well, the ones from The Creme Shop work magic on me! I've only used a couple but I've noticed a clearer and brighter face after using it.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion


This product has been around for a long time now and I've always heard good things about it. But since high school I've been using MAC paint to prime my eyes because I learned the hard way about eyeshadow creasing when I first started playing around with makeup. I don't know if MAC has changed the consistency of their paint or what, but I find the paint messy and too much product always comes out of the tube. So I thought I'd give the Urban Decay primer a go. It's definitely passed the test. It works; no eyeshadow creasing for me! And it's super easy to apply and I can control how much product to use.

The next beauty products I'm on the hunt for are a good tinted moisturizer for the summer and some face wipes that I can bring on the go with me. If you have any recommendations, let me know!

xo Jen

I've been focusing on self care a lot over the last couple of months. I can easily become stressed, exhausted and scatterbrained lately so I've been making time for me. During these times I've found a few new things I like.

Beauty Products

After some lengthy conversations with beauty product-obsessed friends I decided to try out a couple of new products from Sephora. I've been stuck in a rut with certain beauty products that I've been using since high school. But guess what? My skin has changed (and shh... I'm seeing fine lines!). Anyways, these two products have become life savers and confidence boosters:

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Concealer

This concealer lasts all day, doesn't melt off my face or settle into my lines, and it dries a lovely matte finish.

Benefit Cosmetics ka-BROW! Cream-Gel Eyebrow Colour

This cream gel is incredibly easy to use but my favourite thing is the colour. Their blonde is really blonde! It's such a perfect match for my fair eyebrows.

Foot Masks

I've been addicted to face masks for a while now so it wasn't a surprise to find myself looking at hand and foot masks. This one particular foot mask claimed to give you super soft skin because it helped peel away all the dead skin. I spent just under 2 hours one night with these mask booties on my feet which was pretty relaxing and a little weird. After washing my feet I didn't notice any difference, but a few days later I started to notice skin peeling. Well, it's been over a week and my feet are so soft! All the dead skin has come off and has left me with smooth feet. I cannot recommend this product enough! I'm also happy I bought 2 so I can do this again in a couple of months.

Tony Moly Changing You Magic Foot Peeling Shoes

Next up on my self care to do list is a charcoal face mask while I watch Bridget Jones's Baby!

xo Jen

It's no secret that I've been buying more Korean beauty and skin care products over the last year. I've had nothing but success with most of the products and I've found new makeup favourites as well. I hadn't actually heard of Peripera but when I saw that they were releasing a Powerpuff Girls line via the Internet, I knew I had to look into it!

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I'm a complete sucker for eye shadows. I have at least 20.... but in my defense I wear different colours all the time. I so want the Bubbles palette after seeing the swatches.

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I'm not much of a lipstick person but from what I've read in the reviews, Peripera seem to be known for their vibrant lip products. I may try out an Ink Stick but I have my heart set on the lip tint which I think is perfectly represented with Buttercup on the packaging (she's not much of a lipstick girl either).

What pop culture line will these beauty companies come out with next?! First Pokemon, now Powerpuff Girls. I think a Sailor Moon line would be pretty perfect.

xo Jen

A while back I heard about the Tony Moly x Pokemon collection of skincare and makeup products being released. I had very little faith that I'd be able to find it here in Canada though.

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As I've gotten older I've become more comfortable wearing less makeup, even no makeup sometimes. I grew up playing around with makeup because I always had a friend who loved it. In high school I was introduced to MAC Cosmetics makeup because my best friend fell in love with all the vibrant eyeshadow colours and pigments. Then, in college, I made a friend that I worked with and she taught me how to apply eyeshadow properly and how to wing my eyeliner. Between these two friends, I found makeup I loved and couldn't live without.

Nowadays if I'm going to be around the house sewing most of the day or heading into work for a busy retail shift, I don't wear as much, if any. But there's still a few items I love and couldn't live without.

MAC Cosmetics Paint

In high school I found out that my eyelids caused my eyeshadow to crease mid-day. My friend told me about MAC Paint and I bought one in the 'Bare Canvas' colour. To this day, I still wear this product under my eyeshadow if I know I'm going to have a long day and I want my eye colour to last. I cannot stress enough how well it works and that my eyeshadow NEVER creases when I use the paint underneath it.

NARS Blush


I'm quite pale. I typically use the lightest shade in foundation and concealers because of my porcelain skin. I learned quickly later in high school I needed blush to make me look less tired. Not until after college did I finally purchase my first NARS blush after reading about it over and over again in magazines. Well, I've been hooked since then. I use the Orgasm colour and it's by far the prettiest colour I've ever worn on my cheeks. Plus, it's long-lasting and provides a touch of shimmer.

Maybelline Mascara


Mascara was one of the first makeup items I started using. I'm naturally blonde and my eyelashes are blonde too. I knew I wanted to wear mascara to give my eyes definition by darkening up my eyelashes. I have tried SO many mascaras over the years but I always come back to Maybelline. Some brands have bothered my eyes, some mascaras clump too much, some don't give me the volume I want. Maybelline mascaras usually work for me, though, I've given up on trying their new products because I find I don't like them as much. I've become faithful to Maybelline's The Colossal Volum' Express mascara.

What makeup products can you not live without?
xo Jen