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June Favorites!

the best drugstore beauty products

June has been the month of drugstore beauty for me. The drugstore always has great makeup products but this year drugstore brands are particularly amazing.

Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer
I've been using this bronzer since April. I've only included it in my favorites now because this month I realized that I've been reaching for this one over my other bronzers. I have the shade Bronzer which is the darker of the two shades available. It's light enough for my pale skin. I know everyone has been raving about this bronzer that's because it's just so good. It smells like coconut, piña coladas, the beach, vacations. The texture is extremely soft, like butter as the name suggests. It's easy to apply as it glides onto the skin and blends in effortlessly. It contains some shimmer but it's unnoticeable when applied. I would say it has a satin finish. It gives life to your skin.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Blush in Apri-Cot in the Middle and Rosé Champagne
These blushes are amazing. I've known about them for years but none of the shades appealed to me. When they got reformulated and added the shades Apri-Cot in the Middle and Rosé Champagne I knew I had to have them. They're extremely pigmented and you need the tiniest amount of product especially if you have fair skin. Both shades are shimmery and give your cheeks a natural glow. Rosé Champagne is a bronzy shade with a peachy pink undertone. It's probably my favorite of the two. Apri-Cot in the Middle is what it says on the tin, an apricot shade. I've never worn an orange toned blush because it always seemed intimidating but I really like it. These two blushes are must-haves in my opinion. They're just as good as high end blushes for a fraction of the price.

CoverGirl Katy Kat Matte Lipstick in Sphynx
This lipstick has become one of my favorite lipsticks. It's the perfect everyday nude. It's a peachy nude. The colour is pinker than Chanel's Adrienne and lighter than MAC's Velvet Teddy. It's very comfortable to wear throughout the day and has a satin finish. The lasting power is about 6 hours. If you're a lover of nude lipsticks you need this one in your life. If you only get one shade from this collection it needs to be this one. I think it would look beautiful on any skin tone.

My Summer Bucket List

paysanne gelato is one of the best gelato places in montreal

This summer I'm having a staycation. I've decided to explore my hometown. I'm lucky to live in a major city because there's always something going on. This summer I want to visit places I've never seen before and revisit my favorite spots in the city. I've compiled a list of some things I want to do in Montreal this summer.


Top 5 OPI Nail Polishes

top 5 opi nail polishes

A few weeks ago I posted my Top 5 Essie Polishes. Now I'm back with my Top 5 polishes from OPI. I originally wanted to have one post about my top 5 nail polishes but it was hard to narrow it down. Since I noticed that my favorite polishes were either Essie or OPI I decided to do my top 5 of both brands. As you can see most of these are red whereas my favorite Essie shades are all neutral. Why? I think that OPI makes the best red shades. OPI has a wide variety of any shade you can think of but I personally think that their reds stand out more than the rest.

Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ
This is my all-time favorite OPI shade. I've never seen anything that comes close to this color. It's basically the shade of dark burgundy BBQ sauce. It's the perfect oxblood shade for autumn. It's been discontinued. I've tried and failed to find a dupe of it. (OPI Skyfall from the James Bond collection is similar; Essie's Wicked is darker.)

Quarter of a Cent-Cherry
This is my all-time favorite red nail polish. It's a deep blue-based cherry red. It's the perfect red to wear in the fall. I believe it's been discontinued as well. (OPI's Got the Blues for Red is similar, possibly a dupe.)

Tiramisù for Two
I originally bought this shade purely for the name but I ended up loving it. It's a pink toned beige. I'm a big lover of neutral nails and this one looks flattering with my skin tone. (Essie's Topless & Barefoot is very similar but a tad pinker. I have both but you really need both.)

Amore at the Grand Canal
I originally bought this shade because I thought it would be comparable to Quarter of a Cent-Cherry. It's not. It's still a blued based red but it's lighter and brighter. I would describe this shade as classic ladylike red nail polish. You'll always look classic and sophisticated with this polish.

Cajun Shrimp
This is my all-time favorite summer nail polish. It's a bright orange-red. It's a classic summer shade. When you apply this to your nails you look instantly tanned. The last time I went to Florida this was the only shade I wore on my nails and on my toes. I exclusively wear this shade on my toes all summer.

What's your favorite nail polish?

Sincerely, JoJo. ♥

May Favorites!

May Favorites, beauty, skincare and more

May was a really good month for me. I got to see some friends that I haven't seen in a long time and it felt like we were never apart. This month I have two rediscovered beauty favorites and two new favorites.

MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul
Whenever the weather gets warmer I reach for this blush. It's the perfect bronzy shade to brighten up your complexion. It gives your skin a healthy glow, the I've-just-been-in-the-sun-all-day glow. When I'm in a hurry I know that I can just throw this on and I'll look bronzy and glowy all day. It looks great on its own and can even be used as a bronzer if you're in a rush. If you use it in combination with an actual bronzer you'll look like you just came back from a tropical holiday. MAC Mineralize blushes are one of my favorite blush formulas. A little goes a long way and they last all day.

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue
I love this base product so much. I can just put it on without thinking about it. It doesn't need much blending. It covers all my redness. It does a great job at evening out my skin tone. If I'm in a hurry I know I can apply this, a little powder, some blush, mascara and I'm good to go. Since it contains SPF 30 I know that my face is protected from the sun as well.

Too Faced HangoveRx Replenishing Face Primer
This primer feels so nice to apply. I love that the tube has a pump because the right amount comes out every time. It helps my makeup last all day. I don't find it extremely hydrating but it doesn't make my skin feel dry. It works really well. I like the coconut scent.

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Balm
I've been wanting to try this product for a really long time. I decided to try this instead of repurchasing the Clinique Take the Day off Cleansing Balm because it was cheaper. I honestly think that both products feel exactly the same both in consistency and when applied to my face. They perform exactly the same. The only difference is that the Clinique one is unscented and The Body Shop one has a light chamomile scent. I'm glad that it's working for me. I like that it comes in a tin.

Music:
All Right - Black Swan
Touch Love - Yoon Mi Rae
You Are My Everything (English Version) - Gummy
Let's Not Fall In Love - BIGBANG (and this cover of it by Jason Chen and Arden Cho is amazing.)
Trust - Hillsong Young & Free
This is Living (Acoustic) - Hillsong Young & Free

KDrama:
The Master's Sun - I was hesitant about watching this drama for a long time. The plot didn't sound great to me and I'm not a big fan of ghost stories. It was recommended to me by someone who likes the same taste in dramas as I do. I ended up loving it and it's now one of my favorites. I used to think it was overrated but now that I've watched it I admit that all the hype surrounding this drama is completely true. The main couple is one of my OTPs. Gong Hyo Jin is now one of my favorite actresses. It's definitely worth the watch.

KMovies:
Salut D'Amour - If you love the notebook here’s a Korean film that has a similar feel. This movie was absolutely beautiful. It's really cute and sweet but towards the end, it's a tear-jerker. It really shows you the importance of family and to live each day to the fullest.

Like for Likes - If you love Love Actually then you’ll enjoy this. It was really nice rom-com. It’s so heartwarming. There is some sadness but overall it’s a happy and enjoyable movie. It’s the story of three couples and how they fell in love. Social media plays a different role in how all 3 couples get together. It starts off kind of slow but the ending is amazing. The music is beautiful and the whole cast is wonderful.

Books:
Her One and Only by Becky Wade
Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Youtube:
Seonkyoung Longest
MelSoldera

Sincerely, JoJo. ♥