Even though I don't do it often enough, I always find that taking some time to pamper myself in a kind of at home spa day is an act of self care that's really good for the balance of my mind. Because I have anxiety disorder, self care is one of those things that can sometimes be difficult, but is also really important so I've been trying to be more mindful of doing things that aren't quite necessity but ultimately make me feel better. Recently, I've been using some Avon Planet Spa Heavenly Hydration Body Products* as apart of my pamper routine and I'm really excited to review them for you guys!

Keep reading for more!

One thing that I've always loved about Hard Candy is how much they tend to push things and always stand out from other drugstore brands with products and packaging that are different from what else is going on at the drugstore. Recently, I had the opportunity to try out some products from their newer Spring/Summer 2017 launches and rather than reviewing all of them, I wanted to go ahead and pick my personal favorites from the collection. Here in Canada, we don't get quite as wide a range as our neighbors to the south, so there are a bunch of other new releases in the US that I wish I could get my hands on, but I definitely do think there are some winners from the Canadian launches.

Keep reading to take a closer look at my picks.

Is anyone else feeling some serious summer laziness at the moment? I AM! Honestly, I just want to sprawl out in a zero gravity chair on my patio with a cider and read pretty much all the time. The warm weather is making me distinctly slothy. This is clearly my apology for the possibility that content will slow down over the coming weeks. ANYWAY, it's time for another Ipsy Subscription post - which I suspect will be my second to last one - for July's bag! 

Wanna see what I got? Keep reading!

I have to admit, I have a thing for concealer. I feel like a million new foundations come out at the drugstore every year and I try a couple of them, but whenever a new concealer is released at the drugstore I absolutely have to try it. So, of course, when I heard good things about the Milani Retouch + Erase Light Lifting Concealer it went directly onto the shopping list. Now that the Milani displays are getting a little bigger here in Canada, I was able to get my hands on it and I'm excited to review it for you guys!

Keep reading for more!

Recently, when I went on vacation, I decided it was the perfect time to finally try out some products from Belif, since they had this great little set that included (almost) everything I needed for a week away. I like sets like this that give me a chance to try things out without investing in full sizes because it allows the opportunity to try out a variety of different products from a brand and choose the ones that work best for you. I decided to do a First Impression style of review,  because I prefer a longer testing period when it comes to skin care than travel sizes will allow for a full review. Still, after using these solidly for over a week I definitely have some thoughts.

So, without further adieu, keep reading for my thoughts on each of the products from the Belif Bestsellers On-The-Go kit!

Matte liquid lipsticks still seem to be going strong, but recently the market has been popping up with a lot of super glossy, highly pigmented lip lacquers as well. Recently mark. released a collection of lip paints that are available in 4 shades of each finish, with each collection containing shades ranging from very wearable to very outside the box that promise to be more intense than a lipstick and more saturated than a gloss with built in primer.  

For my review of the mark. Pout Vinyl & Velvet Lip Paints*, keep reading!

I have to say, I absolutely love a konjac sponge. It's actually been about five years since the first time I used one and I was hooked from the first use. I've also used them on my face as a really gentle exfoliation while I'm cleansing my skin and I've never found them to be irritating, which has always been the biggest thing for me. Recently, I jumped at the chance to try out the Dew Puff Pure Konjac Sponges* in three different varieties. 

Keep reading for more!

There are a few Nivea products in my arsenal that I essentially can't be without - like the Nivea Essential Lip Balm and the Nivea Smooth Replenishing Hand Cream, which are both absolute holy grail products for me - so I'm always happy to try out new things from the brand. Recently, thanks to Influenster, I got to try out the Nivea Q10 Firming Body Oil*, which claims to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, even skin tone, hydrate, and leave skin feeling firmer in two weeks. Not bad claims, right? 

Keep reading for more!

After the epic flurry of empties that I had for last month, this month is a little bit underwhelming. I thought about holding off and doing this post at the end of July, but I had some really great makeup empties that I really wanted to share with you guys. This post is actually full of a lot of products that I really, really love and have repurchased multiple times, so I think it's worth giving a read!

To see what I used up this month... Proceed!

Like last month, I'm sticking with the idea of categories of favorites rather than just grabbing a bunch of things that I've been loving. I like how that works because it forces me to really think about what I've been drawn towards for the passing month, especially if there might not be too many standouts when it comes to specific products. I'm definitely someone who likes to change it up. 

If you want to see where my head has been at beauty-wise and the products that stood out this month, keep reading!