Happy Friday! As you read this, I will be tucked in a car in the first chunk of a very, very long drive for a very, very short visit to go to a wedding in Calgary this weekend. I was actually thinking about maybe doing a What's In My Travel Bag kind of a post, but then I decided it just... wouldn't be very helpful because it would just be skincare that I'm testing out right now and very specific makeup choices based on the wedding. However, when I was making my list of what to pack, I was thinking about what I wanted to have on hand, in my purse rather than in my suitcase and it occurred to me that I wanted to do a Featured Five on what I need with me in the car, at hand. 

So keep reading to check out my Featured Five Road Trip Beauty Essentials!

I have to say, lately I have definitely been changing my tune a little bit when it comes to cleansers. For several years now, I've avoided foaming cleansers because traditional North American foaming cleansers have always been really stripping on my skin and I never trusted them not to damage my moisture barrier. Recently, though, I've been drawn more and more to Asian cleansers, most of which tend to be foaming, and I've been seeing great results with them. Most recently, I picked up the Shiseido Senka Perfect Whip Foam Cleanser, which is a bit of a cult product as far as I can tell and is starting to pop up in local Walmart stores as they extend their selection of Asian beauty products. 

Keep reading for more!

Last week I felt like I was struggling to be inspired by the #SummerNails hashtag on Instagram for our #CBBxManiMonday theme, but this week I could barely choose between all of the beautiful nail art that was inspiring me. Because of that, this mani started out with one plan and then sort of shifted midway to something else entirely... because sometimes that happens? Abstract nail art is definitely having a moment this summer, so I chose some summery colours and employed my dry brush stamping technique for a surprisingly easy and beginner friendly mani!

Keep reading for more!

I hate washing my hair. How's that for the start to a blog post? It's true, though. Having wet hair is just the grossest feeling for me and in the summer I would pretty much rather do anything that pull out a blowdryer, so dry shampoo is basically a summer BFF for me. Recently, I got to try out a new option from one of my personal favorite dry shampoo lines, the Dove Fresh Coconut Dry Shampoo*. Dove's lineup of dry shampoos have actually been a staple for me for a few years now and I always have a bottle of the unscented one on hand, but I was really excited for the Fresh Coconut scent because I love a beachy smelling summer scent in my hair.

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Hello! I'm super excited to share with you guys this new kit from Umma called The Case Full Of Seoul*, an 8 piece Korean skin care set that's available exclusively at Costco here in Canada! Last year, Umma released a similar set to this at Costco in the US, but it included a couple more products that weren't included in the Canadian set - which I suspect may be a regulations thing, specifically with the sunscreen. Because I wanted to share this with you guys - it's available now! - I haven't had a chance to fully test out the products, so while there will be some first impressions, this isn't a review. It's really just a look at what's inside, with info about each of the products. I'll actually probably try out all of the products and give some of them dedicated reviews once I've given them a good go - so keep an eye out for that!

No more rambling, let's just take a look at the products!

The list of products that I want to try out is... really long, I'll admit, but there are some products on that list that I've heard such amazing things about that I just absolutely have to try them out. The CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion* is absolutely on that list. CeraVe has become an absolute go to for me in my everyday skin care routine and this is by far one of their products that I've heard the most positive things about. While it may not be the sexiest product, it's one product that I've heard overwhelmingly positive things about to the point that I really do think it's one of those cult products in the making. I don't need sexy or promises of the moon in my skin care routine, I need products that work, so I reached out and got the opportunity to finally try it out for myself. 

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Happy Monday! This month's #CBBxManiMonday theme has been putting me through it a little bit, I'll admit. Essentially, the idea is that using the hashtag #summernails on Instagram, we look for inspiration from other nail artists to create our own mani's. Personally, I find myself scrolling and scrolling through absolutely beautiful nail art looking for something that I A) want to put on my nails, and B) feel like I can actually accomplish, which can be tricky. This week's inspiration actually came from two sources - this mani by Nails By Maya along with this mani by Nyasia Ruiz - and I sort of married elements from them to get something in my wheelhouse. I do genuinely like taking inspiration from other people's work and then putting my own spin on it and I'm super happy with how this mani turned out.

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When it comes to fragrance, I've been a bit of a junkie since childhood and my love for choosing a scent to wear in order to represent a mood has really grown as I've gotten older. Another thing that has really happened as I've gotten older is that I've developed a love for beautiful perfume bottles that are almost like art pieces or decor accessories. So, of course, I was really stoked to try out the Juicy Couture OUI Eau De Parfum*. I mean... How could I not be?

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Hey guys! Is anyone surprised that I'm SUPER excited to share the new hair care release from Live Clean with you guys? As you guys know, Live Clean is an absolute staple in my house - and I've definitely converted some friends and family as well - and I'm always down to try out their new products. On it's face, the new Live Clean Super Fruit Waters Quenching Curls Shampoo & Conditioner* probably aren't necessarily intended for my hair type - since, you know, my hair is straight and limp and doesn't even have a natural wave to it - but I was curious to try it out anyway.

Keep reading for more!