September Favourites

September 30, 2020 No Comments

Farewell summer and hello fall! To kick off this new season, browse through my latest fashion faves, beauty must-haves and playlist additions, plus preview what’s next in my reading pile. There are so many options here for pandemic-approved entertainment!

Fashion

* Leopard Print (and the Jilly Jacket 2.0) *

Jilly Jacket 2.0, Joe Fresh, $89 (currently unavailable online; in stock in select Canadian stores) // SIMILAR: Go-H20 Water-Resistant Narrow-Channel Puffer Jacket in Olive Leopard Print, Old Navy, $60 (sale); VERO MODA Cana Puffer Jacket in Leopard, The Bay, $49.99 (sale)

Leopard print has returned as one of the hottest looks of the season and I’m seeing it pop up in all sorts of styles — jeans, sweaters, cardigans… but nothing is cozier than an oversized, fit-for-fall puffer jacket! Canadian retailer Joe Fresh, with the help of West Coast influencer Jillian Harris, launched the “it” jacket of the season with this trendy, longline leopard print puffer (pictured above), dubbed the Jilly Jacket 2.0. Needless to say, I was in love at first sight — and it was so worth the fight to snag one online! In fact, demand for the jacket broke Joe Fresh’s website, with many customers trying for 7+ hours to get one of the limited quantities available. I’m still hearing reports of restocks at physical stores, so keep an eye out (or check out one of the similar jackets linked above!).

* Masks *

Assorted Styles, Old Navy, 5/$15 (great value!)

In case you’ve missed the headlines, the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is officially underway in many regions, including my home province of Ontario, Canada. To keep everyone safe, face masks will remain the must-have accessory for the fall/winter fashion season. Fortunately, there are now so many cute and comfortable styles that it’s tempting to buy one to match every look in my closet. I’m still a huge fan of Old Navy’s masks, which come in packs of 5 or 10 and are fit for the whole family with designs like tie dye, camo and plaid.

Beauty/Skincare

* Rare Beauty *

Fave products: With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm in Blessed, Rare Beauty at Sephora, $21; Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer, Rare Beauty at Sephora, $18 (mini) or $34 (full)

Singer, actress and business powerhouse Selena Gomez did not disappoint with her highly-anticipated Rare Beauty line, which received great praise from fans and beauty influencers alike upon its launch earlier this month. I’m looking forward to trying more products from the collection but already love the lip balm, which is highly pigmented and moisturizing (so hard to find!), and the illuminating primer, which masks your pores while giving you a beautiful, lit-from-within glow.

* FAB Pharma BHA Acne Spot Treatment Gel 2% Salicylic Acid | First Aid Beauty *

Sephora, $34

Maskne be gone! This product from First Aid Beauty (a FAB brand, if I do say so myself!) has been a holy grail to stopping breakouts in their tracks, especially around my chin. My skin has always responded well to salicylic acid, so I was super happy to find this. When applying, remember a little goes a long way!

Books

While I catch up on my growing book pile, here are the next two reads on my list!

* My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams *

Available from Indigo for $24.62 (sale)

Earlier this month, we lost an iconic voice for women’s rights, social justice and a better world following the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a beloved Supreme Court Justice (the second female to hold the title) and co-founder of the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU. I remember wanting to read this book when it came out in 2018 and have since picked it up to learn more about Ruth’s inspiring upbringing and journey. Rest in power, RBG!

* The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey with Michaela Angela Davis *

Available from Indigo for $25 (sale)

Fresh out on bookshelves, Mariah Carey’s long-awaited memoir is Mariah unfiltered. Mariah goes deep into her childhood and shares behind the scenes secrets about her songs, struggles and survival, giving readers an incredible inside look at one of the industry’s biggest stars. Bonus: the 11-hour Audible audiobook is narrated by Mimi herself, with musical moments weaved in throughout the memoir. This may finally get me on the audiobook train!

Playlists

Playlist: 2018’s top finds & faves

December 26, 2018 No Comments

In just a few days we will be saying farewell to 2018, which means it’s time for my end-of-year playlist! Thankfully, 2018 was a great year for music. So many of my favourite artists like Camila Cabello, 5 Seconds of Summer and The 1975 released killer new albums and there was no shortage of bop-worthy singles.

If this year in music was any indication, 2019 is going to be amazing. New music is already confirmed to be on the way from Normani, Charli XCX, Broods and many more. I’m ready!

While outlets like Billboard release their Year-End charts based on the top performing singles of the year, I wanted to change things up! So, I’m sharing the best of the best of my monthly finds & faves playlists from 2018. This way, you’re getting the latest and greatest, plus some tunes that were just too good to leave behind. The result is a 60-song ‘2018 finds & faves’ playlist. It’s perfect and ready to go for your New Year’s parties!

Scroll down to check out the final finds & faves playlist of 2018 and five of my favourite 2018 finds.

Playlists

Playlist: November finds & faves

November 28, 2018 No Comments

November finds & faves playlist cover - Angela McLean

If I’m being real with you, November was A MONTH. I was so busy and all over the place between meetings, midterms, work and catching up with life, I basically forgot what having a social life was like. A great benefit to this, though, was all the time I had to curate and obsess over my November playlist. It definitely provided a great escape and made doing homework much more entertaining!

It was a great month for music, so I’m sharing 66 songs. Continue scrolling to check out the playlist and get my take on six must-listen tracks (then press play and get through these last weeks of work before the break!)

New Music Friday, Playlists

Playlist: October finds & faves

October 22, 2018 4 Comments

October finds & faves playlist cover - Angela McLean

It’s October, so it’s OFFICIALLY fall. If you know me, you’re well aware this is my favourite season. As much as I love summer vibes and warm weather, I also love sweaters and the colours of the changing leaves. Plus, fall photoshoots are the best!

If you’re still clinging onto summer, I know just what you need to solidify your fall mood: my October ‘finds & faves’ playlist! I’ve compiled 30 tracks that are perfect for your windy commute, shortened days and Halloween parties.

Scroll down to hit play on this month’s playlist and read about my top six picks. Then, go and get your spook on!

New Music Friday, Playlists

Playlist: September finds & faves

September 29, 2018 No Comments

Am I the only one that thinks September is one of the weirdest months? You fall back into a routine at school or work (and I’m a lady who likes routines), reconnect with friends you lost touch with in the summer and get to enjoy the last of the nice weather – all good things! But then things start getting real busy real fast, everyone’s trying to juggle all their responsibilities and, most annoyingly, you may need a jacket and shorts in the same day. (Seriously, this is the reason I get sick every fall.)

What I’m trying to say is that there is a reason this month’s ‘finds & faves’ playlist has several upbeat summer songs in addition to some colder tracks, both in tone and theme.

If you’re new to my blog, every month I share a playlist featuring my top new music finds and older releases that are back on repeat (or I’m just late to the party on discovering!). Clocking in at just under two hours, scroll down for September’s playlist and a few highlighted listens.