Sephora Holiday Beauty and Skincare Haul

November 18, 2020 No Comments

The annual Sephora Holiday Savings Event, which wrapped last week, gave beauty lovers a chance to score up to 20% off their favourite makeup and skincare lines and get ahead on the gift-giving season. Some incredible holiday gift sets are excluded from the header image above (patience, friends & family!), but I had to take advantage of the savings to stock up on my fave products and try some highly buzzed-about brands, including Summer Fridays and The Inkey List.

My skin tends to get super needy (read: very dry) during the winter months, so I focused most of my budget on products that would give me a mega moisture boost, as well as new hair and lip care products — basically all the Zoom meeting essentials!

Scroll through my virtual Sephora beauty and skincare haul to see what I picked up!

Skincare and Face Masks

* Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash *

Sephora, $17-$32 (received free sample)

Key benefit: Easily rinses away makeup, impurities, and surface oils for skin that feels comfortably clean

* Wishful Yo Glow Facial Enzyme Scrub *

Sephora, $27-$51 (received free sample)

Key benefit: Gentle yet powerful exfoliator that is infused with pineapple and papaya enzymes, BHAs, and AHAs to leave skin with a healthy glow

* First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer *

Sephora, $34

Key benefit: This has saved me more times than I count! It’s quite thick, so I recommend using it only overnight or sparingly on especially troubling skin areas

* Tatcha The Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing Moisturizer *

Sephora, $26-$89 (received free sample)

Key benefit: Oil-free, anti-aging water cream that releases a burst of skin-improving Japanese nutrients, powerful botanicals, and optimal hydration for poreless-looking skin

* The Inkey List Q10 Antioxidant Serum *

Sephora, $8.99

Key benefit: Works to both protect and prevent accelerated signs of aging and environmental stress while hydrating the skin

* Murad Vitamin C Dark Circle Correcting Eye Serum *

Sephora, $79 (received free sample)

Key benefit: Fights the look of dark circles while light-reflecting micro-minerals visibly brighten and de-puff

* Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask Mini *

Sephora, $34

Key benefit: Rich hydration and a radiant complexion after just one application — and it’s the closest thing you’ll get to embracing the jetsetter life in the middle of a pandemic

Fashion, Reviews

40 Beauty Products You Need from Sephora’s Holiday Savings Event

November 1, 2020 No Comments

Sephora's Holiday Savings Event 2020 Picks angelamclean.ca

If you’re overdue for a stock-up on your favourite beauty and skincare products, or in the mood to treat yourself (as you should!), Sephora’s latest shopping event is here to spread some early holiday cheer. The can’t-miss beauty sale of the year, Sephora’s Holiday Savings Event, is on now (ending Nov. 9) and it’s a great time to get ahead on your Christmas shopping. While you’re at it, why not pick up a few new items to add to your routine?

The biggest cosmetics brands, including Tarte, Yves Saint Laurent, Benefit and celeb-fronted lines Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty, are taking part and giving Beauty Insiders up to 20% off their products! Rouge members currently have first access, with VIB members having a chance to shop 15% off sitewide* starting Nov. 3. Insider members will still have five full days to score 10% off as of Nov. 5.

I shout out my latest beauty and skincare finds almost every month in my Favourites lists, but this is definitely the time to splurge — especially with these great savings. Not sure where to start? Snag beauty shelf inspiration from my Sephora wish list, organized to the max for all of your skincare and makeup needs!

Skincare and Face Masks

* Fresh Soy Makeup Removing Face Wash *

Sephora, $20-$88

* Saturday Skin Rub-A-Dub Refining Peel Gel *

Sephora, $37

As featured on my April Favourites list

* First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner *

Sephora, $29

As featured on my May Favourites list

* Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator *

Sephora, $16-$100

Perfect for daily use!

* First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer *

Sephora, $34

This has saved me more times than I count! It’s quite thick, so I recommend using it only overnight or sparingly on especially troubling skin areas.

* FAB Pharma BHA Acne Spot Treatment Gel 2% Salicylic Acid *

Sephora, $34

As featured on my September Favourites list, this is the perfect product to combat stubborn maskne!

Fashion, Favourites, Playlists

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!