May Favourites

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for Redbubble, SHEIN and Pura Vida Bracelets and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking these links.

As the famous saying goes, the show quarantine must go on.

Let’s start this off with an important PSA: PLEASE keep socially distancing and wearing a mask and/or gloves. If not for yourself, do it for your immunocompromised friends, parents, grandparents and neighbours. The better we keep this up, the sooner we can enjoy our beautiful summer weather!

As you do your part, stay comfortable, entertained and feeling your best with my latest faves across fashion, skincare, music, spring reads and bingeable TV.

Fashion

* Face Masks *

The Weeknd Mask, $20 // DNCE Mask, $18.82

If you haven’t already, get acquainted with our newest must-have fashion accessory. As I said in my last blog post dedicated to finding functional and fashionable masks, there’s no reason your PPE can’t be cute and true to your style.

Since I won’t be front row at their concerts anytime soon, I’m looking forward to receiving the two masks pictured above to show my support for The Weeknd and Joe Jonas’ band DNCE. Bonus: Proceeds from The Weeknd’s masks will be donated to the MusiCares COVID-19 relief fund, directly helping those affected in the music industry.

* Travel-Inspired Clothing *

Anthropologie, $80 // SIMILAR STYLES: Anthropologie, $188 (Hawaii/Aloha print); SHEIN, $17 (New York print)

It may be a total tourist move, but I love travel-inspired fashion pieces that represent my favourite cities.

Pre-COVID, I was supposed to spend the majority of this month jetsetting around Europe. 😢 When I found this Nice, France top while online shopping, I took it as a sign that I’ll be able to postpone my travels to when it’s safe to do so — and snap a picture of this shirt where it’s meant to be (and not in my front yard!).

Also, if you know me, you know I have a small addiction to buying anything and everything related to Hawaii — pineapple home decor, palm tree rings, you name it. I’ll take any excuse to spark my wanderlust and bring back those memories and feelings associated with paradise!

Let me know in the comments below which travel destinations you would rep!

Skincare

* Lip Sleeping Mask | Laneige *

Sephora, $13+ (or try Laneige’s Hydration-To-Go! Normal to Dry Skin set, also from Sephora, $38)

I always feared Laneige’s best-selling Lip Sleeping Mask was just an overhyped lip balm, but I was very pleasantly surprised when I first tried it. To test it out for yourself, I highly recommend picking up a mini Good Night Kit to also score a sample size of their popular Water Sleeping Mask. The lip mask wouldn’t be an immediate repurchase for me as you can get similar results at a lower price point, but it’s a great gift to a friend or yourself (#SelfLoveClub). Bring on the smooches 💋

I’ll report back here and on Instagram @angelaaaxo with my thoughts on the mask!

* Drink Up Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask | Origins *

Sephora, $17-$33

This Origins leave-on face mask is one of the best I’ve ever used. Formulated with avocado and swiss glacier water, it instantly moisturizes and smooths skin well into the morning, giving you a beautiful dewy glow without breakouts or buildup. I use it as a once-a-week treat, so the $17 mini bottle is a great deal.

* Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner | First Aid Beauty *

Sephora, $29

I raved about First Aid Beauty’s Fab Faves line in my April Favourites post and it looks like I’ve found another personal holy grail. Toner is a recent re-addition to my nightly skincare routine and this FAB pick is gentle, moisturizing and perfect for sensitive skin. Also, can we take a minute to admire this visually appealing promo photo?

5 Must-Read Books for Summer 2019

Must-Read Books for Summer 2019 blog post header

One of my FAVOURITE parts of prepping for summer trips is picking out new books, especially for poolside reading. I’ve loved reading since I was a little girl — hence why I got into journalism and blogging! — and only wish I had more time to delve into some fictional (and non-fictional) worlds. Fortunately, doing so while laying under the summer sun is the best time to do it!

I just got back from a beautiful getaway to Maui, Hawaii, which I will have *so* much more to share from soon. But first, I wanted to share some of the incredible books I started — and sped through — that will make perfect adds to your summer reading list.

For words of inspiration to kickstart your vacation

I’ve had Michelle Obama’s Becoming on my book shelf since Christmas, and finally had the chance to start and finish it on a 10+ hour travel day. From cover to cover, it’s total female boss vibes! I will admit the opening section on Michelle’s childhood and upbringing definitely dragged on in some parts, but once she writes about meeting Barack you get a lot of interesting behind the scenes secrets and stories that make the wait worthwhile. I ended up bookmarking a few passages that particularly resonated with me, including:

“Beneath my laid-back college demeanor, I lived like a half-closeted CEO, quietly but unswervingly focused on achievement, bent on checking every box. My to-do list lived in my head and went with me everywhere. I assessed my goals, analyzed my outcomes, counted my wins. If there was a challenge to vault, I’d vault it. One proving ground only opened onto the next. Such is the life of a girl who can’t stop wondering, Am I good enough? and is still trying to show herself the answer.” (Becoming Me)
“New York always awakened a sense of awe in me, big and busy enough to dwarf anyone’s ego.” (Becoming More) (It’s true, New York is a such a remarkable and special place and I look forward to spending more time there!)
“The important parts of my story, I was realizing, lay less in the surface value of my accomplishments and more in what undergirded them—the many small ways I’d been buttressed over the years, and the people who’d helped build my confidence over time.” (Becoming More)
“My early successes in life were, I knew, a product of the consistent love and high expectations with which I was surrounded as a child, both at home and at school. … I’d been lucky to have parents, teachers, and mentors who’d fed me with a consistent, simple message: You matter. As an adult, I wanted to pass those words to a new generation. … I wanted to be the opposite of the guidance counselor I’d had in high school, who’d blithely told me that I wasn’t Princeton material.” (Becoming More) (To quote Beyonce, “best revenge is your paperrrrr…”)
“…I am still in progress, and I hope that I always will be. For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end. … It’s all a process, steps along a path. Becoming requires equal parts patience and rigor. Becoming is never giving up on the idea that there’s more growing to be done.” (Epilogue) (AMEN!!!)