Well, 2020 is over. That is a thing. I don't really know what to say about the year and I am sure you have  all heard it before and don't need me to drag on about it. With that I will present my favourite 5 for 2002.

Keep in mind I spent 2 months off work, then worked insane hours, had several breakdowns and just have not cared much about my appearances but more on my mental health.

Perspirex Comfort

Perspirex is one of those things I don't think of often but when I do all I have is love for it. I have used it for years and now they have a comfort version for those that are a bit more sensitive. I love that I can apply it and not worry about bathing or showing it off for a few days. I also love that in past years when I swam it wouldn't wear off either. And in the summer, I cannot state how great it is because lordy lordy so I sweat a lot in the summer and this stops and subsequently stops the smells.

Dr Teal's Relax & Relief /Eucalyptus & Spearmint

I love Dr Teal's (read previous posts on them here)! I buy their stuff all the time. 2020 has been a year of baths and me trying to control my anxiety. I went through about 5 bags of their bath salts, but right now I am using this mini one from a holiday set I picked up at the store. 

I also love a good bubble bath so I also am always picking up that. I am using the Relax & Relief which happens to be Eucalyptus and Spearmint formulated one form the same set. 

L'oreal 8 Second Miracle Water

I picked this up at the start of March before the first lockdown. I had long very damaged hair and I loved how well it smoothed and helped my hair feel softer and silkier. I stopped using it for a while because we were locked up and no one could see it. After my hair started to fall out  due to stress it really felt terrible so I started to use it again. I have to say it really did help what remaining hair was there. It feel smoother and softer.  It also does a fantastic job of combating frizz in humid weather.

Catrice Camouflage High Coverage Concealer

I wrote about these twice before and I have to say I adore them. These are the best concealers I have tried in a very long time. I can use just them alone or with foundation or BB cream. I pretty much love how they cover, are creamy and blend out. The beige tone of Porcelain is specifically amazing for my undereye circles.

Too Faced Shake Your Palm Palms Palette

It has been a while since I gave a mini palette from Too Faced a try. Well actually not true, the year before I tried the Hot Butter Rum one and loved it. When I picked this one up in the summer on sale I wasn't too sure if it would be great or no. I am just super happy with it. I love the shades, the finishes and looks I can create with it.  I really feel going forward I will probably be purchasing small palettes like this so that as trends and styles change I wont feel so bad about getting rid of large palettes or spending so much on them.

It is full blown fall right now, and as much as I am enjoying my Pumpkin Spiced everything I am actually anxiously awaiting Gingerbread season. In the meantime, here are some items I am loving right now.

NYX Powder Puff Lippie in Puppy Love:
I picked this up at my Rexall in the spring and started wearing it pretty much non-stop this fall. It is a tube that comes out a sponge tip applicator that leaves a soft look on the lips. It has a strange powdery like texture to it that feels dry. It happens to be really pigmented too. Puppy Love happens to be a nice coral shade.

Dermalogica Barrier Defense Booster:*
I started using this baby in the winter, now that summer's humidity is gone I am reaching for it again. My skin gets dry quickly and can get chapped and red fast. A little of this booster and my skin is instantly soothed and less red. I just adore it. Funny note, I have been shaking this stiff bottle to get out the product for months only to learn the grey bottom is soft and you just have to tap it to get the product out. I feel so silly.

Joe Fresh Tinted Lip Balm:
I love this tinted lip balm, so when I learned Joe Fresh was leaving Shoppers Drug Mart and all the items were 75% off I stocked up. Don't worry, Joe Fresh beauty products aren't going anywhere, they just won't be in SDM anymore. I really love how silky the balms feel, their light scent and how pigmented they are. I recently got my mother in law hooked on them because she wanted something that was like a lipstick but sheer and hydrating.
Left to right: Pecan, Lychee, Spice, Macaroon and Blackberry.

L'oreal Brow Stylist Boost & Set:
L'oreal has never, ever let me down in the brow category, this product is no exception. I picked it up on sale at my local Shoppers and do not regret it one bit. I love this little bent wand, it helps me apply the brow mascara just where I want and not on my skin. The formula helps build up my brows while tinting them just right. I think I may pick up the shade darker next time I see it on sale

Guerlain Meteorites:
So you may have seen in the past that I love Guerlain's Meteorites. I often pick up limited edition versions and even have their perfume (it smells just like them). Lately, I have been trying to actually use them more often, so I have been finishing off my makeup every day with 01 Blanc De Perle. It mainly is white pearls. It adds a nice glow to my skin and smells amazing.

So there you go, five more items I am loving.

*Product was sent to me for review purposes, all views are my own.

BarberClub line launched this past spring and Mr. Fox and I were lucky enough to go to a launch party, where he got pampered with a beard clean up and all the new products.

All the products have a Cedarwood Oil in them and have a light Cedarwood scent to them, not too heavy and not too strong.

All the products have a little description of what they do and a barber' tip on them, making them easy to use and understand.
BARBERCLUB 3-IN-1 BEARD, FACE, & HAIR WASH

Deeply cleanses beard, face and hair.

Barber Tips: Use Daily to cleanse the beard, face and hair. Apply as needed after lathering into a rich foam within the palms of the hands

It is summertime, which means one thing, Five Things I am Loving Right Now - Summer Edition. Let's take a peek at 5 things I am loving for this hot summer that we are having.
Yardley English Rose Talc Powder

I reviewed Yardley London's English Rose line back around Mother's Day, and well I adore the stuff. I love how it smells just like real roses and it lingers on the skin in such a nice way. Well, now it is ridiculously hot where I live and I feel like a sweaty melty mess. I knew I liked their scented talc powder, but I wasn't aware how much I needed it in my life until the heat hit.

In the mornings when I wake up a little bit sweaty from the night (just that little dewiness that I hate) I apply some and feel so much better (and don't worry about smelling). When I get home from my long bus commute home I love to put some on to make me smell nice and absorb any wetness from the heat. Most of all my boobs love it. Any woman who has ever dealt with the heat knows, our chest can get a bit sweaty too. Now I am very lucky that I don't suffer from this too bad, but bras still cause sweat and chafing, and pretty much I hate it all in this weather. I pat some talc on and I not only do I  smell good, all extra moisture disappears and I seem to stop sweating for the next couple of hours anyway. I really am liking it for early mornings and at night after work for a quick refresh if I have to pop out again. I am also getting lots of compliments on how I smell when I wear it, which is positive since I have been so insecure about it.
Perspirex Plus

Sticking with the sweat topic, I love Perspirex! I tried it years ago to review and loved it, but now they have improved it (hence the Plus in the title) and I thought what better time to give it a go then in the hot summer.

I found that this summer I am a bit more sweaty than normal and being very self-conscious on my bus rides home. So persprix takes a bit of that worry away from me. You use it at night a couple times a week and then once you are happy with how it is working you just use it twice a week. TWICE A WEEK! For someone who is swimming a lot and works a physical job, I think this is great, I can shower and not worry about remembering to reapply deodorant.

I really find it works, I really never think about my deodorant anymore at all, I never worry about smelling, it is great. I really don't know why I didn't pick up a new one sooner.

There is one downside, it is about $22.99 at Shoppers Drug Mart or $17.99 at Walmart and only 25 ml. So there is that, and honestly, it is the reason I didn't buy it sooner. That being said I justified it by the fact it 1) actually works, and works well and 2) because I only need it twice a week and not several times a day, it is going to last me a long time. oh, and 3) I went with my mother in law for seniors day at Shoppers and saved 20%.
L'oreal Total Repair 5 Protein Recharge 

As I mentioned, I am swimming a lot in my pool this summer. Oh how I love to swim. It does take a toll on my hair though. I cannot wash it daily, or my colour will fade to crap. I also cannot just leave chlorine in it, so I am using a swim cap to keep most of the chlorine out and loading my hair up with this leave in.

L'oreal's Total Repair 5 line has always been a fantastic line for my damaged to heck hair, now that they have a leave in conditioner that is also a heat protectant, I have been using it like mad and loving the results.

I can apply a little after I shower to use as a leave in conditioner and a heat protectant. I can also add a dab every morning to the ends to condition them a bit more without weighing it down. It is really light and smells kind of sweet. My favourite thing to do though is to lightly wet my hair and add quite a bit to my hair, put on my swim cap and go for a swim. My hair takes in less chlorine water because it is already full of clean water and conditioner.
L'oreal Lumi Glotion

I love a nice glow on my skin, because let's face it luminous skin is pretty. I am not a fan of a whole lot of glitter or actual shimmer on my face. It is similar to Mac's Strobe Cream but I find it is smoother, more hydrating and less shimmery.

It goes on pretty sheer and can be worn alone or under foundation. I love to mix it in or wear alone with a bit of concealer. Overall it gives my sometimes dull skin a nice glow and a kick of pick me up. Who doesn't want to look more glowy on a Monday morning.

Glotion comes in four shades, Fair Glow, Light Glow, Medium Glow and Deep Glow. I have Fair Glow that I use as a highlighter and I use Medium Glow to give me a bit of an all over bronze look. Since there are four shades there should be something for everyone.
Matrix Biolage R.A.W. Spray

My hair is wavy, but waves can fall flat, or go frizzy and out of control. It is an odd spectrum of hair that can range from exactly what you want to to "what is going on here?".

I have been using this spray from Matrix's Biolage R.A.W. line for a few months now and I adore how it gives my hair actual curls. If I understand correctly it is kind of like a sea salt spray, but it gives  a bit of hold and a whole lot of curls to my hair. If you hair is wavy it might be what you need to get your hair more body, curl and shape. If you hair is straight it might just give it some more of that summer beachy hair you crave this time of year. I like it because humidity can make my hair look just silly, and it stops that from happening, and leaves me with really nice looking hair.

There you go, 5 goodies I am loving this summer.

Sometimes I get all caught up in trying to create blog posts on certain products or topics that I forget that blogging is sometimes about the daily things. Thus I am starting a new series, Five Things I am Loving Right Now. Hopefully I will do this seasonally, but maybe more often then that if the mood strikes. The whole point is to share with your the stuff I am using daily and getting some good use out of. Sometimes I might be in the process of writing a full post on the products, sometimes I will be revisiting past products that I am still loving (or rediscovered) and sometimes just products I want to give a good shout out to.

I big shout out to Madeline from Classically Contemporary. We recently had a little chit-chat and she inspired me to start this series (because that is what friends do, inspire us to be better).
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Skin Oil
I reviewed this way back in 2015 and loved it and its accompanying face oil and oil cleanser. While I may of got these three items from PR back then, I actually used them up and re-bought them more then once (which frankly I never end up using anything up anymore, so I am impressed).

First off it is like Bio Oil, yes. But it also cost about $10, has a pump and contains no mineral oil. Plus my skin really loves it. Since it is safe for the face I have been using it a lot more then I would have thought on my face this winter. I just have been so dry this past season and this has been the answer to my skin problems.
Wet N Wild Photo Focus Pressed Powder
I have been meaning to blog about Wet N Wild's new foundation collection for what feels like forever, but alas I have not. So while I can tell you I really love the foundation, the powder is maybe the item I love the most. I have been having one heck of the time with my face skin being dry and flaky when I apply any foundation, heck even BB or tinted moisturizer, so when I say this powder leaves my skin looking nice and cake free I am pretty impressed. In fact I did something I haven't done in years, I hit pan! I fully plan on repurchasing this powder (and the foundation for that matter)
I love a good Micellar water, but often find I have a hard time removing my waterproof makeup. Since I wear waterproof mascara and liner almost every single day, it kind of gets pointless, I end up tugging more then removing and am never satisfied. I discovered this duo-phase version from L'oreal and was amazed at how well it removed everything from my face without any film left on my skin. It also happens to be Oil, Fragrance, Alcohol and Soap Free, meaning my dry and sensitive skin stays calm and doesn't get reactive or angry.
There are 5 beauty items I am really loving right now. Not only am I using them almost daily, but I am using them up, which is impressive for me.

*items marked with an asterisk were give to me from PR. All views and opinions are my own.

L'oreal Infallible has launched an amazing new collection of of high pigment products. Lip colours, cream eye shadow duos, liquid liners and a blush palette all with intense pigmentation and colours ranging from nude to bold brave shades. There is definitely something in the new line to impress just about everyone.

Infallible Paints Lip:
The high impact liquid lacquer lipsticks come in 13 colours. The range isn't just bold reds, pinks, purples and oranges, there is also some pretty darn spectacular nudes in it too and a navy blue (which I bought after these swatches so stay tuned for it in another post). These babies go on in one swipe and give full opacity right off the bat. They feel so soft and comfortable on the lips which is very impressive considering their coverage. The tube ensures that you aren't going to waste any of it, you can squeeze every last bit out. The doe foot has a swoop in the centre that curves to your lips, but if your like me it also means you can use the tip for accurate lip lining and shaping.
Infallible Paints Cream Eye Shadows:
These ceaseless cream eye shadows come in 12 different duos. They range in subtle and nude to bold and bright. I happened to get 304 Navy Yard to try out. It is a gold navy shade with a pinky pearl shade on the other. While I steer away from blues because of my blue eyes and general preference, I love love love the rose side. I have worn it both as a base under eye shadows and as a stand alone shade, I love it both ways. I find that it never creases and lasts all day on me without any issues.
Infallible Paints Blush:
This palette features 4 shades of blush that can be layered to be sheer to incredibly bold. At first I was afraid that with the high pigmentation that the Infallible Paints line has that this would be one of those crazy pigment blushes that goes on too strong and isn't blendable, one that you need to need a really light hand with. As it turns out, it is pretty darn easy to use, while yes the colours are bright and pigments, they go on easy and build well, just use a fluffy blush brush and they will blend out nicely. Peach, pink , hot pink and orange fill this palette as well as the standard not so useful brush. All the shades are matte which makes them an almost automatic hit in my books.  Looking to get a new selection of blushes? Why not get this palette, palettes make things better!
Infallible Paints Liner:
Felt tip liners are always my choice when lining my eyes, they just do such a  good job. These babies are nice and long with a fine tip, which means some pretty accurate application. With 6 shades these babies range from the usual black, to bold white and blues and teals in between. They are pretty darn opaque in application, one swipe is all I need for a good solid line, they also stay put incredibly well throughout the day.
When all is said and done the Infallible Paints line is just fantastic. With loads of pigment and fun colours to work with as well as more traditional and nude shades you can really come up with some great looks. I personally am loving a lot of the items. The glosses are by far my favourite, I used them all the time and get full lipstick coverage with a nice gloss. Many ended up staining my hand after swatching, ,which just proves how pigmented and long lasting they are.

My Look:
In this look I am wearing the rose shade from 304  Navy Yard as a cream shadow, The lighter blush in the palette (far right),  306 Intrepid Teal liner and with 318 Fearless Fuchsia as my lip colour.