December 2016 Favorites

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! And another one is just around the corner! This is the last of my scheduled posts during my break. I should be back to blogging early next week with my Christmas gifts, overall favorites of 2016, and all of that jazz. I know I'll have a lot of catching up to do with reading and commenting on your blogs!

Here are my favorites from December. I'm pretty sure you can see a trend going on here. Rosy eyes, glowing cheeks, and red lips. That is my no-fail holiday look! It's probably everyone's look, but hey, it's classic for a reason.

• Arbonne Sheer Glow Highlighter in Pearl - A really easy highlighter to work with. Loving the stick formulas lately!
• ColourPop Cosmetics Shadow in Wattles - This pairs so nicely with the Naked 3.
• Urban Decay Naked 3 - Never fails that I crave this palette around the holiday season.
• NYX Plush Red Lip Pencil - My favorite red lip liner.
• Arbonne Cardinal Glossed Over - This works well with the NYX liner for a "not-too-red" red lip.
• Demeter Gingerbread Fragrance -Christmas in a bottle. I kid you not. Just like gingerbread!

I hope you all have a great start to 2017! I've just renewed my domain for another year, so it looks like you're stuck with me a little longer. Hope you all have a great weekend! Happy New Year!

ColourPop Cosmetics Super Shock Shadows in Supermodel, Flutes, and Wattles

Another ColourPop post! This concludes the items in my latest order. I might just put in another order during my holiday break. I keep seeing shades that I want to try! We'll see if my self-restraint holds out or not. But if you want to be an enabler, tell me some of your favorite CP products and shades!

In today's post, I am sharing my swatches of Wattles, Supermodel, and Flutes. I won't delve into the formula much, as I have already done that in the past on the Mile High set. You can see my other ColourPop reviews and swatches on the "colourpop cosmetics" label on this post.

Keep reading!

Happy Holidays!

Many holidays are upon us right now with Christmas, Hanukkah, etc. Oh, how I love the holiday season! It's always such a sad moment when decorations start coming down and I have to remember to say and write a new year (which I always fail to do until at least February, let's be honest). I just wanted to pop in today and wish you all a wonderful holiday break!

For me, I'm starting my Christmas Eve at physio before running a few last-minute errands. I credit my PT for getting me up and walking again and keeping me going when I often didn't want to. It's not exactly where I want to spend my Christmas Eve morning, but I am just so grateful to have some movement back and walking. I can give up part of my holiday to work on me!

And honestly, I think I already got one of the best gifts I could ask for. My grandmother helped raise me and I lost her to COPD in 2007. I miss her often, but it's the most difficult during the first snowfall and Christmas. I would always call her when the snow would come while in college and when I moved here, so it always makes me think of her. There's no other thing that I want to call what happened this past weekend other than divine intervention.

My Granny Gent (what I have always called her) gifted me many things for our wedding and one of the items was a sandwich maker. Well, I got married almost eleven years ago and I just never seemed to bring out the sandwich maker. I could not bring myself to ever get rid of it, in hopes that I would use it but also because she gave it to me. For whatever reason, this past weekend, I saw it sitting there in my kitchen and thought I would finally give it a try.

I opened up the box and I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. There, tucked by the side of the machine, was a wedding card from Granny Gent. I have tears in my eyes now just remembering the feeling of the many emotions that swept over me. That card had been sitting in that box for over ten years and I had absolutely no idea. All I could do was cry tears of joy because it felt like a message from my grandma. Sometimes you don't realize just how badly you need something until you get it. While I had her here, we fought hard and loved hard and I will never have another relationship even remotely like it.

It was just the best feeling, like stepping into a time capsule of things you have never seen before but are familiar with at the same time. Plus, I'm pretty certain she's looking down and laughing about how it took me long enough to find it. This might be just what I needed most!

Now that I have rambled your ears off, I hope you enjoy your time with your loved ones and doing things that bring you joy. If you don't celebrate, I still hope you have a lovely weekend and hopefully have some time to enjoy it! I do have two posts scheduled for next week, before I'm back on here at the beginning of January. If I seem to be MIA on here at all, I'm just enjoying the holiday break with my husband. You'll still be able to find me on my social media pages!

Happy Holidays!

My Christmas Essentials This Year

Christmas is almost here! My favorite holiday and now it seems to come and go so quickly. I remember as a child how slow it seemed to be. Gosh, I miss that! Slow down, Christmas. In this post, you will find out some of my Christmas essentials and the very things that have gotten me through just about every night this month. Because I am very much a creature of habit who enjoys all things cozy and happy.

• Hot Drinks - I prefer cold drinks 95% of the time, but Christmas makes me want mugs of hot tea, coffee, and cocoa. 
• Red Anything - Red cups. Red nails. Red lips. Give me the red!
• Christmas Movies and TV Specials - All of 'em. 
• Ornaments - My favorite tradition with my husband where we get an ornament each year for our tree.
• Reese's Trees - I take my chocolate and peanut butter very seriously. These offer the perfect ratio of each. There's more peanut butter to the chocolate and it's perfect.
• Pajamas - I bought two pairs from Old Navy this year and I wish I could live in them.
• Slippers and Fuzzy Socks - Just makes the pajamas that much better. It's a fact.
• Holiday Sweaters - I finally got ugly sweaters this year. Two of them and you can see them on my Instagram! Though I don't think they are ugly at all!
• Advent Calendar - I didn't get a beauty one this year. I just stuck to the chocolate ones and mine is Finding Dory, because I'm a Disney addict.
• Blankets - I just want to get lost in a blanket in my PJs and fuzzy socks with a good book or a Christmas movie, hot drink in hand. Makes me want to stop typing this post right now and go do it!

What are some of your holiday essentials? Do you understand where I am coming from on the Reese's peanut butter trees? I'm not crazy. I promise. Sorta.

My 2016 Christmas List

I love making and reading posts like these! I love seeing wishlists. I probably shouldn't since I rarely leave one without having to add something to my own. But I guess that is just a chance I am willing to take. Ha! I cannot understand how Christmas is just days away. I better start practicing saying 2017 soon.

So I went down my list and picked out a few things that I wanted to share. If you have any of them, let me know your thoughts. And definitely link me to your own Christmas list post or tell me something you are asking for or looking forward to giving!

• Kate Spade New York Food Prep Boards - These are so cute and I love that they are glass so they won't hold odors from food.
• The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well - This book has been screaming at me to get it. Right up my alley!
• Lush Christmas Penguin - One of my favorite Christmas items that they make. They're so cute and smell amazing.
• Dr. Jart+ Dermaclear Trans-Foam Clay Trio - It goes on as clay and turns to foam when you go to rinse it off. Doesn't that sound interesting?!
• MantraBand She Believed She Could Cuff - I love surrounding myself with positive sayings and what better way than on my wrist?
• Polar Bear Nordic Tea Mug - Not a true Wendy wishlist if a polar bear isn't involved. This tea mug is perfect! I also have the Apple Cider tea blend from DAVIDs TEA on my list and I can just imagine drinking that in this mug and watching snow fall.
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - And like polar bears, I have a lot of Harry Potter related items on my list. Having read the original text book style book ages ago, I am excited to read this screenplay. I haven't seen the movie yet either. I'm torn between paying the hefty price to see the movie in the theatre or waiting until it comes out on blu-ray.

ColourPop Cosmetics: Bianca and Echo Park Liquid Lipsticks

ColourPop Cosmetics, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways! One of the reasons has to be their quality lip products! I love the Lippie Stix, so I had to try their liquid lipsticks. I got one Ultra Satin Lip formula in Echo Park and one Ultra Matte Lip formula in Bianca.

I'm so tempted to put in one more ColourPop order before the year ends to take advantage of the shipping, but I don't know. I'm trying to be good. TRYING. Key word. We'll see. Anyway, here are my thoughts and swatches on Echo Park and Bianca!

Keep reading!

Gift Guide 2016: For the Guys

Always my hardest gift guide to put together. I don't care how long I have been married, I still find it a daunting task to pick out gifts for my husband. And heck, any other male in my life, honestly. My husband is pretty easy going and I am quite fluent in what he likes, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to get just the right things. Sometimes we just need to stop overthinking things and just get them what they like, no matter how simple or "everyday" we think something is.

For instance, my husband hates buying for himself and had rather put others first. So I know things like clothes, socks, underwear, etc. are needed come birthdays and Christmas. I always think about how boring these things are, but they are so useful. Sure, I'm going to throw some fun things in this list, but it's okay to buy daily items too and they'll be appreciated just the same!

• Book - Something in their interest- music, sports, grilling, etc. I've been reading Wilber's War* and it's perfect if you have a history buff on your hands. It follows the Bradt family story as told by Wilber's son, Hale. He read through some 700 letters that his father had written and started piecing this book together. I have the abridged version, but from what I have read, the longer trilogy is worth the time to read. Wilber did not die in the war, but from it. Once home, he committed suicide suffering likely from what is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder. It is a heavy read, but still stands so true today with many families experiencing this same type of loss.
• Movie - And promise a movie night with it. There's something to be said about a quiet night at home, cuddled on the couch, and watching a movie together.
• Cologne - Maybe repurchase his signature scent or buy one that could become one.
• Accessories - Scarves, gloves, sunglasses, slippers, and anything else that he always needs and never seems to have!
• Tickets - Sporting event, concert, movie, plane. Whatever kind. It's all about experiencing something together!
• Necessities - Underwear, socks, grooming products, you name it. 

Book // Slippers // Socks // Tickets // Cologne // Movie

You can get more ideas from my past holiday gift guides for guys: 2014 and 2015. And yes, a lot of the ideas are similar. I'm learning that with guys, why fix what isn't broken?! I hope you all have a great weekend!

**I was sent an item in this blog post for testing and reviewing purposes. All thoughts and pictures are my own. There are no affiliate links in this post.

Sephora 500 Point Perk: Smashbox Studio Lighting Secrets

It is a rare occasion that I use my beloved Sephora points. I hoard the heck out of them, because most of the things they offer do not make me want to spend them. Especially the 500 point sets. They often seem too small and hardly worth it. Then, I saw this Smashbox set being offered and I heard the angels sing. The best part is that I am not too familiar with the brand having only tried a handful of items in the past, so this has allowed me a chance to try out a few more.

The thing that won me over with this set is the Step-by-Step Contour Palette trio, it's nearly full-sized! And despite being a smaller version packaged in a cardboard material, they still included a mirror in the compact. The full-sized version has 11g of product and this one has 8.7g. It works well with my fair skin and I think it would work for those a few shades darker. There is a kit for darker skin, as well. The highlight powder is a little too light on me, but it serves well as a base layer for others. All three blend easily and work well together.

The Photo Op Eye Shadow trio in Screen Shot is a perfect little nude palette. The full-sized version has 2.76g of product versus this one with 1.20g. I couldn't find this exact trio offered anywhere together, so I'm assuming it is exclusive to this set. I love the color selection: Nectar, Cinnamon Toast, and Roast. The lid turns to reveal the shadows making this travel-friendly to throw in your bag. The pigmentation is there and blend easily without much fallout. For my first venture into Smashbox's eyeshadow formula, my first impression is a positive one!

The Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer is supposed to prime and brighten under your eyes before makeup application. The full-sized version has 10mL and this one has 5mL. It looks bright in my swatch and it does an okay job, but it's nothing that my beloved Maybelline Age Rewind concealer can't do in one step. I won't be purchasing this, but would not be opposed to using it if I get samples. It's good, it's not great.

And finally, we have the L.A. Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Color in Hollywood & Highlight. The full-sized version has 5g and this one has 1.1g. Talk about waste of packaging- I twisted all of the product up in the above picture. That's it. All of that in a huge tube. With that said, the formula is super creamy and glides over the skin like a dream. I can't see using this specific one on both lips and cheeks, but I would with the other shades offered. I said that the highlight powder layered nicely with other products and this is one of them. They work nicely together to give you a glow. I like when products have multi-uses and might just have to put Echo Park Pink on my wishlist!

Left: Photo Op Eye Shadow trio in Screenshot and Contour Palette // Right: Photo Finish Eye Primer and LA Lights in Hollywood and Highlight

You might still be able to find this perk in your local Sephora, but I did not see them on Sephora the last I checked. I think this kit was worth spending 500 of my points on. Sometimes it is worth holding out on using them! So are you like me and hoard your points?

Gift Guide 2016: For the Pets

On my Christmas list, you'll also find things I want for Indy. I just can't help it! He has his own stocking and we'll wrap his other gifts in tissue paper, because he loves ripping into it and tearing it to shreds. It's still a little sad to look over at the tree and not see our cat Jade nestled under it. It will be our second Christmas without her and I still half expect to hear the ornaments rustle as her tail hits them. Our little Santa Paws is bringing lots of holiday spirit, though!

In this guide, I will try to share not only cute pet things for dogs and cats but also include other animals. Hey, I get it. I grew up with fish, a snake, iguanas, dogs, cats, and a rabbit at various parts of my life. Here are a few things that I think your beloved little friends will love!

• Pet Toy Stocking - I love pre-packaged stockings like these. Sometimes you can find them 50% off after Christmas!
• Christmas Dinner - If you're having a holiday feast, so should they! 
• Holiday Costume - You have to do a photo session with your pet or you're just not doing it right.
• Friendship Collar - A collar for them (dogs and cats) and a matching bracelet for you. LOVE!
• Leash - This is on my Christmas list for Indy. I like the removable keyfob.
• Tank Decorations - Ones with hiding places are always a winner.

You can find my pet gift guide from last year here.

Arbonne Holiday 2016: Sheer Glow Highlight Stick Duo and Apricot Vanilla Hand Lotion

Some of you guys have probably already been seeing the Arbonne holiday collection popping up on social media and other blogs. They really stepped up their game with this year's collection. The packaging is festive and what I have tried (featured in this post) is fantastic.

In today's post, I'll be showing and talking about the Sheer Glow Highlight Duo and the Apricot Vanilla Hand Lotion!

If there is one thing to know about me when it comes to skin, it is that I am a Shea butter addict. If it says Shea butter, chances are I am grabbing it and trying it out! But oddly, I was attracted more to the name of the scent before that this time. Apricot Vanilla Hand Lotion. Yes, please. And let me tell you, the scent does not disappoint. When I am wearing this, I can't stop smelling my hands. I become a weird girl walking around with her fingers to her nose. Perfectly fine hand cream that moisturizes nicely, but the scent truly sells it. Perfect for a stocking stuffer!

Next is the Sheer Glow Highlight Stick Duo. I have already talked about how much I love the tube version of the Sheer Glow Highlight. This time it is in a solid stick formula and comes in the shades Bronze and Pearl. I have dry skin and these go on smoothly and blend easily. I prefer Pearl to Bronze, because that one requires a little more work with my pale skin. These also have Shea butter as an ingredient. I love the convenience of a stick, because it's easy enough to swipe across what you want highlighted or bronzed. They layer over foundations and blushes without making a mess of your hard work. Big fan!

Really happy with both the hand lotion and highlight duo! Arbonne has a lot to offer in their new holiday collection! And to see any of the past Arbonne products that I have tried, click the "Arbonne" label on the post. If you have tried these, let me know! Are you loving stick highlighters as much as I am right now?!

Right swatch is Bronze // Left swatch is Pearl

**I was sent these products for testing and reviewing purposes. All thoughts and pictures are my own. There are no affiliate links in this post.

InstaMonth for November 2016

November felt like it went by in a flash. Well, the latter half anyway. The first half was me battling myself over waiting to put up my Christmas decorations. But I swear that once the tree is up - boom! Time flies by and then it is time to bring it down again! Not cool. I have to enjoy those few nights in front of the lights and soak it all in before mourning over their loss in January. ;)

If you've been a reader here for a while, you know that I do an Instagram round-up each month. These are a few pics from my account that I just want to share again. If we are not following each other on Instagram, I'd love for that to change. Just add "wendybanner"!

1. October faves. // 2. Old Navy delivered on my polar bear obsession in my latest haul.

3.  Enjoying some quiet time during my latest pamper routine. // 4. That also includes these Bleu Lavande products.

5. Glowing cheeks and pink lips. // 6. Loving these Thursday Plantation essential oils!

7. I have a thing for pink. // 8. Gift guide for stocking stuffers!

 9. ColourPop Lippie Stix: Contempo & Cami, Button and Lumiere. // 10. Sculpting Stix in Gummy Bear.

11. Gift guide for her. // 12. Holiday movie night!

13. I had to get the shadow when I saw it was named Flutes! // 14. Early morning Black Friday shopping.

15. Can I have my mall's flooring, please?! // 16. Sephora Black Friday haul.

Sephora Black Friday 2016: Intro to Tarte Deluxe Discovery Set

The Sephora Black Friday and Boxing Day deals are my kryptonite. I love a good deal! And I especially love sets like these to try out something new from a brand you love or maybe have never tried before. I'm not new to Tarte, but I had not tried the lipstick formula or mascara in this set. As for the blush, I never say no to the Amazonian Clay blushes.

The full-sized Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 mascara is available outside of this set at $25 CA. They often offer these deluxe sample sizes at checkout and in other kits.  What I like is the lengthening effect, but it did nothing for curling and very little volumizing on my lashes. It wasn't the worst I have tried, but it won't be a mainstay on my vanity table. I am going to play around with it and see how it layers with other mascaras.

The Drench Lip Splash lipstick in Living is so pretty to look at. Look at that packaging! This shade seems to be exclusive to this set, but I wouldn't rule it out to pop up in other sets. You can find the full-sized Drench Lip Splash lipsticks for $26 CA. Living is a mauve on me, but Kerri said it shows as a brownish color on her. Obviously, I love mauve lip colors as I always say. This isn't a unique color, but the formula is nice. It goes on opaque in one swipe and doesn't feel drying. It lasts about four hours on my lips before fading. While some of the shades available look gorgeous, I don't know that I would purchase a full one.

The real winner of this set is the Amazonian Clay blush in Unstoppable. The full-sized Amazonian Clay blushes retail for $35 CA. While this shade is exclusive to this set, it looks similar to Risque that is part of the permanent line. I love these blushes. When they offer them in blush palettes, it's really a steal. On me, they last all day. I don't reach for them every day, but I like them for days that I know I'm going to be out a long time. I think they made a good choice with Unstoppable in this kit, because I feel like this color would work for most skin tones.

For $13, I am happy with my purchase. I have been able to try two products that were new to me and got another shade in one of my favorite blush formulas. I don't think this is one of those things that you should feel regretful over if you missed it. It's a nice set, but it is not groundbreaking or that unique.

Bare Lips // Drench Splash in Living // Drench Splash in Living and Amazonian Clay blush in Unstoppable

Did you get this set? Have you tried any of these products or formulas? I'd love to hear what you think.

Blog of the Month: December 2016

In November, Chantal from Chantal's Corner was my featured blogger. You can read that post and see other past featured blogs under the "blog of the month" label! Being my blog of the month gets you a designated blog post, a sidebar button, and a mention on my Twitter account. The sidebar button stays up all month long. I don't believe in necessarily making bloggers pay for advertising and I'd much rather show you blogs that I really enjoy reading. And I hope you end up enjoying them too!

Hard to believe we are at the last month of the year and I am sharing my last featured blog of 2016! This month's blogger is Andreanne from A Certain Romance! She focuses mostly on beauty with a few lifestyle posts thrown in and has gorgeous bright photography. From reviewing skincare to surviving grad school, she has you covered. If you pop in, feel free to let her know I sent you! :)

Black Friday Haul: Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart

Kudos to all of you doing Vlogmas and Blogmas this year! I just wanted to say that while I won't be doing that, you can expect a few more blog posts from me than usual. I still have a few gift guides, product reviews, and more coming your way!

For Black Friday, I went to my local mall for a quick Sephora haul to take advantage of their deals. And then on Sunday, Shoppers Drug Mart was having a "Spend Your Points" event. For those that aren't Canadian, they have a points program with monetary levels. And unlike Sephora with their Beauty Insider points, you can use the Shoppers points for just about anything in the store. So here are the few things I picked up for myself during the weekend!

Sephora usually has some pretty nice sets for Black Friday and Boxing Day each year. While they had a few on offer that were nice, none of them caught my eye as much as the Intro to Tarte and Nest Fragrance trio ones. I used 500 of my Beauty Insider points for the Smashbox set. While I am not doing a product review and swatches on the Tarte and Smashbox products in this post, I will be posting about them soon!

I hoard my points, because I rarely think anything is worthy to spend them on. If 500 of my points is going to something, it better be a nice something! I don't have a lot of Smashbox items and when I saw this set, I thought "bingo!". The contour palette is nearly full size, which I thought made it worth it on its own. I know I am not going into full detail on this right now, but if you see this in your store and have the points, I'm telling you it is worth it! With the contour palette, you also get a small Photo Op eye trio in Screen Shot, LA Lights Lip and Cheek Color in Hollywood & Highlight, and a Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer.

The $13 (CA) Tarte set came with a mascara, lipstick, and blush, all in colors I do not own. And I have yet to try the Lights, Camera, Action 4-in-1 mascara, so I am looking forward to testing that out. The set also came with a Drench Lip Splash lipstick in Living and an Amazonian Clay blush in Unstoppable.

My most prized set is the Nest fragrances, though. This is my first venture into Nest and this was a great value at $16 (CA). I couldn't believe they were still available online later in the day on Friday. I thought they would go fast. The scents are great and work well together, if you enjoy layering your scents. And they have a nice lasting power. Each spray is 5 mL and a Nest rollerball is 8 mL. Not too much of a difference in size. The three included in the set are Indigo, Citrine, and Dahlia & Vines.

At Shoppers Drug Mart, my purchases may not seem exciting. But these are just what I picked out for myself, the other things are gifts. The Nivea products were already on sale and I had coupons on top of that. I am so excited to try these. If you have, please let me know what you think! I have tried the Jergens shower moisturizer and really liked it, so I thought I'd finally get around to giving the Nivea one a try.

I also had a coupon for a free Essie nail polish. They screwed up recently by sending a lot of people on their mailing list an email saying they won a nail polish set. To make up for it, if you had actually entered said contest, they mailed out a coupon for up to $10 off an Essie product. I picked out the Cashmere Matte polish in Just Stitched and it was the last one on display, so it must be popular. Apparently it has been out a while and just completely escaped my radar. It's a gorgeous baby pink with blue shimmer. I just knew it would be perfect for winter for the days that I don't crave dark nails! And I do like the matte finish, I will probably opt for a shiny top coat when wearing it. Do you own this one? It's beautiful in person!

So that is my little baby Black Friday weekend haul. What did you get? Any big ticket items? I love that it is making its way north of the border, so I'm not missing out on my American tradition!

November 2016 Favorites

It's December! I'm so excited! I have Christmas music playing right now as I type, but to be truthful it was a hard decision not to play Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, or The Weeknd. Have you heard their new albums? So so good. But right now, Christmas music is winning. You only get that short window of time to have carols in your head before people start looking at you funny.

Here are my favorites from last month (two are repeats from October)! I'd love to hear if you have tried any of these or what you have been loving this past month. Is there anything I need to be adding to my Christmas list?! Do share!

• Arbonne Cardinal Gloss - It's such a beautiful red and I really crave red lips during this time of the year.
• ColourPop Supermodel Shadow - Swatch is coming soon. It's a great base color.
• Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black Perfume - It's so warm and spicy. Perfect for winter nights!
• Arbonne Exfoliating New Cell Scrub - As a weekly dose, I have noticed my skin isn't as prone to dry patches.
• ColourPop Lunch Money Highlight - Layers well with other products and gives a great glow.
• Bleu Lavande Cleansing Milk - Feels refreshing and doesn't make my skin feel tight.