My Post Workout Routine

Hello everyone! How are you all on this beautiful day?

I admit! This might be my last non Christmas/Holiday related post for a while. 🥰

Throw back to the summer!

I have found that with the gloomy weather and shorter days I’ve been even more motivated to workout. Oddly enough I think it’s the lack of daylight that is letting me focus more on getting my workouts done by having less distractions. I have a lot more motivation at night to workout because it makes me feel so darn good beating those winter blues, as well as working towards my fitness goals.

So, I’ve worked out… now what to do?

I’ve created my own post-workout routine, perfect for recovering my muscles as well as my mind. 💖 I found that the key was to have a routine that was enjoyable and easy enough that I could actually do it every time I workout. Some things I don’t do every time, but you get the point. 😊

1. First things first, if I haven’t already been chugging water enough I will have a big ol glass of water 💦 I always knew that hydration was important but when you’re working out it is mandatory!

2. I will do some gentle stretching on my Yoga mat. This is also where I take some time to meditate, feel the stretch and find the rhythm of my breath and my heartbeat. Connecting with yourself after is important. I know that raised cortisol during a workout can make us more alert and potentially more stressed so it’s important to let yourself cool off after. As someone who has anxiety and high cortisol to start with, this is an important step for me.

3. Have a big meal! It’s so important to be well fuelled after your workout. Your body just used a ton of energy to jump, lift or push you through your workout. Time to give it the nutrition it needs. I always make sure I’m having a hearty meal post workout and it contains a healthy amount of protein, carbs, and fats. They are all equally important.

4. Run myself a steaming hot bath 🛁 Now I don’t do this every workout, but maybe once or twice a week I’ll have a hot bath. The heat feels amazing on my muscles and I’ll usually add some Epsom salts to help relax my sore muscles even more. While I’m relaxing I make sure to have an icy glass of water or something hydrating with me because the bath can make you feel very parched after a while.

5. Before I go relax or do whatever for the rest of the evening I make sure to give my skin a good cleanse. I always use a clay face wash and my facial sponge. I find it does the best job removing all the impurities from my skin, especially the sweat and oiled that was built up during my workout.

6. Lastly I’ll take my night time vitamins. Personally I have my vitamins and supplements split up into morning and evening so they can benefit me at the right times I need them. What I take at night is calcium, magnesium, and a supplement I take for my anxiety. These not only help my muscles relax and restore, but helps me sleep suuuuuper good at night. 😴

Just writing this post makes me excited for my next workout and post workout routine!

I hope that anyone working out, or just starting to workout find this helpful and inspiring. 💖

Fall Makeup Favourites.

Hello everyone! Happy Friday!

Truth be told, I am sitting on my couch writing this while it pours with rain outside. Hot coffee in my hand it feels only suitable that I am writing about my Fall Makeup Favorites.

I recently bought the NARS Extreme Effects shadow and have fallen in love with it very quickly. It’s the perfect blend of Fall colors. I love buying from Hudsons Bay because you always receive a bunch of freebies with your order, making it that much more exciting. This time around I got a free eyeshadow primer from NARS and a whole goodie bag from Clinique!

The palette itself is just stunning. NARS is hands down one of my favorite high-end brands. The quality of the shadows are pigmented, yet apply buttery soft.

Along with my NARS eyeshadow, I’ve been obsessed with the NYX Soft matte lip creams. My go-to shades right now are Copenhagen and Stockholm. I had to re-stock these shades because I ran out of my selection from last year. I know this might be different from other opinions, but I really like how light they feel on the lips after they dry. I dont like how some liquid lipsticks feel thick and chalky. These are an absolute dream to wear.

Those colours though! Such a fall aesthetic 😍

Also I’ve been looking at Tik Tok lately… Should I use it? Am I missing out if I don’t?

I feel like it’s going to be something where I don’t like it at first, and then suddenly I’ve fallen deeply into it and totally obsessed. I am still not entirely sure how to use it.

Anyway, TGIF everyone! What are your plans this weekend?

I’m going to carve pumpkins and drink a bit of wine with my friends. 🎃 🥂

June Ipsy Bag!

Hello everyone!

How are you all doing on this lovely day?

With the whole pandemic happening I put a pause on any unnecessary spending for about 3 months. I did this mostly to save just in case anything happened, but I’m not even sure how much I really saved because my makeup budget turned into a snack budget real fast 😂

When I saw that little pink parcel in the mail I was over the moon. What’s that song again?

🎶 Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favourite things. 🎶 … but pink instead of brown… you get the picture lol

I did something I never usually do and had a sneak peak of my bag when Ipsy released the lpreviews. I was so happy with what I saw it definitely fuelled my anticipation.

The bag they came out with this month is so cute! I love the bright yellow colour as it immediately makes me think of summer. And the pattern is just so fun! I’ll definitely be using this to pack all my little Knick Knacks in.

I’ll start with what I was looking forward to the most, and that was the perfume Juliette Has a Gun, in the scent Vanilla Vibes.

Ipsy has never sent me a perfume that I didn’t love. They’re always such a good size sample too, it tends to last me a really long time!

The funny part is that I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect summer scent. Something light and fresh that captures the essence of summer. Then Ipsy sent me this, and I was immediately in love. It was literally the exact scent I’ve been looking for. Usually perfume is just plain overpowering for me but this is honestly just the right combination. It also just smells really good on me, like it goes well with my body chemistry… does that make sense? It’s a thing right? 😂

Anyway I 100% plan on buying a full sized bottle once I’ve gone through the sample. And that is really saying something! They always get the perfume right with me.

Honestly if you’re ever unhappy with your Ipsy bag it’s a good idea to re-do the quiz because

a) It’s just a fun quiz to take in general and

b) It will totally change your bag to what you actually want and are going to get use out of.

Moving on!

The other product I was most excited for was the #inmo Cosmetics Velveteen Dream Shadow in the shade Kween Bee. Starting with the packaging I was obsessed. The little illustration on the front made me think of a Sailor Moon character.

For the actual shadow, I am always drawn to gold shimmers, they look amazing on any eye colour and skin tone. Unlike other shimmery shadows, this one actually applies amazing and the brush picks it up perfectly. Hardly any fallout and true to colour. Nothing more I could want! It’ll be at the top of my giant collection of gold eyeshadows!

I was very happy to receive the Youth To The People moisturizing cream as I have never tried the brand before. Supposedly this cream is filled with a whole list of superfoods including kale. 🤔 It can be used all over your face, or as a spot treatment for under your eyes. It’s a whipped consistency so it feels light on your skin but leaves you hydrated. I’m using it mostly for my under eyes and since it’s not very heavy, nor is it scented, it feels very refreshing.

Next this in my bag was the lipstick from Real Her cosmetics.

Honestly something about miniature lipstick just makes me so happy. Most people would probably say this shade is nothing to write home about, but to me it is the exact colour that matches my natural lip perfectly. It enhances the natural colour of my lips beautifully 👄 It’s not the longest lasting formula but it feels very comfortable on the lips, as it’s not drying or too smudgy.

Lastly was the Kohl eyeliner by Sugar. I’ll start by saying I’ve never found an eyeliner pencil that has worked for me outside of Makeup Forever or Mac. Unless it’s luxury quality it tends to melt down my eyes immediately… and that’s definitely what happened here. I was looking like a member from Kiss at the end of the day and it was not working on me 😂 I will be sanitizing and putting this is my kit so it won’t be a total loss!

Well I really loved this Ipsy bag and I’m already excited for next months bag 🤩

Does anyone else get Ipsy? I want to know how you’re getting on with your June bag ?

Happiness Journal Prompts…

Hello everyone 👋🏻

I’ve been in and out of doing my happiness journal and I loved reading through all the prompts that they offer in books and online.

As I was reading them though, I was inspired with my own that I absolutely loved and I thought everyone would love too!

I love questions that not only make you think, but make you think it different ways than you normally would!

Think of the questions that kids ask, they are so honest and unafraid to ask, it always throws you off guard in the most wonderful way!

It’s definitely been one of my favourite ways to start the day, especially with a cup of tea or coffee. ☕️

Here is my list of questions to make you smile, snicker and scratch your head:

🌸 What is your favourite plant or flower? Why is it your favourite? The colour? the smell?

🍔 When was the last time you ate your favourite food? Where were you? Who were you with?

✍️ Write down 5 not physical traits you like about yourself.

😆 Do you remember the last time you made someone laugh? Or the last time you had a good laugh? What was happening at that time?

🚗 What is a favourite road trip or vacation you’ve been on? This could be as a child or recent.

❤️ What is something selfless you did today that was out of the kindness of your own heart? It could be as little as saving a spider.

🤗 Who was the last person you hugged? How did you feel? Was is a goodbye hug or a hello hug?

🤔 What is one challenge you faced and overcame today? It can be big or little!

💕 When was the last time you helped someone? What were you doing?

🍭 What is your favourite candy and why? Or if you’re more savoury, what’s your favourite savoury snack?

✨ Who is someone you truly look up to in your life and why?

✏️ Write down 5 pivotal moments in your life so far, and write a short explanation of how they’re important.

💦 When was the last time you happy cried at a movie? Which movie was it? What was happening in the movie?

🐻 What is your favourite animal and why? I know this is a simple question but I think it tells a lot about a person 😊

⏰ If you had a stopwatch that could freeze time, what would you do with it?

💃 If you could learn any skill instantly what would it be?

🌈 This is a first thought exercise, there are no wrong answers… What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you see the colour yellow?

🌱 What is your first thought when you think of the smell of fresh cut grass?

⛈ What is your first thought when you think of a thunder storm? This could be a memory, or even something like a scene from a movie.

🎄 What was your favourite holiday growing up? Do you still love the holidays as much now?

🐕 What was your favourite childhood pet growing up? Can you recall a favourite adventure with your past pal?

🙋🏼 If you have a sibling, what is your favourite memory of them growing up?

📖 Do you remember your first book you read as a child? Or your favourite memory of a book that was read to you?

👋🏻 What little habit would you like to work on for yourself? Write down 5 action steps you can work on every day this week.

🗺 If you had the chance to re-write history once, what change would you make? This can literally be anything you want.

I hope these questions inspire you to start writing in a journal , or even jot down your thoughts on a napkin. 😊

My Top 5 Fitness Must-Haves

Hello you lovely people,

Today I wanted to talk about my favourite fitness must haves. I feel like more than ever nowadays, there is an overwhelming sea of products for fitness and healthy living. At times it can be hard to sift through that plethora of information to find an honest and experienced answer.

So here are my 5 favourite workout goodies, and why I absolutely love them!

1. And Probably my most favorite of all is the Fitbit Versa Lite. This is a necessity for me as I LOVE keeping track of things lol. The Fitbit Versa tracks my calories burned, steps, and most importantly (for me) my heart rate. I love the colors it comes in, although I definitely would have loved it even more if it came in pink. Overall it’s a wonderful device. One of my favorite features that is the most underrated is the ‘Relax’ app. It will track your heart rate while it takes you through breathing exercises, using colors to indicate if your breathing/heart rate is in a great, good, or needs work zone. I use this quite often at any time of the day if I’m feeling anxious or stressed. It is an easy and discreet way to slip in a guided meditation.

2. I decided to fully invest in some good quality resistance bands and it improved my workout game so much! I decided to get the Peach Bands Resistance bands. I did some research looking for a Canadian fitness company and I was immediately obsessed with their bright pink and purple fitness gear. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing, but the bands themselves are resilient and have a great feel. They don’t roll or pinch (unless you really twist them). The weight of these bands ranges from Light (10 lbs) to Xtra Heavy (35lbs) giving a broad range of weight. If you need to have heavier resistance you can easily double up on the bands and get that weight you need without any discomfort. These bands are a slender shape making it easy to use 2 at a time. They also pair great with dumbbells or by themselves for the perfect quarantine workout. (Should I do a post on my quarantine workout?!?!)

3. Sweet Sweat Workout Enhancer. This stuff has taken my cardio from average to a full-on sweat sesh. It is a bit of an adjustment applying a product like this to your skin as it’s not supposed to soak in. The whole idea is you apply it to the surface of your skin and it makes you sweat like 5x more than normal (not an actual scientific number but you get what I’m saying 😉) You apply to slow-reacting areas or spots you want to focus on in your workout and presto, you are sweating your booty off. I find it helps me be less sore in the morning and helps my muscles be less fatigued at the time of my workout.

4. Keto Bomb Coffee Creamer. Just thinking about this makes me so excited for my morning cuppa coffee. Like I’m actually salivating a little bit 😆 Save your money you would spend on expensive ‘specialty’ coffee, and try some Keto Bomb. My favorite flavors are French Vanilla and Caramel Macchiato. The best part is enjoying the amazing flavors and knowing they are a fraction of the sugar you would normally have with a regular Starbucks coffee. Not to mention you’re giving your body the fuel it needs with Vitamins like Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. I love using my Bodum frother to top it off and making it deliciously frothy and aesthetically pleasing. ☕️ ✌️

*A a side note here….specialty coffee if fun and delicious and nothing is wrong with enjoying them! I love a PSL and nothing will hold a candle to that. The amount of sugar in a food doesn’t make it ‘good’ or ‘bad’. 😘

5. Is the most basic but makes the most sense and that is a Yoga Mat. I got my yoga mat so long ago I can’t even remember the brand 😂 But I use it every workout. Not only is it an important cushion for your body but it’s nice to have a designated area laid out for working out. I find it creates guidelines for me when I’m doing exercises. It helps me center myself and check my form.

I hope everyone is having a happy Saturday and I’d love to hear about your favorite fitness goodies you can’t live without!

✌️❤️

• 

The Perfect No Makeup, Makeup Look ft. MAC and NYX Cosmetics

I wanted to share my personal , perfect no makeup makeup look today. I really love it because it doesn’t use a billion products but just enough to cover all your bases.

I wanted to use beautiful neutral colours and the first thing that came to mind was my quad from MAC that contains Taupe, Espresso and a white and black (which names I’ve forgotten 😂)

The stars of the look are definitely my Rimmel Match Perfection (as always) and my favourite affordable powder from NYX the Stay Matte Powder Foundation. Besides my primer this is the base especially on my good skin days it’s all I like to use.

The biggest reason I love my MAC quad is the multi use I get out of it. The taupe shade is all I wear in my brows (with a tad espresso mixed in) and then I can make a natural eye look, and even more dramatic looks like a smokey eye.

Eyes: MAC Espresso and Taupe

Brows: MAC Taupe

Lips: MAC lipstick in Myth

Face: Rimmel Match Perfection and NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation

Lashes: Rimmel Total Tease Mascara

Do you have any favourite no makeup, makeup products??

April Favorites

Hello loves!

By golly another month has come and gone!

from my perspective, March felt like the longest month to ever exist, and then April has gone by in a blink! Between school, work and everything in between I can see summer approaching quickly and I love it!

This month’s favourites are really a good mix of new products since I have been in the city and have more exciting products right at my fingertips. I can already tell next month is going to be a whopper too 😉

The first product I have been over the moon about is the Batiste Rose Gold dry shampoo. This is my saving grace during the school week when I don’t have time to wash my mane 😛 I have very thick bouncy hair yet somehow 2 days after washing the roots get super oily and everything else is fine. Therefore washing my hair becomes a super big chore and it takes ages to dry. This is where Batiste has really impressed me. When I think dry shampoo I used to thing strong scents with crusty white residue. They must have reformulated it or something because I love the limited edition scent and the texture is very light but effective. Not to mention I got completely sucked in by the pretty rose gold packaging! I’m a real sucker for rose gold hehe.

Next is the Ombra Hand Care Lotion. Something about this hand cream is perfect to me. First off its tiny making it perfect for my handbag and just the right amount to carry. Secondly, I really love the scent of it. It’s something like a very light strawberry scent 🍓 And lastly, it actually does a good job of keeping my hands hydrated. Since I’ve been in school I’m using my hands way more. They get exposed to soaps, makeup removers, the list goes on. It took a toll on my hands and working that close to someone’s face you know they see everything (including my crusty looking hands lol!) . I have to admit I was a hand lotion hater for a long time. Call me crazy but having cream on my hands always felt terrible and greasy. Yet, somehow Ombra has made a hand cream that isn’t greasy and soaks in right away. My hands felt good right after applying it, not five times after like other hand creams. Also they do not use harsh perfumes so there was no burning or redness after using it. Hallelujah!

Eau Roma water has quickly climbed its way into my favourites and becomes probably one of my top products out of all my favourites this month. I’m almost out of it, that’s how much I use it! It’s a gentle rosewater based toner and it’s helped reduce so much redness on my face. It’s very hydrating and I even give myself a little spritz to freshen up sometimes :p

(I feel like my favourites are light on the makeup this month because I’ve just been focusing so hard on getting my skin back into good condition for the summer :P)

My next favourite is another Lush item *surprise* and it’s the Ultrabland cleanser. My skin has not felt dry ever since using this delicious honey-scented and beeswax cream cleanser. I look and feel so glowy after I use it, it’s like my skin has been resuscitated! And I love how easy it is to use. Just massage into the face and wipe away with a damp cloth. Easy! No soapy, bubbly mess. Just yummy soft skin after ❤️

The 2 makeup items I have been crazy about are the Maybelline Fit Me concealer and the Colourpop Liquid lipstick in Star Crossed. The Fit Me concealer is a lifesaver during the school week. I wake up in the morning looking like a zombie and then emerge from my bathroom looking awake and bright! I can also use it for all over my face and it still feels light and natural. Having multi purpose items is a must have for me especially when packing for school!

And I have simply fallen in love with a red lip again, and Star Crossed is your classic, perfect shade of red. Not too cool toned, and not too warm either. The Colourpop formula makes it so easy to apply and stay put. I apply 2 thin layers letting it dry in between and I’m ready to tackle my day. The particular shade I have is very ‘Marilyn Monroe’ and makes me feel like a goddess 💋

I have recently tried to ease up on my social media time and concentrate more on my creativity thus making this book my favourite thing to write in during my down time. Is basically a book filled with writing prompts about life. It asks you what your first kiss was, what your childhood bedroom was like and even what your first experience with real tragedy was. It’s all about your life and is a wonderful place to keep track of all your memories and future endeavours. I got this from Indigo and I feel it’s helped me relax and expand my mind more.

Lastly, I have been reading a lot more in April. I finished ‘The Curious Incident Of the Dog in the Nighttime’ and swiftly moved into a new book. This one is called ‘Too Close to the Falls’ and it follows the life of an eccentric little girl from the ages of 5-12 years old. It is a memoir which makes it even more incredible. So far I’ve loved it, and it is so brilliant reading from a kids perspective. I can’t put it down but I don’t want to read it too quick haha! I totally recommend it. 😊

Do you guys have any favourite books or creative outlets you’ve been loving this month?

Happy Thursday everyone!

~M

Drugstore Valentine’s Day Look 💕

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share this look I created yesterday with you. I knew I wanted to do pink and bold, but I didn’t know I would go that bold! Nonetheless, I love it. Pink is one of my absolute favourite colours, every shade of it. So that’s what I tried to do was create a look using many different shades of pink, while still looking well put together and wearable.

I initially was going to do a cut crease but decided it was a bit too intense so instead, I did a half cut crease, and just gently blended the shadows out to diffuse the intensity. I incorporated a bit of gold into the crease just to add an extra dimension of colour to the look.

On my lips I tried a bit of a ‘lip contour’, using a light pink to line my lips and fill in most of them. I then used a liner slightly darker than my natural lip colour to line just the inner corners of my lips, the bottom corners and very bottom of my lip. This was my first attempt at this and I think it turned out quite good!

I had a lot of fun creating this look because it’s very out-there (even for me) and it was empowering to step out of my comfort zone!

What I used on my Eyes were:

Maybelline Blushed Nudes palette

NYX On the Go palette and Primer (for cut crease as well)

Covergirl Total Tease Mascara

E.l.f Baked Highlighter in Moolight Pearls (inner corner and cut crease)

On my skin:

I did my usual foundation routine with Nars Sheer glow, Match Perfection Concealer and E.l.f setting powder and E.l.f ‘Moonlight Pearls’ highlight.

(I figure I won’t bore you with my very repetitive foundation and brow routine :p )

On my lips:

I used the Lóreal Colour Riche Lip liner in ‘All About Pink’ to fill in my lips.

Annabelle Lip liner in ‘Demure’ to ‘contour’ my lips. 👄 (like I said before I’m not a professional at all, this was just a little makeup experiment)

A happy Valentine’s Day to everyone! I know it’s a silly Hallmark holiday but any excuse to have a little fun I’ll take it 😊 Hope you enjoyed this look!

What are you guys up to this V-day? Spending it with an SO? Having a little self love day? Or completely ignoring it because it really is just like any other day? 😛

Thanks for stopping by!

~M

Lush Haul ❤️ Trying New Goodies

Hello loves!

Feels like I’m finally back with fun blog posts after such a creativity drought!

I feel refreshed and so happy to be back! January has already been amazing and I cannot wait for the coming year. 2018 will be my year!

 

To celebrate I went and indulged in a little *not so little* Lush haul. They were still having their ‘2 for 1’ deal on Christmas products, but I only snagged a couple Snow Angel bath bombs. Everything else was fairly picked through and really there was only like one shower gel left.

Enough chatter, onto the haul!

I am extra lucky because this haul was basically possible because of my boyfriend and the lovely gift card he gave me for my birthday, so thanks babe! 😛

I felt like there were lots of items that I hadn’t tried in a long time, or just flat out forgot existed. So my fave originals are:

Ickle Baby Bot

Twilight

Milky Bar

These cuties are so simple but delicious. I used to pick these up almost every time I would nip into a Lush shop. Then between Halloween and Christmas excitement I forgot all about them!

They all have very simple scents to them, making them an easy choice for any bath time. Twilight is very sweet, Ickle Baby Bot is luxurious lavender, and Milky bar is a wonderful fresh scent.

I also picked up some returning favourites like Butterball and Marilyn (hair mask <3)

Specifically I do want to rave about their hot oil hair treatments for a second. When you buy them, they come on the stick as pictured. Once you add the hot water and stir, it transforms into a creamy amazing mask.

 

I said this before, but with the solid masks you can store them in old Lush pots and re use for later. You don’t have to use all the mask in one go, and you can re-activate with a dash of hot water.

For hair masks I picked up 2, one of them being Marilyn and the other is called Damaged.  I thought it would be great for keeping my hair moisturized despite the crappy cold weather. If its as good as Marilyn I am in for a great treat!

The last one I want to rave about is Sex Bomb. Until now I didn’t quite get the hype about it and I don’t know why. This little bundle of love is so beautiful and I cannot wait to see what captivating surprises are inside. The funny thing is I bought this a long time ago, so long I’ve completely forgotten what it looked and smelled like!

I will leave a full list below of what I got 🙂

Who else is already excited for the Valentines day collection?

 

Snow Angel

Milky Bar

Butterball

Sex Bomb

Twilight

Ickle Baby Bot

Marilyn Hair Mask

Damaged Hair Mask

~M

My Week In Instagram Photos 💕

So many festive feels this week! ❤️🎄

I know this is my second Instagram post in a row, I promise I have new amazing content coming soon! 💕💕💕 thank you for sticking through this dry spell!

If anyone is wondering my Instagram handle is missm_w, and I just post a lot of flat lays and fashion, all of it is my own photography 📷

I’d love to follow everyone from here so leave a comment and let me know you’re from WordPress! I’ll follow you back! I’m very new to the whole Instagram blogging thing so I want to get caught up! 😁

Also that is indeed the Lush 12 Days of Christmas gift box 🎁 and yes a review will be coming soon for it! 🎉

How is your week going so far?

Fun question of the week: My brother thinks you should wait until December 1st before you drink any eggnog or listen to Christmas music. Do you agree?

(I’m on the opposing side since I’ve already been listening to Christmas music a bit and had eggnog :p)