100 Prompts for When You’re Suffering Writers Block!

February 21, 2021February 21, 202126 Comments

Hey y’all!

So — writers block. As bloggers, we’ve all been there. There’s absolutely nothing more frustrating than wanting to write, or trying to meet deadlines, but having absolutely no idea where to start. Since last year, when COVID hit, I started experiencing writers block WAY harder than I ever had in the past. Pre-2020, while I had rough weeks here and there, I was always able to find SOMETHING to share for each of my Sunday blog posts. However, as a lifestyle blogger, it got challenging to find inspirations when life came to a stop. Many of my posts felt straight up monotonous, and many weeks I felt as though I couldn’t come up with anything at all.

We can all agree that the frustration that writers block creates is just about the worst feeling ever. However, no matter what’s going on in your life in the moment, the reality is as a lifestyle blogger you always have a wealth of source material waiting to be tapped into. Life isn’t just what’s happening in the moment, after all — it can be past lessons learned, goals for the future, little things that make you happy or the hobbies and interests that make you who you are.

That’s why, this week, I decided to compile a list of 100 prompts for bloggers suffering writer’s block. I’ve chosen various topics, from fashion, to wellness, to budgeting or even blogging itself that pretty much covers at least one topic for every type of lifestyle blogger out there. No matter who you are and what your niche is — there’s a prompt in here that’s perfect for you. The prompts vary a little between them — some of them are more open-ended, some are meant to inspire your own fresh ideas for a post on a related topic, and some are meant to be a question that can be answered directly in a simple and concise way. However you interpret these prompts is really up to you — so I hope you enjoy reading through them and getting inspired for your future posts! Feel free to save this post for future reference, as well — so that even if you’re overflowing with ideas now, you’ll never have to worry about your creative well running dry ever again.

Media & Culture Prompts

A list of the best TV shows for when you’re in a specific mood
Music recommendations and playlists
A list of movies that would make the best movie marathons
Your take on the latest pop-culture drama
TV shows/Movies/Music everyone should check out regardless of what genres they usually stick to

Fashion & Style Prompts

Your favourite fashion trends for the upcoming season
Your fave fashion staples that never go out of style
Shoes and bags that work with any outfit
Hair accessory trends for the upcoming season that you love
Sharing your specific style and favourite clothing items & accessories

Skincare & Makeup Prompts

What are your favourite brands and why?
What is your skincare routine?
What is your everyday makeup look?
What secret tips do you have for completing your perfect makeup look?
What’s some skincare advice you’d share with beginners?

Lifestyle and Advice Prompts

How you’d plan out the perfect self care night
Your favourite ways to take a break when you’re feeling overwhelmed
Organization tips and tricks that helped you get your life/living space/time management under control
Positive mantras and affirmations you use when you’re feeling down
Activities and advice to help get out of a mental health funk

Blogging about Blogging Prompts

What did you wish you knew when you started blogging?
What are some of the best hidden resources for bloggers you know of?
What did you do that made your blog take off?
What are YOUR favourite posts to read as a blogger?
How you started to monetize your blog and grow your reach

Social Media Advice Prompts

Best locations in your city for Instagram posts
Best poses for people who hate taking photos
Best ways to utilize Instagram/Twitter/Pinterest for outreach
Best apps for perfecting your Insta pics and feed
How to best utilize Pinterest (seriously, someone please write this! I’ve been using Pinterest for over a year and I still don’t understand how it works)

School and Education Prompts

Studying hacks that have helped you ace classes
Your best advice for surviving high school/first year/university
How to handle tough situations in high school/university
How to take legible, organized notes
Your morning routine to ensure you’re ready and organized for the day (+how you wind down at night!)

Work and Careers Prompts

How did you decide what career to pursue?
Advice for people joining the workforce right now
Advice on how to be successful in your specific field
Secrets about your field the general public doesn’t know
How to perfect a resume (+anything else related to applying to jobs in your field!)

Friends and Social Situations Prompts

How to meet new people (+ especially if you’re not meeting people from school, university or work!)
How to deal with friendship drama
How to identify toxic relationships
What do you think makes someone a good friend?
What are some little things your friends do for you and each other that help you feel loved?

Love and Relationships Prompts

What was something you wish you knew before your first relationship?
What advice would you give your 16 year old self when it comes to love?
What are the best ways to prep for a first date?
What are some great date ideas for long-term couples looking to try something new?
How did you know when your partner was “the one”? (+do you believe in soulmates?)

Making It Through Bad Situations Prompts

What’s something you’ve been through in your life that was particularly challenging? What advice would you have for others facing similar situations?
What is something you knew about life when you were 16 that you learned the hard way?
What is some life advice you have for others based on what you’ve experienced in life?
What was a mistake you made in life that you learned from?
How has the last year of your life changed who you are or how you view the world?

Self-Reflection Prompts

What are some life lessons you learned that you’d like to share?
What was a toxic trait you had that you reflected on and changed?
How did you learn to break a bad habit?
How did you become your authentic self (both in person and through your online persona?)
How have you actively worked to improve yourself? What worked and what didn’t?

Cooking, Baking, and Drinks Prompts

What’s your favourite recipe?
How do you make the perfect menu (charcuterie, appies, drinks food or dessert).for hosting dinner parties?
What are the best recipes you’ve learned since lockdowns?
What are some great recipes for those with limited time/beginners/people on a budget?
What are some go-to recipes that never fail you?

Travelling & The World Prompts

What is your current travel Wishlist?
What are your favourite places you’ve ever been to?
Where are the best places for tourists to visit in your city?
Think of a location you travelled to in the past. Where would you recommend someone visiting there go?
Where are the best ways you’ve learned to travel on a budget?

Home & Decor Prompts

How did you decide how to decorate your first apartment?
How do you find your perfect design aesthetic?
Where should you start when decorating on a budget?
What are some cheap/easy decor additions to make your living space more homey?
Share your apartment decor + specific niche style!

Budgeting Prompts

What are tips they don’t teach you in school about saving money?
How did you learn to manage your savings and control your spending?
If you coupon — what are your best tips and tricks for finding the best deals?
What is your best advice for avoiding unnecessary purchases/compulsive shopping?
What are they best ways to stay stylish on a budget?

Adulting Prompts

What is something you wish you knew before entering the “real world”?
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self about practical, real-life adulting skills?
What are some secrets about being an adult that no one tells you (or admits to — even when you’re all adults!)
What are some of the best hacks you’ve discovered for handling adult life?
What is the best advice you can offer for those in their early adulthood?

Lockdown 2020/2021 Prompts

How has your life changed over the last year?
What are your favourite COVID-safe/at home ways to keep in touch with loved ones?
What are the best new hobbies for those who are looking to try something new?
What new skills and hobbies have you tried over the last year? Which ones did you like best?
What tips do you have for maintaining good mental health during bad times?

Organizational Prompts

What are your favourite hacks to keep your living space organized?
What products changed your life in terms of staying organized?
How do you go about keeping your personal space clean, even when you’re at your busiest?
How do you organize your planner and schedule your daily life?
What routines do you maintain that help you stay on top of everything?

Health and Wellness Prompts

What are your favourite quick and easy healthy recipes?
What are some great exercise routines for beginners?
How did you get started on your fitness journey? What did you wish you knew before you started?
What are some realistic ways to stay active and motivated day to day?
What are your favourite tools (ie. meditating, exercise, sleep) for mitigating stress and maintaining your health?

As always — happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you’ve all been doing well and staying safe. We’re really closing in on one year since COVID lockdowns hit now, which is absolutely insane to think about. This time last year, I was away on Mexico on vacation, life was good and I had absolutely NO idea what was about to hit me in the weeks to come. It’s been a long year, but I’m finally feeling like I’m going to make it out in one piece. How are you all feeling about the one-year anniversary of lockdowns coming up? Drop a comment below and let me know — it’s going to be an interesting and difficult time reflecting on it all, certainly. At the very least, with any luck, we’re nearing the end of the pandemic — so at least we’ll have something to celebrate sometime soon. I, personally, truly believed that lockdowns were going to last two, maybe three weeks at most — and look at us now! If I could go back a year and tell myself what was coming, there’s no way I’d ever believe it.

Much love,

Meredith

Winter Roundup: My Fave Products So Far in 2021!

February 14, 2021February 14, 202136 Comments

Hey y’all!

So, as some of you may remember from what feels, honestly, ages ago (even though it’s only been a few months — has COVID really messed up anyone else’s internal timeline or is it just me?) I used to share two weekly posts on my blog page — a post on Sunday, and a post on Thursday (ever-so-creatively dubbed “Thursday Favourites”) where I highlighted one of my personal favourite makeup or skincare product in a segment each week, going into detail about what it was about each product that I loved so much.

These segments were something I came up with when I first started my blog (back when I used to post THREE times a week……. I honestly don’t know how I did it). At the time, I didn’t really know where I was going with my blog, what kinds of posts I wanted to make, or really — what I was even doing. I grew attached to my little segment — it felt like my own little gimmick — even though I found it challenging to write out long, thoughtful and creative reviews on new products every week.

Then, later on, as most of you know — I started falling behind on my posts. Writing out a review to share every week started to feel like a chore — there was absolutely nothing enjoyable about it anymore, it was just a task I had to complete each week. Eventually, the stress of falling behind and the pressure I was putting on myself surrounding my blog simply became too much, and resulted in me going straight up radio silence for almost two months. It wasn’t an intentional break — I just couldn’t do it anymore.

When I finally took the time to recuperate and make my return to blogging, I knew that (at least temporarily), the weekly reviews had to go — they were the part of blogging I had found to be the most grating over the months leading up to my hiatus. I thought that the segment was something I still wanted to keep up with, so my original intention was to delay sharing them until I had built up enough of a backlog that I wouldn’t have to stress about falling behind anymore. However, once I got back into blogging 100%, I started to realize the VERY distinct difference in how I felt writing out my regular posts, compared to how I felt writing out reviews. Honestly? There wasn’t really anything fun about it. What’s more — it often took a lot more time and energy than my regular Sunday posts, as I always wanted to take and edit my own original photos of each product I was sharing each week.

After spending some time writing out only my Sunday posts and seeing my love of blogging slowly begin to return, I realized it was time to bring the Thursday Favourites segment to an end. I thought I would be sad to see it go, but honestly it’s been a bit of a relief. That being said, I still want to share my favourite products with you all — so I’ve come to a bit of a compromise. Similarly to how I’ve shared annual round-ups of all my favourite products of the year in the past, I’m now going to be doing seasonal round-ups of both new favourite products of mine, or old returning favourites I had yet to share. This way, I’m hoping I’ll still be able to share all the products I’ve been loving with you all — without the stress of writing out lengthy, blog-length reviews each week.

So, basically, we’ll see how this goes. That’s the great thing about having my own blog is that at the end of the day, what I share is ultimately up to me (and there’s no reason I should feel the need to share posts that exhaust me just because I’ve decided I’m “supposed to”). Anyway, without further ado — here’s seven of my most favourite products that I’ve tried and loved since my last Thursday Favourites update!

Sulwhasoo’s Bloomstay Vitalizing Eye Cream

My under-eye area has pretty much always been the bane of my existence. I’ve definitely mentioned this before (many, many times) on my blog, but to summarize for those of you who don’t know — for whatever reason, my under-eye area has always had seemingly perpetual dark circles which no amount of sleep or skincare ever seemed to fix. As well, the skin under my eyes has always been very delicate and has always maintained heavy creasing — basically making me look like I’m constantly exhausted (even in the best-rested, most relaxed time of my life). As well, years of trying to aggressively fix these problems basically just ended up with me clogging up all my pores under my eyes, leaving me with seemingly permanent milia (verrryyyy tiny clogged pores, for those of you lucky enough not to know. Essentially, you can’t pop them — you have to solve them with proper skincare). I wasn’t even aware that my skincare routine was causing the milia under my eyes — I thought it was just something that was permanently a part of my face.

I tried out a couple of eye creams over the years, but honestly, I never found what I was looking for. A lot of the eye creams I tried had seemingly no effect — I honestly couldn’t tell what, exactly, I was spending all this money for. However, I finally found one that was worth it. This eye cream has actually made noticeable changes to my under eye area — since trying this cream, my dark circles have mostly vanished, my skin has firmed up, and while I’m still struggling to be 100% rid of all my old milia — this product hasn’t done anything to add to the issue. (It’s taking a while to resolve, but I’m getting there!). Anyway, this stuff is expensive but it really is the best — I’m pretty sure I’ve found my forever eye cream here.

If this sounds like the product you’ve been missing in your life, check it out at Sephora!

Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops

I won’t lie — this product was a bit of an impulse purchase that I was pretty certain I was going to regret, but ended up obsessed with. When this product first launched, all the posts I saw about it and it’s natural, makeup-free highlighting abilities really sold me — but immediately after I purchased it, I began worrying about whether or not it was something I really, truly needed. I figured, ultimately, that I would give it a try and I could always end up returning it if it turned out to be something that was unnecessary (which isn’t something I normally do, ever, because it can be pretty wasteful). However, when I actually got this product and tried it out, all my worries washed away. (I don’t even know why I was stressed — Glow Recipe has never done me wrong). This product has so many uses — it’s hydrating, adds a glow to your skin naturally, and can be worn with makeup to give your skin a little extra boost. As well, niacinamide acts to remove any hyperpigmentation and scarring from the skin — which I ended up loving, since it’s not a skincare ingredient I had used before. Ultimately, this has made a fantastic addition to my morning skincare routine — it leaves me looking fresh, awake, and glow — while also serving a purpose in my skincare. I was so nervous that this product was going to be something that I wouldn’t use or need, but it honestly gives me something new to look forward to every morning when I wash my face.

If this sounds like the product you’ve been missing in your life, check it out at Sephora!

Biossance’s Squalane + Tea Tree Detox Mask

This mask has got to be one of my all-time faves. Before trying this mask out, I’d been going years using harsh charcoal and clay masks to unclog my pores — which can be super useful, but harsh on sensitive skin. While I do love charcoal masks for occasional use, I was really needing something solid help unclog my pores regularly without being too harsh or stripping the oils from my face. For anyone else out there who feels the same way, and has sensitive skin like me — you need to try this mask out for yourself. As the name suggests, it’s purpose is to detox your pores, but it does it without being too harsh — in fact, it actually hydrates your skin as you use it! I always can feel AND see a noticeable difference in my skin after using this mask. Seriously, it’s like I have baby skin after. 10/10, would recommend.

If this sounds like the product you’ve been missing in your life, check it out at Sephora!

Laneige’s Lip Glowy Balm

Laneige is a brand I’m pretty new to, but have been absolutely loving. I already use and love their overnight lip mask, and I’ve tried out a sample of their overnight hydration mask (which I adored). So when I was in need of a new lip balm, I figured — why not give this one a shot? When it comes to lip balms, I often find there are two kinds — ones that double as a gloss, and ones that actually work. This is, honestly, the first lip balm I’ve ever tried that does both. This lip balm has a glossy-like sheen to it, but isn’t sticky or gross. It actually lasts, too — unlike so many lip balms that need constant reapplication. It’s pretty thick, however, that type of thing doesn’t really bother me with balms (and it definitely isn’t the heaviest lip balm I’ve ever tried). Most importantly, though — it always leaves me lips feeling softer after I use it.

If this sounds like the product you’ve been missing in your life, check it out at Sephora!

Glow Recipe’s Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask

This is another face mask I’ve tried in the last year that’s definitely made it into my permanent collection. Retinol is a pretty renowned ingredient in skincare nowadays, and for a lot of good reasons. There’s all kinds of cool benefits to using it — the main ones being preventing (and minimizing existing) wrinkles, brightening and exfoliating the skin at a cellular level by increasing cell turnover rates, help regulate oily skin, prevent breakouts and even help with hyperpigmentation. Which is a lot of benefits! However, it definitely has some downsides too — it can be pretty intense on the skin, and overuse can lead to redness and peeling, as well — it does tend to make your skin more sensitive to the sun. I’m always nervous about trying out hardcore active ingredients in my skincare routine, but I decided to give this mask a shot. This mask is PERFECT for people with sensitive skin, or who are looking to give retinol a go and want to dip their toes in. Not only can it be used as frequently or infrequently as you need, but it can also be used as a wash off OR overnight mask, depending on your needs. Personally, I use this mask as a wash-off, but it’s totally fine to wear it overnight as well — Glow Recipe has a special retinol recipe that helps it release slowly overnight, so it won’t be damaging your skin or anything. No matter what, it definitely can take your skin some time to adjust to retinol — but the benefits really do seem worth it. If you’re new to retinol, though, this mask is 100% the perfect place to start.

If this sounds like the product you’ve been missing in your life, check it out at Sephora!

ColourPop’s Super Shock Highlighter

I recently tried ColourPop for the first time ever, and I have to say, I’m obsessed. All of their makeup has impressed me so far (especially considering the price), but none of them blew me away the same way their Super Shock highlighter has. This highlighter is INSANE. It creates a look that’s so dewy and dimensional — they describe it on their website as “bouncy”, and they definitely aren’t wrong. This stuff is PIGMENTED, and the colour is absolutely stunning. I know I’m definitely going to be buying more in the future — because this really may be the best highlighter I’ve ever used (and that says a lot, coming from a highlighter enthusiast such as myself).

If this sounds like the product you’ve been missing in your life, check it out at ColourPop!

ColourPop Glitterally Obsessed Glitter Gel

This was another one of ColourPop’s products I tried in my recent haul that really blew me away. I absolutely LOVE glitter, but using it in makeup can be a real pain. Loose glitter is nearly impossible to apply well, and you often end up needing special glue or other products to apply it right and make it stay. This gel, however, totally takes all the stress out of glitter — while it may look super pink, the gel itself is actually clear — so you can simply dab this glitter on wherever you’re feeling it. And that’s it! It stays SO well. While I guess I really don’t have many opportunities to wear glitter out lately with COVID and all (this stuff would be PERFECT for festival season), I’m definitely going to find ways to work it into my makeup looks because I just adore it.

If this sounds like the product you’ve been missing in your life, check it out at ColourPop!

Happy Sunday everyone, and happy Valentine’s Day! No matter what you ended up doing today, or who you spent the day with — I hope you all had a great day. Holidays don’t have to be big and over-the-top to be special, after all — I had a great day today, and all I did was treat myself to some bubble tea and watch the latest episode of my favourite show.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post — I’m hoping that this segment ends up working out, and helps me to share my favourite products with you in a way that’s stress-free and enjoyable to me! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the format, so drop a comment below and let me know what you thought!

Much love,

Meredith

ColourPop Cosmetics Haul!

January 17, 2021January 17, 202137 Comments

Hey everyone!

Sooooo, this post has been a really, REALLY long time coming. For those of you who follow my posts regularly, I’m sure you’ll remember me teasing this post as far back as December (or possibly even late November) of 2020. It’s taken a while, but it’s finally here! I honestly can’t even tell you all how excited I am to share this post with you — not only have I been DYING to try ColourPop out for a while now, but all the roadblocks and delays I ran into while making this post only made me more excited to finally be able to share it.

ColourPop is a brand that I’ve been hearing about since, like, forever — it really seems like every single makeup blogger, vlogger and Instagrammer was obsessed. However, due to the fact that I’ve been hesitant in the past about buying makeup online without seeing it in store (as well as the fact that I’m not American, and international shipping can be a pain), it took me a while to getting around to trying it out for myself. I took the leap in 2019 with buying cosmetics online from Kylie Cosmetics, and after having taken the leap once I realized it was no where NEAR as nerve-wracking as I was making it out to be. It takes a while to narrow down products when you can’t see them in person to decide, and yes, you won’t always get exactly what you’re picturing. However, so long as you stick to popular products (such as shadow palettes, highlighters, lip glosses or whatever the site your shopping from is known for) and read the colour description and reviews on products such as lipglosses that can be hard to see the nuanced differences in from photos online, you should be good.

At the end of 2019, I rated ColourPop as one of the brands I was most excited to try in 2020. With my fear of purchasing from online-only cosmetic brands out of the way, it was on the top of my list being one of the best-known makeup brands out there that I’d never tried. However, as we all know, 2020 de-railed pretty quickly, and my need to purchase loads of makeup suddenly dropped to zero.

I honestly kind of forgot about trying ColourPop for a while — after all, I maybe did my makeup like 10 times total last year — until one of their collabs caught my eye. ColourPop, after all, is kind of known for their numerous collabs with different influencers and brands. However, the particular collaboration in question that re-launched my interest in trying the brand was none other than their Sailor Moon collection. As a slightly-less-than-casual anime fan, while I’ve never watched Sailor Moon specifically (yet), I was kinda obsessed with how cute these products were and the concept of the collab overall — so I finally decided to give it a shot. (I mean, I was also kind of drawn in by their tie-dye shadow collection, too…… both collections seemed like they were totally made for me, TBH).

Between the international shipping and the fact that I placed my order only a few weeks before Black Friday, it ended up taking my package over a month to arrive. After all the anticipation, though, I did finally get to test it all out and I’ve finally written out all of my thoughts and first impressions to share with y’all. So without further ado — let’s get into it!

Sailor Moon Collection Eyeshadow Palette in Pretty Guardian

Did I really buy this eyeshadow palette simply because it has Sailor Moon on the front? Perhaps. But do I love it anyways? Absolutely! The colours are absolutely stunning, and while they aren’t a combination that I’d usually expect together, they go beautifully with each other. What’s more, this palette comes with neutrals, mattes and blending shades as well as bright, shimmery and bold colours, so you really can make any number of complete looks with this palette alone.

Sailor Moon Collection Glitter Gel in Moonlight Legend

This glitter gel is absolutely UNREAL. I feel like I’ve been searching for a product like this since, well, forever. (Seriously, where was this glitter before I went to Fvded in 2018?). I know ColourPop is far from the only cosmetic brand that sells chunky glitter in clear adhesive such as thing, but it’s certainly the most major brand to do so that I can think of offhand (and certainly the easiest to get your hands on). All that aside, though, this product actually works wonders. As in, when I swatched it on my hand, I expected it to rub off instantly or wash off entirely with water, as so many liquid-glitter type products do. However, this stuff stayed put. As in, it didn’t even budge on my HAND after a few hours. Which basically means that you’ll have NOTHING to worry about when you wear it on your face. Don’t worry, though — it comes off super easily with makeup remover, so it’s not like it’s one of those products that stays on because it’s impossible to get off. The glitter is soooo pretty, too — it’s not as pink as it looks here as the gel goes on clear, but the glitter chunks are a sort of iridescent blue-pink that I’m really obsessed with. Now all I need is for COVID to end and festival season to restart so I can get the most possible use out of this stuff!

In A Trance Eyeshadow Palette

This was the eyeshadow palette that really convinced me that I had to put in an order with ColourPop. While the Sailor Moon collection really caught my eye, when I saw this I knew I had to have it for myself. My favourite colours are blue, purple, and pink, so this palette was literally made for me. I gave it a test run on New Years Eve, and honestly I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d heard great things about ColourPop, but at their price point, I found it hard to believe that they’d blow my mind. However, I was overall pleasantly surprised. Some of the super pale-pastel shades were less pigmented than I expected, however, it’s kind of a classic problem that many pastel shadows seem to have. Even the most expensive and high-quality pastels of any brand will always turn out less pigmented than non-pastel shades of the same line. However, when I tested out some of the darker colours, such as the darker pastel blue, the colour payoff was INSANE. Like, I wasn’t ready. (Seriously, I went in HARD with this blue, expecting it to be less pigmented like the lighter pastel blue and almost messed up my whole look when it turned out to be pigmented AF). All the colours blend out really well though, and they aren’t patchy at all, so I’ll let the fact that the pastel shades aren’t as pigmented slide. After all, they’re still beautiful and 100% buildable, so they just take a little more effort (but it’s worth it).

Blush Crush Eyeshadow Palette

I saw this palette and just felt it would really make a great everyday palette for me. I’ve really been digging the pale pink vibe for day-to-day makeup lately, so I decided to give this one a go. I don’t always love how coral/warm toned neutral shadows look on me, so for daily use, I tend to go for more neutral pinks and neutral or cool toned browns, depending on whether I’m trying to go for a casual “day out” look or something more professional. Trying this palette out, it may be a winner — I do kind of find the ColourPop glitter shades to be a bit difficult to use, but the shimmer and matte shades are to die for and the made a great daytime look.

Super Shock Highlighter in Manifest That…

Wow. Okay, so, I actually don’t even know where to start with this highlighter. I’d heard about Super Shock highlighters before here and there, but NOTHING could have prepared me for how much I was going to LOVE this product!!! Seriously, I can hardly put it into words. I probably sound kind of weird right now, but this highlighter was a total game changer for me. If all of ColourPop’s highlighters are this good, I don’t know that I’ll ever buy a highlighter from another brand ever again. In all honestly, I was actually super skeptical before I actually tried it on. Not only does the colour look a little bland in-package, but the packaging itself was actually kind of broken — it doesn’t really stay shut on it’s own. However, I’m so blown away by how it makes my skin glow like I’ve never seen it glow before that I’ll just tape it shut — who cares!

Freckle Pen in Soft Brown

While I don’t really wear them often, I’m a huge fan of fake freckles. In the past I’ve applied them using cool-toned shadows and a tiny liner brush, however, even as I got pretty good at freckling my face, some freckles always ended up looking botched and I’ve never really ended up wearing them out in public. However, when I tested this pen out, it made applying freckles so easy I may actually give wearing them out and around a go. (I mean, I guess post-COVID since they’d be entirely covered by a mask, but still). This pen has a fine enough tip to give you itty-bitty freckles, but you can definitely create a whole variety of sizes with it. It’s easy to apply so they don’t end up looking weird or smudged, and the colour is cool-toned enough they actually look real. Basically, I’m going to be drawing on fake freckles a lot more often from now on.

Lux Gloss in Panache

Overall, this lip gloss is pretty solid. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly pretty decent overall. I did find it to be a little heavy and sticky — but at the same time, the colour is gorgeous and it’s really pigmented for a gloss. I haven’t gotten much of a chance to see how it lasts when I wear it out in public (because, you know, COVID and all) but wearing it around my house with a full face of makeup, it did seem to pass the reliable and long-lasting test. It’s not perfect, but I’d definitely consider trying ColourPop’s glosses again in the future.

Lippie Pencil in Another Round Pencil

While I’m not super knowledgable on lip pencils, I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with this one. I have a decent-sized collection of lip pencils from the last few years, but honestly — I never really used them up until a few years ago. They seemed kind of pointless to me. Now I realize how useful they are, but my collection is still a little small since I still have a hard time coughing up a whole load of money for a product that goes UNDERNEATH my lip products. Like, I know they’re worth it on one hand, but on the other …….. anything more than like $15-$18 for a lip pencil is just asking too much. But $8? I’m sold. This pencil is creamy, pigmented and overall great value for it’s cost. Next time I need a lip pencil, I’ll know where to look.

To sum up my overall opinion, I have to say — I’m kind of obsessed. These products would be pretty good quality for any price point, but to my knowledge there’s almost no where else you could get such high-quality products for such a low price. For the cost of my entire haul, I could maybe get an eyeshadow palette and a lip gloss from the average brand that Sephora carries. While I’m still going to indulge in more expensive brands from time to time, ColourPop is the perfect brand to fill in any missing items from your collection, or for hopping on the latest trend without dropping too much.

I hope you all enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you! It was a long time coming but honestly, it was worth the wait. Now that I’ve tested the waters with ColourPop, I’m honestly excited to give more of their products a try. (Fingers crossed I’ll get more chances to wear makeup in 2021!). If you’ve tried out ColourPop before, drop a comment below and let me know how you liked it, or which products and collabs were your fave! I’d love to hear all about it.

I hope that all of you are having an amazing week, and despite everything, that your January’s are going well so far. This year has been off to a rocky start for sure, but we still have 11 months to hopefully turn it around and make it better than the last one.

Stay tuned next week, where I’m going to be sharing a surprise post with a bit of commentary I have about the online blogging community and changes I’m making for myself and my blog. I’m kind of nervous to share it with you guys, so I hope you all read it and share your thoughts about if you feel the same!

Much love and see you next week,

Meredith

My Winter 2020 FabFitFun Unboxing!

January 10, 2021January 3, 202118 Comments

Hey friends!

Happy Sunday! While it’s a little overdue, this week I’m going to be sharing my Winter FabFitFun box with you guys! FabFitFun is one of my favourite parts of the start of each season, and this box is no exception. In all honestly, retail therapy kinda kept me going throughout 2020 since receiving packages in the mail always gave me something to look forward to, and the element of surprise included in each FabFitFun box only made it all the more exciting.

This box was a little special, because it was by FAR the most add-ons I’ve ever added to one box. While I’m usually pretty impressed by FabFitFun’s add-on selections and have a pretty hard time narrowing down my choices, this time I just couldn’t — they were too good. It was a little pricey overall, but the discounts were crazy and they were just all so worth it.

Summer & Rose Cozy Robe

This is, no joke, the coziest little robe I’ve ever owned. I love robes, but the only ones I have are made of satin-like material. They’re comfy, and great for summer — but they are no where NEAR as soft and plush as this is. It feels like being wrapped in a cloud. It’s honestly been the best for lounging around in lockdowns — it just feels luxe AF. If you’ve been looking for a cozy robe to wear around the house, do yourself a favour and check this one out.

Impressions Vanity Company LED Vanity Mirror

Seeing this as an option honestly made my whole month. Back in university, I used to do my makeup at my desk — which it turns out I was really taking for granted. I had great lighting, a little vanity mirror and (most importantly) a seat. Ever since I moved, however, I’ve been doing my makeup in my bathroom — which has terrible lighting and a tiny mirror that’s also waaaay too tall for me. I’m finally getting a desk, soon, however — and I’ve been needing a good vanity mirror to go with it. (I mean, I’ll be using it for more than just makeup, but still). This mirror isn’t just well-made, it has an amazing LED system which helps to light your face evenly you can apply your makeup perfectly. After a year of doing my makeup in my subpar bathroom setting, I could NOT be happier about receiving this mirror in my box.

Lele Sadoughi Maroon Velvet Headband

I’ve been seeing cute chunky fabric hairbands around for a while now, but I haven’t ever seen good ones out in stores when I had the chance to go look. I’ve been considering trying them out for a while now, but was always on the fence about how they’d look on me. However, now I get the chance to test run the look on myself — and honestly, I think I’m pretty into it!

Flight Mode Skincare High-Altitude Hydration Mask

While I haven’t had the chance to try this mask out just yet, my dry skin is always grateful for a hydrating mask. Fabfitfun has always gifted me some pretty fantastic skincare — at best, many items they gifted became staples in my routine. At worst, they’ve gifted me with items that were just great (but not exceptional) — so I’m really not worried that this mask is going to be anything disappointing. Who knows — maybe it’ll end up being a new favourite?

Eparé Cutting Set of Four Boards

I’m kind of neutral on receiving these boards in my box — they aren’t particularly exciting or something I needed, but they’ll be of use for sure. It’s nice that they’re so thin in terms of storing them, and it’s great that they’re labelled for type of food used on them so you don’t cross-contaminate. While they aren’t the most exhilarating gift in my box, I do know they’ll come in handy in the future.

B-Low The Belt Croc Card Case

This was another surprise I receiving in my box that I was pretty pleased about. While I’m looking to get a proper wallet in the future, I’m a huge fan of card cases — I don’t carry around cash often anyway, and most of the purses I own are pretty small. I already have a similar pink card case from H&M I use often, but it’ll be nice to be able to switch up my wallet to match what I’m wearing.

Daily Concept’s Daily Facial Dry Brush

Okay, I haven’t gotten a chance to try this out yet but I’m SO curious about it. Apparently dry brushing is supposed to help exfoliate and boost circulation — in a way that’s simpler than exfoliating and crystal facial rolling. While I’m not going to use it as a complete replacement, it DOES seem like a good thing to incorporate to ensure I get a little bit of all these benefits in daily.

Aesthetica Liquid Eyeliner

While I’m more of a fan of pot and brush/felt tip liquid eyeliner, I’m always happy to receive extra liner. I haven’t had the chance to try this stuff out yet, but I’m sure it’ll be a fantastic addition to my makeup collection (and will help me save a little extra money on my next Sephora order after the next time I run out of liner!).

Add On: BOMSHBEE Sloane Champagne Flutes

Okay, bless this set. I’ve been working on adding more drink glasses to my collection (you know, in lieu of just drinking out of a mug. ~Adulting~ or whatever). These glasses are cute and modern, but also sturdy and dishwasher safe. I do have some cute Coupe-style champagne glasses for when I want something delicate, but it’s nice to have a larger set of something more practical for more frequent use.

Add On: Pure Aura Sheet Mask Trio

I figured I’d throw these into my box because I’ll never turn down a good sheet mask. I gave these a go for the first time last night, and I’m pretty impressed. My skin looked pretty glowy directly after, but the next morning I could definitely see the true results. My skin looked super clear and fresh — which was especially impressive considering I was having a pretty bad skin day the day before. However, the best part of this sheet mask (that I’ve never witnessed in a sheet mask EVER before) was that it came in two pieces — one for your nose-and-up, and one for your chin. For once, the sheet mask actually FIT my face — instead of being a sloppy, oversized-mess all over my face. I’ve always distinctly disliked sheet masks for this sole reason — they’re kind of a pain in the ass to wear regularly. The only mask I’ve ever seen to do this is Dr. Jart+’s rubber masks, which you all know I adore. Basically, these masks are a win in my books, and I’m definitely going to look into getting more masks from this brand sometime soon.

Add On: Speaqua Wireless Charger Makeup Organizer

I’m crazy about this addition to my box, for somewhat similar reasons I’m excited for the Impression Vanity Mirror. When I finally get a desk and a makeup set-up, not only will I appreciate all the cute and stylish storage space I can get my hands on — but this storage unit comes with a build in wireless phone charger (!!!). I’ve never had a wireless charger before, but I can’t even imagine how convenient it’ll be to keep my phone nearby while I’m getting ready to go out and know it’ll have a full charge by the time I leave. I’ve spent years running back and forth to check on my charging phone while doing my makeup — but it really kinda feels like the future is NOW when I can charge my phone by simply placing it on my makeup organizer. Seriously, could this BE any more convenient?

Add On: Rosy Rings White Tea & Ginger Reed Diffuser

You guys already know by now that I’m kinda obsessed with all things fragrance. Candles, Saje…you name it, I’ve tried it. A while back, I saw a reed diffuser like this in Indigo and decided to try it out. Turns out, reed diffusers are a bit of a game changer when it comes to keeping your bathroom smelling it’s best. They don’t really require any upkeep, nor do you have to worry about turning them on and off. They constantly diffuse a small amount of oil into the air, leaving your bathroom smelling fresh. However, my old one is about to run out, so when I saw this diffuser offered for such a great discount, I knew it would make a great refresher. Not only does it smell fantastic, but it’s also HUGE. Like, this thing is going to last me forever and at such a reasonable price. Fabfitfun is great, but their add-on sales are next level.

Add On: Bathorium Eucalyptus Apothecary + Sea Kelp Serenity CRUSH Duo

Once again, there’s really nothing better than Fabfitfun’s add-on deals. I’ve really been digging bath salts lately, and these two packages sounded SO fantastic. They’re absolutely massive, packed full of natural ingredients, and I’m sure they’ll last me a while (and they didn’t even cost that much for their size!). I’m looking forward to having a few good soaks with these in 2021 when I need to destress.

The only, and I mean ONLY, thing that has ever disappointed me about FabFitFun is that every time I receive a box it means I have to wait another three months to receive my next one. I’ve always made use of every product I’ve received, and even if it wasn’t the absolute best product I’ve ever tried — it’s never let me down either. I’ve made use of absolutely every gift I’ve ever received, and I always look forward to unwrapping every box and seeing what exactly I’ve been given. The element of surprise makes it all the more exciting receiving each box every season.

Stay tuned next week, when I’ll be reviewing my FIRST EVER ColourPop Cosmetics haul! I’ve been meaning to try out ColourPop for so long now, so I can’t wait to share all my thoughts with you guys!

Anyway, I hope that all of your new years have been off to a good start! And if they haven’t — well, don’t worry, we’re only two weeks into it. Either way, I hope you’re all feeling positive about the upcoming year and have been staying safe! Sending you all so much love and positive vibes.

Xox,

Meredith

2020 Round Up: My Fave Products and Brands of the Year!

December 20, 2020December 20, 202030 Comments

Hey y’all!

2020 is finally, FINALLY coming to a close and I, for one, could not be happier. This year has been pretty rough from start to finish for all of us — I think we can all agree we’re looking forward to turning over a new page and starting 2021 with a nice, fresh start.

It’s crazy thinking back on the early months of 2020 now — some parts of it feel like absolute eons ago, whereas some moments feel as though they happened the other week. There’s been some ups (and many, many downs), but it hasn’t been all bad, I guess. I mean, I still got the chance to travel to Mexico this year before travel shut down worldwide, and while I had some hard times, I’ve had a lot of time off to learn to cope and become reacquainted with myself as an individual. I’ve revisited old hobbies, discovered new things I love, and had plenty of time to explore exactly what it is in life I enjoy doing.

However, corny as it sounds, one of the positives of this year is that I got the chance to try all sorts of new products out during lockdowns — many of which I absolutely adored. This year, skincare definitely reined supreme amongst products I both tried and loved — after all, there’s not much of a need to be buying heaps of makeup if you’re never leaving the house.

With all the products I tried, it WAS a little tricky to narrow it down to a top 10. However, I managed to narrow it down (in no particular order, of course). The following 10 products are the best new products I tried this year (not all of them are new this year, but they’re new to me). I really loved each and every one of these products — they’ve all become regulars in my daily routine, and many of them I would say are my fave products of all time. I’ve attached a little reasoning with each product about why exactly I love it so much, so that all of you know exactly what’s so great about them and whether they’d be something you’d love too!

Top 10 Products I Tried in 2020

Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask

Why I love it: I only use this mask a wash off mask (not overnight), but even after 10 minutes it leaves my face feeling brand new. It’s packed full of AHA’s and hyaluronic acid, which always leaves my face feeling soft, fresh, and plump. Plus, it clears up my skin and really makes it glow.

Check out this product at Sephora!

Milk Makeup’s Hydro Grip Primer

Why I love it: This primer basically acts like a glue that holds all of your makeup in place, all day, though anything. It has a smoothing effect, allowing your makeup to apply as flawlessly as possible. Plus, it’s hydrating AF and actually leaves my skin feeling pretty great.

Check out this product at Sephora!

Herbivore Botanical’s Lapis Blue Tansy Face Oil

Why I love it: This balancing oil helps to reduce redness and fix blemishes, leaving your skin looking clear and flawless. It’s not too heavy, and it’s squalene component helps to rebuild your skins barrier and protect it from dirt and pollutants.

Check out this product at Sephora!

Charlotte Tilbury’s Instant Eyeshadow Palette in Pillow Talk

Why I love it: This palette! Ugh. It was love at first use. This palette was my first time trying Charlotte Tilbury, but it’s totally sold me on the whole brand. These shadows are so blendable and produce ZERO fallout. The colours are super cute and delicate, and work well for everyday use. I can’t wait for the chance to try out more products by this brand.

While this palette was limited edition, Charlotte Tilbury still has many great products to check out at Sephora!

Glow Recipe’s Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask

Why I love it: I only tried this mask out recently, but I’ve already fallen in love. I was hoping to add a little retinol into my skincare routine — but only a small amount. I had tried their eye cream version in the past and while I loved it, I wasn’t sure I was ready to commit to daily retinol (since it can do some harm if you’re not careful). This was the perfect medium — it leaves my skin looking FLAWLESS, and I don’t have to worry about using it wrong/mixing in wrong ingredients since I only use it occasionally. Now I get all the benefits of retinol, without any of the stress!

Check out this product at Sephora!

Biossance’s Squalane + Tea Tree Detox Mask

Why I love it: This is the perfect mask for anyone who’s skin is just a liiiiittle too sensitive for charcoal clay masks. I often find that while charcoal clay masks work for me, they leave my skin feeling a little irritated after. This masks clears up my skin while leaving it feeling softer than before — and it’s absolutely one of my all-time faves.

Check out this product at Sephora!

Huda Beauty’s Pastel Obsessions Eyeshadow Palettes

Why I love it: These palettes may be tiny, but they pack a lot of punch. They’re super pigmented and the colours are always stunning. The pastel colours are super on-trend for this year, and each palette comes with enough colours to create a wide range of diverse looks. 10/10, would recommend.

Check out this product at Sephora!

Sulwhasoo’s Bloomstay Vitalizing Eye Cream

Why I love it: I’ve always had issues with my under eyes, but this eye cream has honestly solved a lot of my problems. Since purchasing this cream, my under eyes have been nice and full and bright, and my fine lines and milia have been fading in a big way. This stuff may be pricey, but it’s totally worth it.

Check out this product at Sephora!

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

Why I love it: This stuff is the ultimate cure to chapped lips, IMO. One layer, one night and your lips will be feeling good as new the next day. It works so effectively, it actually lasts all night and the effects last all day. For real — my lips have been brand new ever since I tried this lip mask, and I can’t wait to try out more of Laneige’s products because of it.

Check out this product at Sephora!

Shu Uemura’s Anti/Oxi Skin Refining Cleansing Oil

Why I love it: Double cleansing WORKS. It helps to remove dirt that water-based cleansers don’t, especially SPF and other oil-based grime. My skin has felt so clean ever since starting. I haven’t tried any other oil-based cleansers, to be fair, but this stuff is just fantastic.

Check out this product at Sephora!

My Top 5 Brands of 2020

Since skincare has been the main event of my life this year, my top 5 brands of this year naturally ended up being entirely skincare (unlike last year where I did 5 skincare and 5 makeup brands). Unlike my favourite products of the year, these aren’t necessarily brands I tried for the first time this year, just the brands that topped my faves list by the end of the year (and all amazing brands that I could not recommend more).

Glow Recipe

Herbivore Botanicals

Biossance

Ouai

Fresh

Top 5 Brands I’m Excited To Try in 2021

This one sort of speaks for itself — these following five brands are all brands that I’m hoping to get the chance to try sometime during 2021! I already got the chance to try 3/5 of the brands on my list last year — and they of all ended up being my newfound faves. Here’s to trying out more brands and discovering new favourite products in 2021!

Tatcha

Melt Cosmetics

Patrick Ta

Supergoop!

Summer Fridays

And there you have it! What a year it’s been. It’s kinda crazy thinking back on it all — trying out some of these products for the first time feels like a whole lifetime ago. We’re so close to 2021 now, however, and I honestly can’t wait to see what it brings. Maybe it’ll be good, maybe it’ll be bad — but at least it’ll be a fresh start.

Stay tuned for next weeks post, where I detail 20 life lessons I learned in 2020! This year has taught me a lot, and it’s always important to reflect back on what life has taught us in order to ensure we don’t forget. While this year has certainly been a challenge, it doesn’t have to be all bad –it’s important that we all take time to look back on what this year has taught us, and take these lessons into the future to better ourselves and the world we live in.

As well, over the next few weeks I’ll be dropping my review of my FIRST-EVER ColourPop Cosmetics haul (one of the companies on my list of brands to try in 2020 last year!) and my winter FabFitFun unboxing. As well, I have some exciting content planned for new year, so stay tuned!

Much love,

Meredith