Beauty December 15, 2017

Gift Guide: Holiday Shopping for Everyone!

Holiday shopping is a huge task for those who feel like their list is never-ending. I love shopping for gifts but only if I have a game plan and know exactly what to get everyone. This year my gift guide is going to be easy to navigate through and I hope it helps cover everyone on your list! Happy holiday shopping!

HOLIDAY SHOPPING FOR HER

BEAUTY

1. STILA COSMETICS

@stilagirlcanada 💋💓

A post shared by Lifestyle • Fashion • Beauty (@humjk) on Dec 13, 2017 at 9:21am PST

So many beautiful sets and the best part is that you can try all the mini versions of your favourite products. My favourite liquid shimmer eyeshadow in Stila is Kitten Karma and favourite lipstick gloss is Patina. But now with these sets, I was able to find other ones that I really love! Check them out at Shoppers Drug Mart:

CLICK image or link below to view these gift sets close-up!

STILA HOLIDAY GIFT SETS

2. BURTS BEES

I love burts bees products because of all the lovely ingredients that are found in them. There are lots of gift set options for burts bees! You’ll see them all around Shoppers Drug Mart in sets for lip balms and skin care. For your bee lover friends or those who love to be au natural (unisex) check these out:

Price: Starting at $14

3. QUO ARTISAN BRUSH SET

I can see this set flying off the shelves! This brush set is trending with beauty product lovers everywhere! It’s amazing for blending and contouring and the finish you get with applying makeup with these brushes is professional. At shoppers drug mart. I’ll be doing a video of these brushes because they’re so cool! Keep an eye out for it.

Price: $79

OWN THE HOLIDAYS WITH SHOPPERS DRUG MART

4. QUO BY ORLY HOLIDAY GIFT SETS

These awesome nail polishes are breathable and don’t have any of those harmful ingredients that you can find in more nail polishes. I love the mini nail polish set! Perfect taster for the person you’re not sure what colours they’d like. A personal favourite is the lighter colours. There’s also an advent calendar!

Price: $16.00 – $40.00

5. QUO GIFT SETS

There are so many Quo gift sets to choose from. They have great eyeshadow palettes, lip gloss, and lipstick sets as well. The price is always right with Quo and the quality is perfect. For more details and close-ups of some sets, click the below link.

QUO 2017 HOLIDAY COLLECTION FOR GREAT GIFT IDEAS

SKINCARE

6. FRESH

This gift set comes with an amazing cleanser, face scrub, and lip balm. All for someone with any skin type. Also for the artsy gal, pencil crayons to colour the box with. So cute! You can find all of these sets at Sephora.

FRESH LIP BALM SETS

fresh beauty lip — **$30 FOR 3 (VALUE OF $44)**

7. RODIAL

I love their skincare line. This is not only a great gift set to give as a gift, but if you’ve never tried the brand before, this is a great way to try a routine. Also, cheaper than buying the items separately.

FRAGRANCE

8. FOR HIM OR HER FRAGRANCE GIFT SET

These fragrance sets are perfect if you have no clue what fragrance to get! There are deluxe sample sizes of 7 fragrances in the box for you to try and a certificate to use toward a full-size fragrance, the one you liked out of the 7. That’s a pretty great deal and experience if you ask me. These sets are exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart.

Price: $99 (To redeem full size)

There’s also a Fragrance Sampler for $85 which includes 10 mini samples and the certificate to redeem full size. See below images:

STOCKING STUFFERS

9. AVENE THERMAL SPRING WATER SPRAY

There are many different sizes of this multi-purpose spray and the smallest size that retails for around $7 is perfect as a stocking stuffer.

Price: Starting at $7

10. QUO HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS

You can buy a beauty blender or lip gloss ready to hang on your Christmas tree!

Price: $5-8

11. QUO COSMETIC CRACKERS

These are great stocking stuffers or perfect to place at your table setting for the ladies. Spoiler alert: each one has a mini gloss inside!

Price: $15

Gift Guide For Everyone

GIFTS FOR HIM

TECH

12. SONY BASS PORTABLE SPEAKER

I gave this to my husband and he loves it! Ever since seeing him use this so much, I knew instantly this should be a must-have in my gift guide. He’s been using it to listen to podcasts off his phone. Especially when he needs the extra volume with the kids playing nearby. I’ve had many portable speakers before and this is definitely the best one. You can find this at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Price: $50

SKINCARE

13. WILL

They have an amazing deodorant and awesome products any guy will love.

14. KIEHLS

I havenèt met anyone who has said they didn’t like Kiehls. Check out these skincare products for men and make him a gift basket!

GIFTS FOR CHILDREN

15. LULUJO BLANKETS

I love their blankets. They’re the light ones and then ones for taking milestone pictures. Check this one out: here

Price: $12 and up

16. FISHER PRICE

My kids love all of their fisher price toys! And now Shoppers Drug Mart has them too! You can find beat bo there. Popular dancing robot.

SHOPPERS DRUG MART HOLIDAYS — Photo Credit: Evan Bergstra

17. UNIQUE TEETHER

@lulujobaby pink blanket and..

A post shared by Lifestyle • Fashion • Beauty (@humjk) on Oct 31, 2017 at 12:45pm PDT

These teethers are not only super cute but they really help with your teething baby. I have the little milk bottle.

18. CUDDLE+KIND

One of my favourite gift guide recommendations. A gift not only for the person you’re giving this too but it also feeds hungry children. 1 doll =10 meals.

Price: $59-84

Beauty December 15, 2017

Stila Holiday Gift Sets For You or Perfect as Holiday Gifts

I’m a stila girl! Because I’m so obsessed with Stila Cosmetics I just had to dive deeper to show you close-ups of these beautiful holiday sets. And if they’re not already gone, I’d suggest you go NOW to get your hands on them.

Stila Holiday Gift Sets

Not only do these sets make great gift ideas, but they’re also a great way to try so many different colours without purchasing so many full sizes. I always like stocking up during the holidays on these minis because I get to try so many for pretty much the price of one. No commitment. Lots of options. Price is right.

You can also break the sets up and give a mini individually as a stocking stuffer or even place it in a customized gift.

On my lids: Kitten Karma – On my lips: Besos

Beauty December 11, 2017

NOTE Cosmetics at Rexall – Now available in Toronto

Note Cosmetics is a global makeup line that can be found in 72 countries and now available at Rexall drug stores. I love the simple packaging with cosmetics. Note cosmetics is sleek and black. A very sophisticated look. The brand is also cruelty-free, paraben free, fragrance-free and vegan. You can find this brand in Toronto.

NOTE Cosmetics at Rexall is here in Canada

Here’s a sneak peek of some of the NOTE cosmetics products they have and why they’re different from other brands you may be using.

NOTE Luminous Silk Compact Blusher – Soft Peach – $16.50

This blusher has argan oil in it and is free from parabens! Super soft to the touch and helps to boost moisture levels in the skin. This product has also been infused with botanicals.

NOTE Mattemoist Lipstick – Miss Kiss – $14.50

This matte lipstick isn’t as dry as some of the other brands I wear. This formula actually goes on creamy and it sets matte. The macadamia oil and vitamin E in the lipstick, protect and soothe lips.

NOTE Real Look Mascara – $17.95

I love mascaras that have thick and bushy wands! I always get the best look with those. This mascara curls, thickens and gives you voluminous lashes. It also has vitamin E which means it nourishes your lashes from the root to the tips of your lashes. Fragrance, Paraben, and cruelty-free!

If you love this post, you should check out the beauty section.

Style December 7, 2017

What Happens During Brunch With Bloggers

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

During my early years as a blogger, I wondered what it would be like to sit among other like-minded individuals in the blogging world. So here I am, this year, with lots of breakfast, lunch/brunch and dinners with other bloggers and I gotta say, what an awesome experience! Some bloggers are very different in person from what I actually thought they’d be like according to their posts and online voice. And others, like the below crew, are exactly the same offline as they present themselves online. When they’re exactly the same, I have to admit I get such a feel-good feeling. It’s wonderful to see that realness and authenticity come to life. So here’s what happens during brunch with bloggers:

Bloggers – Left to right: YesMissy – Cat Forsley – Dianas Healthy Living –
Maggie Adhami – ME – Shoetease

What Happens During Brunch With Bloggers

Last month I met up with some amazing bloggers for brunch, in downtown Toronto. You might recognize them(see above). First, there are the quick intros and then the “omg that’s you!” chit-chat. And then lots of talk about blogging. Everything from how to editing, favourites applications, google analytics and SEO – (I’m drooling!) brands and events. I love talking tech! Plugins and what works for us and what doesn’t. If there is one takeaway you should get from this post, it would be “together we are stronger”. As similar as we may seem for content creation and voices; we all still have our own style, community, and our own niche experiences/opinions.

I love how bloggers bounce ideas off each other and the best part is when the food comes out, it comes out altogether so we can take flat lays, single shots and just pictures galore without anyone getting upset. Because we all get it! It’s a no judge zone and at that moment while taking pictures we are all pulling in the same energy and are alike. That is the very moment everyone really comes together. When we’re in our natural blogging element. Brunch with bloggers is not only about food, but getting to know the beautiful individuals I love to follow online and getting to know them at a much more realistic level.

outfit of the day toronto — Leather crop top – Zara

Breakfast of champions!🤤 @joebirdto also does take out. What did you have for breakfast today? 😊

A post shared by Lifestyle • Fashion • Beauty (@humjk) on Oct 26, 2017 at 6:28am PDT

Great minds think alike! Or maybe we all just like avo toast that much 🥑🍞🙊 Make sure to check out these lovely bloggers ➡️ @humjk @shoetease @catforsley @dianashealthyliving @ov.er_ex.posed

A post shared by Eileen | yesmissy.com (@yesmissy) on Oct 30, 2017 at 5:48pm PDT

Here’s what I wore to the brunch. I have been looking for a pleated winter skirt for so long! Now that I’ve found it, I want to wear it as much as possible! I found this skirt online at Aritizia and it was on sale for $80. Linked it and some others:

ONE – TWO – THREE

Matched the grey tone with a color block grey purse from Zara. Sorta similar: ONE – TWO – THREE

BRUNCH WITH BLOGGERS — Boots – Steve Madden

Motherhood December 5, 2017

8 New Mom Must-Haves Including Non-Traditional Items [MOTHERHOOD]

There are so many baby products to choose from in stores that it can get overwhelming, time-consuming and pricey. You’ll either just buy everything and most of it you’ll never use and let’s not forget you’ll break the bank. Or you’ll just say I’ll buy it if I need it and forget to buy it because baby brain will kick in. Here are my most recent new mom must-haves, and if you can think of any great ideas leave me a blog comment to help a fellow new mom out there. P.S The order of products doesn’t imply the best or least favourite, just listing based on memory.

8 New Mom Must-Haves Including Non-Traditional Items

1. Dock-a-tot

I’ve been using the dock-a-tot for years now and it has come in so handy. Great for co-sleeping and perfect for laying your child down on when you need to step away and they love to roll. My toddler even loves it!

2. Baby Teethers

Other than the famous Sophie giraffe what are your other options? Well how about these cute and yet super unique ones by Picklesworth Baby:

In one hand her @lulujobaby pink blanket and the other her @picklesworthbaby teether. Her two favourite things right now💓 Swipe to see our Mommy Kitty Krew Halloween Edition pictures! Thank you @j3ssska for being an amazing host🎃Also if you need a last minute baby costume idea, this DIY is on the blog😺

A post shared by Lifestyle • Fashion • Beauty (@humjk) on Oct 31, 2017 at 12:45pm PDT

We LOVE your custom orders for all the littles in your life 😍

A post shared by Picklesworth Baby (@picklesworthbaby) on Aug 9, 2017 at 9:06pm PDT

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE.

3. Baby Brezza Food Maker

This food maker has saved me SO much time. No more steaming or boiling food separately and then blending. This is an all in one machine that will do everything for you in seconds. I love it. I’ll be sharing a full review of this soon and will drop the link here when it’s up.

4. Versatile Changing Mat

I love the gathre mats! They’re easy to clean and to travel with. I even keep one in my purse for times when I don’t want to take the diaper bag with me. Check them out:

Worlds first bonded leather mat comes in different sizes and colours.

5. Milestone Baby Cards

I love these Milestone cards! They cover every highlight you won’t want to miss taking a picture of. I’ve taken lots of pictures with my Baby Z and her milestone cards. You can purchase them here.

8 weeks old! 💓She started smiling a lot a month ago. I couldn’t find her 8 week old @milestonebaby card so I used the smile card instead. Can we talk about the leather changing pad! I love it! Funny story, when I was showing my husband some flat lays I took at a restaurant he mentioned the table in one of the pictures looked too busy and I should just use this @gathre pad next time. 💡But seriously, I love that it’s soft (comfortable) and I can wipe it clean! 🙌🏼 #kokosnest #gathre #sponsored

A post shared by Lifestyle • Fashion • Beauty (@humjk) on Jun 8, 2017 at 1:57pm PDT

6. Fisher Price Baby Swing

Happy Easter to those who are celebrating! Baby Zoeya blessed us with her arrival on April 8th with an unplanned home delivery. 🙏🏼 Thank you so much everyone for all of your sweet messages! 💕💋

A post shared by Lifestyle • Fashion • Beauty (@humjk) on Apr 14, 2017 at 11:51am PDT

I have both! The smaller one is amazing to bring to the washroom so you can watch your baby while you take a quick shower.

7. Nursing Cushion

This cushion came in so handy! I use it for nursing obviously but also it’s great for taking with you to the hair salon to support your baby in your lap while getting your hair done.

8. Shop Binxy

This innovative item is perfect for shopping with your little one. No more putting your car seat in the shopping cart! As a new mom it’s hard juggling a baby in a grocery story. Worry less and let your baby watch you do the shopping with this super cool way to place your baby in a shopping cart. Wish I had this for my first child.

Tech December 1, 2017

TOP 3 Interactive Ways to Watch Netflix with Your Toddler

To be honest, I’m enjoying the freedom to watch cartoons again. I mean, of course, with him. I read an article a few months back about interacting with your children while they get screen time helps them actually focus and learn from what they’re watching. Otherwise, they can easily fall into just watching shows aimlessly. So here are my TOP 3 interactive ways to watch Netflix with your toddler:

TOP 3 Interactive Ways to Watch Netflix with Your Toddler

1. ASK QUESTIONS:

Asking your toddler what/why/how pertaining to the episode they’re watching helps them to stay in focus on what’s going on. It always opens communication with the parent. Usually, when I ask questions, soon after I’m holding some toys and we’re reenacting what happened on the scene he just watched on Paw Patrol.Or I’m googling for answers to his questions about specific animals. If you ask questions, they will too.

2. SING ALONG OR REPEAT:

If Baby D is watching, for an example, Mother Goose Club or the opening credits to any of the shows I sing along or even say the words I remember in the song and encourage him to join in. Even repeating important parts of the show helps with being interactive. Dora the Explorer is an easy one for this. This show actually interacts with the viewer, by asking questions, asking for help in making decisions and lots of repeating of words in English and Spanish!

3. USE TOYS:

I use toys that relate to the show. If we’re sitting down to watch shows with animals, then I line up all his animals. This one is a really good one if you have a hard time shortening your toddlers’ screen time. It’s a great transition into playing with toys.

Here are some great shows to watch with your toddler (for more, click the image):

Watching shows with Baby D that he loves, shows him my interest in his life. Shows him how much I care and love his obsession with animals. The beginner steps to being a supportive parent start here.

If you like these tips, please take a moment to save the below image to Pinterest! You never know when it’ll come in handy.

Beauty November 30, 2017

Bite Beauty #LIPLABxBITE Experience in Toronto [BEAUTY]

Last night I had the pleasure of being Cat‘s guest to an amazing Bite Beauty #LIPLABxBITE experience! The Toronto Bite Beauty lab is located on Queen Street at 678 Queen St W. Bite Beauty was founded by Susanne Langmuir. She saw a void in the beauty industry and got busy with kitchen chemistry. Almost all of the coolest companies started off in their homes, right?

The store front on the main level is really clean and all about lips! Of course.

Bite Beauty #LIPLABxBITE Experience in Toronto

Some background information about Bite Beauty and why it’s different from other brands:
– Their tag line “natural, age-defying beauty for lips that is good enough to eat!”
–Lip products made solely from all-natural, food-grade ingredients.
– Lip labs where you can custom-make your own lipstick
– The first Lip Lab was in Manhattan

[Tweet “”You are what you eat. What you put on your lips, you eat” – Susanne Langmuir”]

In a nut shell, here’s how everything went down..

First: Austen who was an amazing host, brought us to the private area upstairs. Super cozy! Had a fireplace, a Bite Beauty lips backdrop, lots of couch space and then the area where all the magic happens to make your custom lipstick.

austen bite beauty lip lab toronto — This is Austen creating my colour

Second: He asked what colours I had in mind. My vision and then we talked about tones. I showed him a picture of a favourite colour and he created exactly what I wanted! All in the first try. I also got to choose the flavour of the lipstick. I went with vanilla and mint.

[Tweet “#DidYouKnow you can create a lipstick, select the finish and scent within half an hour at a @BiteBeauty Lip Lab? #LIPLABxBITE #Beauty”]

Third: The lipstick was then microwaved to a liquid, then poured into a lipstick mold and placed for 10 minutes on a surface that was -10 degrees! See my instagram stories below for all of the action:

When he swiped this colour I knew instantly I loved it!

Here I am wearing the custom colour. I call it Zoey:

And here’s what we went home with:

lip repair — Agave Lip Mask, Lip Primer and a Wild Cherry Lip Balm

Events November 20, 2017

To Give Is Beautiful – Shoppers Drug Mart – beautyBOUTIQUE [EVENTS]

It’s that time of the year when to give is beautiful. This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a holiday event at Vaughan Mills shopping center as a Fragrance expert. I took people who attended (open to public) through a fragrance experience that peaked all of their senses! All fragrances I spoke about are available at Shoppers Drug Mart’s beauty boutiques. In case you missed this event, don’t worry! The next one is happening at the Eaton Center, Dec 2nd and 3rd from mall opening to close hours.

To Give Is Beautiful – Shoppers Drug Mart – beautyBOUTIQUE

So here’s what went down: You’re greeted by some beautiful ladies, who go through a summary of the experience you’ll have. Then directed to the fragrance station. Here I asked people what fragrances they were most drawn too. Based on their answer that gave me an idea of which ones I should start off with showing. We discussed different scents, notes in the fragrance and before testing the fragrance some tips on how to best apply it. In a nut shell, beautyBOUTIQUE wants Canadians to step into the holidays with this year’s must-haves in fragrance from beautyBOUTIQUE by Shoppers Drug Mart.

Based on their fragrance choice there was a mocktail to match!

While enjoying their mocktails; they waited their turn to get a make-up application.

Once done with their make-up, everyone received a gift that had a make-up bag, a Christmas tree beauty blender and a 20x points + $10 gift card to be used at beauty boutiques.

There was also this super fun glitter wall that everyone took pictures in front. The lovely beautyBOUTIQUE ladies were taking polaroids of those who got their make-up done.

Those who made a purchase at the beauty boutique that day could bring it to the calligraphy station. To receive a tree ornament customized, 3 deluxe samples, $10 gift card – all beautiful wrapped in a silver box. Check out Mandy on Instagram who was doing beautiful calligraphy. Here.

So lock it in your calendars, the next event is happening at the Eaton Center, Dec 2nd and 3rd from mall opening to close hours. If you post your images or videos online, be sure to use the hashtag #ToGiveIsBeautiful.

This blog post was sponsored by beautyBOUTIQUE by Shoppers Drug Mart but the opinions are all my own.

Style November 17, 2017

NINE WEST 2017/2018 PREVIEW & POMBONS [FASHION]

I had the pleasure of going to the Nine West Preview for Fall 2017 and Spring/Summer 2018. I love shoes. All sorts of shoes. I’ve never met a woman who has said the opposite. There are so many beautiful shoes to choose from that I always have a hard time deciding on “the one”! I’m breaking it down for you to make your life just a tad bit easier. So feel free to window shop through this post!

NINE WEST 2017/2018 PREVIEW & POMBONS [FASHION]

I love everyday flats that look unique and stand out. Everything above is my jam.

Love these open toe heels and sandals for Spring Summer 2018. Also, love that they’re very minimalist in black and white.

How cute is this black bucket bag?

I love strappy black heels. They can be worn with anything and it can be really sexy. If you want it to be. 😉 I lean towards skinnier straps vs thick ones.

Cristina from ShoeTease styled an entire room for the Nine West preview and let’s just say I went home that night thinking of shoes, heels, pumps, loafers and those damn cute pombons! Which I purchased and received in lightening time.

shoetease pombons nine west preview — So cute right?

You can place these cute pombons anywhere! Shoes, purses, clothes.. whatever! Of course I got the pink and grey.

nine west and shoe tease — Cristina the founder of https://pombons.com/ #BossBabe

I love how most of these shoes for the holidays have the most beautiful gems and embellishments on them! Making them really unique and definitely categorized as statement shoes.

Toronto Fashion blogger HumJK — These were one of my favourites for Spring/Summer 2018

See below for some fashion blogger favourites and one sneak peek of what’s to come for Nine West Spring/Summer 2018! Okay, so excuse me, I’m going to head over to Nine West and see what I can get for the holidays. Follow along on my Instagram (@HumJK) stories to see what it is.

cat forsley — Blogger Cat Forsley LOVES these! Click image to head over to her Instagram page

maggie over exposed blogger toronto — Blogger Maggie Adhami LOVES these! Click image to check out her Instagram page!

NINE WEST SPRING SUMMER 2018

Beauty November 8, 2017

QUO 2017 Holiday Collection for Great Gift Ideas [BEAUTY]

The holidays are just around the corner and you know what that means? Time to go shopping and check that list, check it twice. Give gifts whether the person is naughty or nice! I believe as a beauty blogger it is my duty to update my fellow readers on what’s new in the beauty world and to make your shopping easier. Stay tuned for more posts on gift ideas for the holidays! Here are some great Quo holiday collection sets that you’ll go gaga over!

QUO 2017 Holiday Collection for Great Gift Ideas [BEAUTY]

All of these palettes are super affordable and priced at $22/each.

Illuminating Palette: All the colours you need to create your highlight game and the perfect touch of pink blush.
Face Sculpting Palette: This palette has different contour shades that work with all skintones and perfect for different levels of intensity.
All About Eyes Shadow Palette: I love that there are so many colours to play with and yet they’re your everyday colours. Day to night palette definitely.

holiday gift ideas — How cute are these cosmetic crackers? Perfect for stocking stuffers!

This set of 6 is for $15 and is either a great stocking stuffer or you can place it by your dinner plates as a fun gift before or after your holiday dinner. See pinterest inspo image: