February 2017 On Instagram

March 1, 2017 | RaincoatesBeauty

feb insta collage.jpg — *Join Me On Instagram!*

It wasn’t until mid February that realized I completely forgot to post my Instagram recap from January – that’s how ridiculously fast the months are passing! February whizzed by in a flurry of work, training, and creativity. I decided to start a Bullet Journal, which you can see some glimpses of in my recent Instagram posts! You can expect to see it making appearances in many posts to come!

Make sure to join me on Instagram to stay up to date with my posts!

You can find me here, or as “raincoatesbeauty”

Happy March, everyone!

Morphe Me February 2017 Brush Review

Morphe Me January 2017 Brushes

A Blogmas Recap (Blogmas 2016 Day 25)

Morphe Me February 2017 Brush Review

February 10, 2017February 10, 2017 | RaincoatesBeauty

screen-shot-2017-02-10-at-11-02-26-pm

I’ve been subscribed to the Morphe Me brush package for nearly a year now, and while I now have more brushes than I’ll ever need, I just can’t bring myself to cancel my subscription. Receiving my brushes is my favourite part of the month, and it’s such a darn good value.

February’s package was of course Valentine’s themed, and featured 3 brushes from the Gunmetal collection. These brushes are sleek, luxurious, and absolutely gorgeous. I also think this month featured some unique brushes, which I have nothing like in my collection.

The brushes included (from left to right)

G34 Mini Round Buffer: (synthetic bristles) this rounded, dense brush is perfect for blending out under eye concealer. Its rounded tip allows you to get right into the inner corners of the eye to diffuse and blend concealer. You could also use this for cream contouring, as it’s a perfect shape to sculpt out the cheekbones! It’s so soft, and has quickly become my go-to brush for under eye concealer. It really is the perfect shape.

G33 Angle Buffer: (synthetic bristles) this is definitely one of the most uniquely-shaped brushes I have seen. it’s angled and pointed, and shaped kind of like a scalene triangle (bringing back any traumatic memories from math class, anyone?) This could be used for cream, liquid, or powder. I think it’s great for getting into those hard to reach areas, such as the creases by the nose and underneath the lash line! I tried using it with under eye concealer to create that sharp line to clean up liner, and it was awesome for that! It’s also fantastic for creating a sharp contour.

G36 Round Powder: (synthetic bristles) this mid-sized buffing brush is densely packed, and is definitely a multi-function brush. It can be used with liquid or powder products, such as liquid foundation, cream makeup, pressed or loose powder, and more. It’s slightly rounded tip makes it really great for blending cream products into the skin. I personally have been loving this to blend cream contour, because it’s size and shape do it so effortlessly and really create a clean blend. You can use the G34 to draw on your contour, and blend it out with the G36!

(Left to right: G36, G33, G34)

Once again, I’m so happy with the brushes. I think the G33 and G34 are really unique brushes that are awesome to add to your collection if you’re a junkie like I am!

Don’t forget, if you’re thinking of joining the Morphe Me subscription, you get a free brush when you join through my link!

January 2017 brushes

*This post is not sponsored or endorsed in any way*

Morphe Me January 2017 Brushes

January 20, 2017 | RaincoatesBeauty

This video is pretty late, I received my brushes this month quite later than usual – but I always get quite a few questions about the brushes each month, and whether or not I recommend the subscription.

This month’s package included:
-MB1
-MB4
-MB9
-MB10
-MB19

If you’re curious about the subscription, or wanting to join click here!
You get a free brush when you join through my link!

screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-2-05-34-pm

Don’t forget to check out my previous post!

A Blogmas Recap (Blogmas 2016 Day 25)

December 26, 2016 | RaincoatesBeauty

I’m truly in shock writing this. My brain can’t seem to comprehend that Christmas has already come and passed. It still feels like the first week of December to me.

This post concludes my second Blogmas, so I wanted to reflect on the past month, and the previous 25 days of consecutive posting.

December was far busier than I expected. Time seemed to slip away, and I had far less time than I had hoped for blogging. While a couple of my posts were a few minutes late, I didn’t miss any days. Considering I was juggling 2 jobs, I’m pretty pleased with myself!

Here’s a recap of my Blogmas 2016!

blogmas-2016

I started off Blogmas with several posts scheduled, thinking I was ahead of the game. Then things got crazy busy, and I fell behind. The last 2 weeks consisted of me coming home from working a double shift, then immediately falling into a writing-frenzy.

Sadly, I didn’t get to do all the posts I had initially planned. I wanted to do at least 2 makeup looks and tutorials, but with all the craziness of work and problems with my computer, I didn’t get the time to film.

When I started Blogmas this year, I hoped that having to come up with a post everyday would force me out of my recent blogging funk. It definitely did, and it also helped showed me what I’m capable of when I really put my mind to it!

I was very much in the baking spirit this year, and cooked up quite a few yummy treats. Baking is one of my absolute favourite parts of the Holiday season, especially when it comes to sharing treats with your friends and family. This year I experimented with a few different recipes, from donuts, chocolate bark, and easy brownies, to chocolate squares and glazed snickerdoodle cookies!

This year I shared a lot more gift guides than last year, as well as sharing new and noteworthy products at Sephora!

This Christmas was full of ups and downs. Good and bad, with moments of happy and sad mixed together. There have been a lot of changes in my family, and change during the Holiday season is always the toughest.

December passed by in a flurry of work and business, I found it difficult not to get discouraged and dejected. This year, rather than counting the things I want, I tried instead to count the things that I’m grateful for. A cheesy sentiment, I know, but the list was overwhelming and it really dawned on me how easily we take things for granted. Despite everything, I’ve been trying to remind myself of how truly lucky I am, and how much worse things could be. To be able to sit here, casually writing this blog post in the comfort of a warm home. To spend Christmas with family and friends, and a table full of food while so many spend it in struggle, strife, and poverty.
I think that’s something we all need to do more often – reminds ourselves of how blessed we are. On that note, I wanted to thank every single one of you for embarking on another Blogmas journey with me! I hope you all had a merry Christmas (or if you don’t celebrate Christmas, then a happy and peaceful holiday season!)

Sweet & Salty Chocolate Pretzel Bark – Dairy-Free, Vegan-Friendly (Blogmas 2016 Day 24)

December 24, 2016December 26, 2016 | RaincoatesBeauty

Can you believe it’s already Christmas Eve?! I’m not entirely sure where the month of December went. All I know is that I blinked just after Halloween, and then suddenly it was Christmas!

For the 24th day of Blogmas, I wanted to include a recipe that is perfect for a last-minute treat to bring to any Holiday occasion. This is one of my favourite treats, and I actually posted a recipe very similar to this last year. However since switching to a predominantly plant-based diet and trying to avoid dairy, I figured I needed to post an updated recipe with some adjustments!

Ingredients:

1 to 1 & 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy free of course! Many brands of semi-sweet chocolate chips are dairy-free, but just check the ingredients!)
1/2 tbsp pure coconut oil (optional, just helps smooth out the chocolate)
1/4 cup crushed pretzels
2 tablespoons crushed graham crackers (you can add more to taste if you wish, or skip this all together) – for vegan-friendly options, choose ones without honey.

Note: I had leftover glaze from yesterday’s Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle recipe, so I drizzled some of that on top!

Instructions:

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper (you want extra paper, rather than cutting it to fit perfectly, This makes it easier to pull it out to break apart the bark once it’s cooled!)
Crush your toppings, and set aside so they’re ready to go.
In a double boiler, place your chocolate chips and stir over low-medium heat until chocolate chips are melted. You can also do this in the microwave, in 30 second intervals. I prefer double boiler as it’s far easier to control.
Carefully pour the chocolate onto your parchment-covered baking sheet, and spread evenly with a spatula. I find about 1mm works best, otherwise the chocolate is too thick.
Sprinkle the crushed graham crackers over top, and then the crushed pretzels. You want to do this right after spreading on the baking sheet, so the toppings can harden into the chocolate as it cools.
Place in refrigerator and let cool for approximately 30 minutes to an hour – or until hardened.
Lastly, all you have to do is break up the bark! It looks much cooler than cutting. I like to break them into assorted sizes.

Previous Blogmas posts:

Glazed Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Biscuit Recipe- Dairy-Free, Vegan Friendly (Blogmas 2016 Day 23)

Winter Skin Savers Part 2 (Blogmas 2016 Day 22)

Glazed Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Biscuit Recipe- Dairy-Free, Vegan Friendly (Blogmas 2016 Day 23)

December 23, 2016December 24, 2016 | RaincoatesBeauty

p1250651

While the name sounds lengthy and slightly pretentious, I had to share this recipe with you – and I really couldn’t decide what to name them! I accidentally stumbled upon these snickerdoodle cookie/biscuit hybrids while experimenting in the kitchen. I was originally inspired by these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles created by VeganRicha, and wanted to see what I could come up with.

These are a more dense cookie that’s almost a hybrid between a biscuit and a cookie in texture. It’s got a pumpkin caramel, which I also made following the recipe on Vegan Richa’s blog. It’s super easy and so delicious! They can easily be made gluten-free, and are free of dairy and lower in fat than your average cookie, as they contain no butter or eggs!

They take about 25-30 minutes in total, and are great for a last minute treat to bring to a party. The pumpkin spice flavour is subtle, and paired with the sweetness of the maple glaze, they’re highly addictive! Also, why do more cookies not come glazed?! It’s like the lovechild of a donut and a cookie.

p1250645 I used mainly organic coconut palm sugar as the sweetener, but you could definitely use brown sugar/cane sugar instead for a sweeter cookie, or if coconut sugar isn’t easy to find where you live.

Makes about 15-22 cookies depending on how big you make them!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (I use all-purpose, but use your preference. Gluten free flour, spelt flour, etc.)
⅛ tsp salt
1 Tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or you can make this using cinnamon, nutmeg, a tiny bit of ginger)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp oil (I used natural grapeseed, but you could also use coconut oil, or melted vegetable shortening)
1 tbsp pure pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp sugar (I used coconut palm sugar, but you could use brown sugar, cane sugar, or whichever your preference.)
½ cup spiced pumpkin caramel (this works as the binder and the sweetner. It helps to prevent the pumpkin puree from being too watery and resulting in overly wet cookies.)

Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

2 Tbsp sugar (you want something with larger granules, such as cane sugar.)
1 tsp cinnamon (ground works best)

Maple Glaze

1 tbsp non-dairy milk (unsweetened preferably. I use almond milk)
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1-4 cup icing sugar/confectioners sugar. Add extra in small amounts if your glaze looks too liquidy.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, spices, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl. Mix until combined.
Stir in the pumpkin “caramel,” vanilla, oil/melted shortening, and vanilla. Stir/mix until it forms a dough. If it seems dry or crumbly, add about a tbsp of milk.
Depending on your taste, you may want to add an extra tbsp of sugar. I opted for a less-sweet cookie, as I knew I wanted to dip these in the maple glaze.
Scoop the dough using a spoon, and roll into a ball. I opted for about the size of a ping pong ball. Lightly roll the balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture, and press down with a fork to gently flatten.
Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes for a smaller cookie, and 10-12 for a larger cookie.
Place on a cookie sheet to cool for a couple minutes, then dip in the glaze and return to cookie sheet to cool and dry! The glaze should be set after about 20 minutes or so.
Dust lightly with icing sugar for a more Christmasy look if you’d like!

For the Glaze:

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl
Stir in milk and maple syrup, and mix until well combined
If it’s too liquidy, add a little bit more icing sugar.
If it’s too thick, add a little more milk or maple syrup.
The glaze is ready when it’s it somewhat slowly drips off your fork/spoon. You should be able to dip the cookies into the glaze, and the excess glaze should drip off. If you try to dip your cookie and the glaze sort of smushes around, then it’s definitely too thick and needs more liquid.

Winter Skin Savers Part 2 (Blogmas 2016 Day 22)

December 22, 2016 | RaincoatesBeauty

For Blogmas last year, I did a roundup of products I recommend to help combat that dreaded winter dryness (you can read that here!)
I wanted to include an updated list with a couple of my current favourites, as my skincare routine is completely different this year. I’ve begun trying to only purchase from brands that don’t test on animals, so this list features skincare items that are not tested on our furry friends!

blogmas 22 collage.jpg

Dr. Roebucks “Face” cream: I have become absolutely obsessed with this Australian brand. It was created by physician parents in the 70’s, with their Pure cream to treat their children’s eczema. They’re all about natural ingredients, with maximum efficacy. The products are all formulated without harmful chemicals, fillers, BPA, or parabens. They contain no synthetic fragrance or preservatives.

This cream is marketed as an anti-aging cream, which is why it took me so long to try it. It wasn’t until my coworker told me her teenage sister has been loving it to help treat her acne that I knew I had to give it a try. It is a super smooth hydrating cream that helps fight against aging, but also helps with acne and uneven skin tone! It has natural macadamia oil, vitamin E, rosehip oil, and lavendar oil – all of which are amazing for keeping the skin smooth and reducing inflammation! I noticed a difference literally overnight. I haven’t had any major pimples since using this (and while that is partially due to my change in diet, my skin hasn’t been this clear in months!!) It’s also helped keep my facial eczema flare ups at bay and keeps my skin so soft and hydrated. It’s good for all skin types, even oily skins!

Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask: Lush is very well known in the cosmetic industry for actively fighting against animal testing as well as many other important issues. They truly are an incredible brand, and my obsession for them has grown substantially in the last year. This mask is one of my absolute favourite Lush products!

This mask is phenomenal for calming, balancing, and detoxifying the skin. It’s jam-packed with fresh blueberries, calamine powder, chamomile oil, rose absolute, sweet almond oil, and more. Its blend of ingredients makes it suitable for all skin types, specifically sensitive, dry, and combination or problematic skins. I love using this in the evenings when I’ve had a heavy makeup day, when my skin is breaking out, or when I feel like it needs a deep clean. It helps clean and clear up the skin without stripping your natural oils, so it doesn’t leave your skin feeling dehydrated or uncomfortable.

Lush Sleepy Body Lotion: I was so ecstatic for this limited edition body lotion to launch for Lush’s Holiday collection (you can read my post about that here!) This is an ultra-soothing and moisturizing body lotion, full of amazing ingredients to help you relax. Oatmeal Infusion, Almond Oil, Lavender Water, Jojoba Oil, Cocoa Butter, Lavender Oil, Tonka, Ylang Ylang oil, and more.

It smells like sweet lavender and cocoa, and leaves your skin so silky smooth. I love to apply this to my elbows, arms, and neck before bed. Since it has the natural essential oils, applying it to your neck will help calm and soothe you with aromatherapy.

Sadly this cream is limited edition (hopefully they’ll launch it permanently!) so I’d highly suggest getting your hands on it while you can!

Lise Watier HydraForce Lip Balm: this is without a doubt my new favourite lip balm. Lise Watier is a Canadian brand, and has been one of my favourites since I first started playing with makeup. This lip balm is from their relatively new HydraForce line, and it features a really cool ingredient called Gaspé algae extract. It’s found in harsh climates, and helps plants to hold on to moisture and prevent from dehydration. It does the same for our skin! I slather this on my lips before bed, and in the morning my lips are still quenched. This is a great alternative for those wanting deep, long-lasting hydration without the thick goopy texture of the Bite Agave Lip Mask!

Aromic Citrusy Nighttime Face Oil: I have been loving this all-natural face oil. I just posted a full review of this oil, which you can read here!

Previous Blogmas Posts:

Holiday Makeup Inspiration (Blogmas 2016 Day 21)

Kylie Cosmetics Review – Blogmas 2016 Day 20

Holiday Makeup Inspiration (Blogmas 2016 Day 21)

December 21, 2016December 22, 2016 | RaincoatesBeauty

With Christmas fast approaching, and may going to Christmas parties with friends and family, I wanted to share some of my favourite beauty looks for makeup inspiration!

The holiday season always centers around golds, silvers and reds. You can never go wrong with a good red lip paired with gold eye shadow.
2016 runway trends really showed a shift towards more “natural” makeup with a pop of colour on the lips. Specifically, nearly bare eyes, soft dewy skin, and a red, berry, or burgundy lip.

I absolutely love this trend, because it’s glamorous, festive, yet ridiculously easy.

To master the “bare eye” look, the key is to even out the skin on the eyes. The skin around the eyes is thinner than any other areas of the face, so it tends to show veins, redness, shadows, and discoloration. I love to use a color correcting primer, like the Lise Watier CC eye primer. It evens out my skin, making it look much more bright, awake, and polished. I love to dust a little of a bone colored shadow or a super soft shimmer to highlight over top, for an extra bit of glamour.

Here’s a look I did last year using drugstore makeup! Product details here!

drugstore holidaym akeup collage LESS WARM
For the skin, I typically recommend a natural or satin finish for a softer, more skin-like look. Highlight is essential, and I recommend a cream as it blends into the skin much more seamlessly. Subtle strobing is a perfect addition to this look. I did a full post on strobing here!

There are so many ways you can customize looks like this. The face and eyes are so versatile and neutral that you can pair it with any lipstick colour!

What are your favourite holiday makeup looks?

Previous Blogmas Posts:

Kylie Cosmetics Review – Blogmas 2016 Day 20

Apple Spice Donut Bites – Dairy-Free & Vegan Friendly (Blogmas 2016 Day 19)

Other than the photo of myself, all other photos were taken from Pinterest, and rights go to their respectful owners!

Kylie Cosmetics Review – Blogmas 2016 Day 20

December 20, 2016December 21, 2016 | RaincoatesBeauty

Screen Shot 2016-12-20 at 11.55.39 PM.png

For the 20th (seriously?! We’re already on the 20th?!) day of Blogmas I thought I would include a full review of my recent Kylie Cosmetics haul. With Boxing Day fast approaching, we can likely anticipate some sales happening on Kylie Cosmetics.

My haul was very small (2 lip kits) as it was my first ever order. I had heard so many mixed reviews, so I figured Id only order 2 things to try them out. Well, that was reason #1. Reason #2 was more along the lines of “oh god its going to be HOW much after shipping and Canadian to US dollar conversion?!”

Firstly, I absolutely could not resist the Koko Kollection. Im not the hugest fan or supporter of the Kardashians, but out of all of them Khloe is definitely my favourite. She has such great style and her makeup is always gorgeous. Then when I saw that rose gold packaging, I knew I had to try to get my hands on it! Luckily my best friend Claudia was able to go online and order before they sold out!

screen-shot-2016-12-20-at-11-55-25-pm

The Koko Kollection:

This limited edition collaboration with Khloe Kardashian features 3 liquid lipsticks, and 1 gloss. It retailed for $40 USD (about $53 Canadian) which is actually a great price considering you get 4 full sized lip products.

The shades

Khloe$: a mid-toned nude
Okurrr: a vibrant fuschia
Gorg: a burgundy/reddish wine
Damn Gina: a peachy pink gloss with soft shimmer

I am so ridiculously obsessed with Khloe$ and Damn Gina. I thought Khloe$ would be too warm, but it’s actually a perfect nude. I’ve never typically been a fan of sparkly or shimmery lip glosses, but this one was a definite game-changer for me. It is so stunning and flattering on the lips! The colours show up a bit warmer in my swatch photo, Okurrr is definitely more of a pinkish fuschia in person.

The packaging:

Encased in a gorgeous white and rose gold box, the lipsticks all come in a shiny, rose gold version of the Kylie Cosmetics liquid lipsticks. Truthfully, I didn’t even care if I’d like the formula or not. I simply had to have these for aesthetic reasons – and you can bet I’ll be forever displaying these as a decoration.

facetune-201612211632354957

The Formula:

While I’m not typically a huge liquid lipstick fan (thank-you, chronically dehydrated lips) I do actually think these have a beautiful formula. As with most liquid lipsticks, the formulas and level of dryness can vary depending on the shade. Okurrr, for example, is a teensy bit smoother than Khloe$ and Gorg. All were surprisingly comfortable to wear, even after a couple of hours. They are also incredibly long lasting, I got over 4 hours of wear before needing any sort of touch up.

Overall, I am so pleased with the Koko Collection. Every shade is truly gorgeous, and I think they did a fantastic job with all aspects of this collaboration – the packaging, formula, shades, and price point. I’m really hoping they will restock this collection, and if they do I highly recommending try to get it!

Candy K Lip Kit

Next, I knew I had to try the Candy K lip kit. I have had my eye on this shade since it first launched. The Lip Kits come with a full sized liquid lipstick and lip liner. They retail for $29 USD (about $38 Canadian).

Candy K is a warm, pinky-nude. It is undoubtedly my new favourite shade. It is the perfect pinky nude, and is flattering on so many skin tones. The formula is actually a bit smoother than the Koko Kollection – again, texture can vary a bit depending on the colour. It’s super pigmented, not streaky, and very long lasting.

p1250371

The lipliner is creamy, glides on the lips, and personally I love that it matches perfectly. Lip liner is not optional for me as, I have very uneven lips. I love that the Lip Kits come with lipliners, it means I don’t have to try to figure out which lipliners will match!

Overall, I am so in love with everything I purchased. I will undoubtedly be purchasing more in the future! Whether you’re a Kardashian/Jenner fan or not, from one makeup-junkie to another I can truthfully say I think these products are very well done!

Previous Blogmas Posts:

Apple Spice Donut Bites – Dairy-Free & Vegan Friendly (Blogmas 2016 Day 19)

Christmas Movie Favourites – Blogmas 2016 Day 18

Apple Spice Donut Bites – Dairy-Free & Vegan Friendly (Blogmas 2016 Day 19)

December 20, 2016December 20, 2016 | RaincoatesBeauty

I’ve had a slight addiction to recipe experimentation lately – particularly when it comes to donuts. For Blogmas day 19 (even though this will be going up 4 minutes after midnight due to yet another day of technical difficulties) I thought I’d share this recipe for apple spiced donut bites! They’re ridiculously easy to make, and can be customized in a multitude of ways. They’re completely dairy free, as well as vegan-friendly!

They’re also free of added fat, and sweetened with organic cane sugar, maple syrup, and applesauce! They taste like apple spice, and are so perfect for the holiday season!

Ingredients:

2.5 cups flour (you can use whole wheat pastry flour, gluten-free flour, whatever your preference. I typically just use all purpose flour)
1/2 cup sugar (coconut sugar or organic cane sugar preferably)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (basically cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 & 1/3 dairy-free milk (I prefer unsweetened almond milk)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 small-medium apple, finely chopped (optional, but it really adds flavour and moisture!)

Glaze:

2/4 cup powdered sugar (sifting it works best!)
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon milk

p1250632

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a mini muffin tin with a vegetable-based cooking spray. (You could also use a little bit of coconut oil if you prefer)
Mix together milk and apple cider vinegar, then set aside
Sift together flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.
Add the vanilla and applesauce to the milk mixture you made before, and stir well
Add the wet ingredients (milk mixture) to the dry mixture, and stir. Be careful not to over mix! Just mix until it’s combined.
You can use a donut pan, or a mini muffin pan like I use. You can spoon them into the pan or use a piping bag for a more precise donut! Fill each spot in the pan about 3/4
Bake for about 10-12 minutes (10 was just about perfect for my convection oven.) You can use the toothpick test to see if it comes out clean, but I advise against using the “touch the top to see if it bounces back” because when warm the donuts will be squishy. It’s very easy to overcook these! They also likely won’t be all perfectly golden brown.
Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then pull them out. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes longer.
Dip the cooled donut into the glaze, lightly twisting. Holding the donut upright, allow some of the excess glaze to drip off before placing it on the cooling rack to set. Once they’ve set, you can dip them a second time if you’d like! You can also drizzle the glaze if you prefer. The glaze is set once it’s not wet or sticky to the touch!
Store in a cool, dry place. They will last for up to 5 days

For the glaze:

Sift powdered sugar into a small bowl
Add the maple syrup and milk, then stir. If it’s too thick, add about a teaspoon more of milk. The texture shouldn’t be liquidy, but should drip. If you try to dip your donut into the glaze, and the glaze just clumps without spreading or dripping, then you need to add more milk.

Christmas Movie Favourites – Blogmas 2016 Day 18

December 18, 2016 | RaincoatesBeauty

christmas-movie

Last year, I compiled a list of Christmas movies to fill your December with holiday spirit. This year, I wanted to create an updated list of my all-time favourite Christmas movies!

Love Actually
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Elf
Just Friends
The Santa Clause
The Holiday
Home Alone
Edward Scissor Hands
Gremlins (this one can be great for Halloween and Christmas. That’s pretty darn special)
Arthur Christmas

movie collage 2 .jpg

Now, I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that my mom and I have a tradition of watching those cheesy Hallmark/Lifetime movies – you know, the ones that are all slightly (okay, painfully) cheesy, set heartwarming and uplifting.

Some of our favourite Hallmark Christmas movies are:

The Christmas Shoes
The Christmas Ornament
Heaven Sent
Christmas Town
A Princess For Christmas
A Christmas Kiss

What are your favourite Christmas movies?

Previous Blogmas posts:

Sephora Gift Guide – What’s Hot This Week (Blogmas 2016 Day 17)

BH Cosmetics Marble Collection Warm Stone Eyeshadow Palette – Blogmas 2016 Day 16

Sephora Gift Guide – What’s Hot This Week (Blogmas 2016 Day 17)

December 17, 2016December 17, 2016 | RaincoatesBeauty

sephora-gift-guide-blogmas-17

Can we just take a moment to collectively express our shock that it’s already December 17th?! It still feels like the first week of November to me. My plan to slow down and relax this December clearly hasn’t been very successful thus far.

With Christmas less than a week away, I thought I’d share another gift guide for any of you looking for last-minute gift ideas for the beauty lovers in your life. Because lets face it, there’s a lot of procrastinators out there. Myself included.

Here’s a roundup of some of the hottest gifts and sets from Sephora this week! I picked the items that I thought were the most exciting and some of the best values! I also chose brands that do not test on animals – because it’s 2016, and animal testing should not exist anymore.