Hot off the heels of Giving Tuesday, earlier this week I visited my local (and only) London Drugs location here in Winnipeg since they are doing a holiday event for a good cause.
From November 19 to December 10, every London Drugs location is taking part in a holiday campaign called Stocking Stuffers for Seniors, where they hope to help approximately 15,000 lonely, isolated, low-income, or homeless seniors over the holiday season in partnership with more than 90 care homes or senior organizations throughout Western Canada.
The holidays are a joyous time for many, but for seniors it can be lonely, and as a result, socially-isolated seniors are more at risk of negative health behaviours including drinking, smoking, being sedentary, and not eating well. They are also at a higher risk of falls, and have four to five times greater risk of hospitalization.
To combat this, Stocking Stuffers For Seniors is a customer-driven donation drive in which people can visit their local London Drugs, choose a tag from the tree that contains the personalized wish list of a local senior, and then you can shop for their items on their list in store, where they are then delivered to the seniors before Christmas. Some of the most popular items seniors ask for are books or magazines, blankets and throws, kitchen essentials, candy or chocolate, puzzles or board games, slippers, warm clothes like gloves, paper towels and tissues, gift cards, and travel mugs.
I popped into the London Drugs Winnipeg location at St. Vital mall this past Wednesday and was so excited to see that the tree already ran out of tags for their home car partner. Since the campaign is still ongoing until December 10, this location is doing a boost drive for the ALS Society, providing donations to even more seniors. This secondary campaign still had tags on the tree, but the store was asking that people purchase Boost or Ensure, which would then be delivered to seniors in need.
I have to be honest, as much as it pains me to say this, I don’t go visit my baba as much as I should. We all live busy lives and I think we often forget about the seniors in our lives and the loneliness they must feel. I also don’t think that my generation necessarily realizes that a lot of seniors can’t afford basic necessities, like warm socks, paper towels, or even things to keep them entertained like books or magazines. Although there are so many wonderful organizations and charities out there, I love that London Drugs is focusing their efforts this season on seniors. Just the act of a gift helps to significantly improve the spirits of a senior and can have lasting mental and physical health benefits.
Please check out your local London Drugs location if you are located in Western Canada to take part in this amazing campaign. Even if it’s something as simple as picking up a three-dollar magazine for someone, it will make all the difference for that person this holiday season. And I mean, isn’t that what the holidays is all about?
How do you pay it forward during the holiday season?
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If there is one thing to stock up on this holiday season when it comes to beauty, it’s definitely skincare items. Since skincare is typically pretty expensive, the holidays are a great time to get some fantastic deals on gift sets or bundles, often saving you some major cash. And, if there is one brand to invest in, it’s definitely Fresh.
Fresh is one of those brands that is consistently amazing, and since their products don’t come cheap, you can find some amazing bundles around the holiday season. I often get these every year and they never disappoint (and make amazing gifts, my friends always request them haha), so keep reading to learn about the sets I recommend you pick up this season.
Facial on the Fly
The whole theme this year with Fresh’s sets is travel, so as someone who travels often, you always need some fab TSA-friendly skincare products. One of my favourite cleansers to travel with is the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser since it’s so soothing on your face and really deep cleans it morning and night.
The Facial on the Fly set (C$31, a C$43 value) has a 20 ml version of my beloved Soy Face Cleanser, as well as a 15 ml Rose Face Mask and a 15 ml Lotus Youth Preserve Moisturizer.
Although I use a lot of skincare products on the ‘reg, when I travel, in order to save space (so all my items fit in one of those small ziplock bags), I really try to prioritize what I need. A cleanser and moisturizer are the essentials, however, with travel comes breakouts, which means that the Rose Face Mask definitely comes in handy. This product has real rose petals in it for instant soothing hydration (you could even wear it on the plane to lock in some moisture). Finish off your face routine with the Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream, which will deliver 24-hour moisture with a dewy glow.
At $31 this is a steal and definitely one of the best skincare sets I’ve seen. The moisturizer and mask are small, however, if you are gifting this to someone who travels often (of if you yourself are always on the road), then I would look into picking this set up.
Frequent Flyer
If you’re looking for a set that has a larger version of the Soy Face Cleanser, then the Frequent Flyer set is right up your alley.
For C$26, the Frequent Flyer set gifts you a 50 ml version of the Soy Face Cleanser, along with 2.2 g of the Sugar Lip Treatment Advanced Therapy. The 50 ml of the Soy Face Cleanser retails for C$20, so for $6 more you also get the lip treatment (which is ultra luxurious and moisturizing might I add; the full size 4.3 g size retails for C$32).
I think this is the perfect stocking stuffer or small gift (Secret Santa, perhaps?) since it contains two essentials, a cleanser and a lip balm. I am always in need of a lip balm so these always come in handy. Also, I find them when it comes to travel-sized products in general, it’s easier to get a moisturizer than it is a cleanser, so I definitely recommend picking this set up.
Mask for Miles set
For the girl (or guy) who loves to mask, then they’ll love the Mask for Miles set.
Included in this set is a flight of Fresh’s bestselling masks for any skin type and mood. This retails for C$94, but has a value of C$133 in here, so I’m sure it’ll be a hit with whoever you gift it to.
Included in the set is a 30 ml of the Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask, which is a hydrating mask; a 30 ml of the Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask, which is a five-minute facial in a jar that targets dull, rough, and uneven skin for a smoother, brighter complexion; a 30 ml Sugar Face Polish, which is a two-in-one face scrub and mask that buffs and hydrates with real brown sugar and strawberries; and a 30 ml of the Rose Face Mask, which contains real rose petals suspended in a silky gel that hydrates and tones for supple, dewy skin.
I’ve been using Fresh masks for years now and the fact that you get four of these masks in this set is amazing. They are the smaller sizes (they sell the 30 ml sizes on Sephora for around C$43, whereas the 100 ml sizes retail for over $100), but it gives you or your gift receiver a nice array of different masks to try out. If you have someone who’s on your list who is a huge Fresh fan, then I would definitely look into picking up this set.
Fresh Zodiac Sugar Lip Treatments
Finally, for something a little different, if you are looking for a stocking stuffer or small gift, then you can’t go wrong with the Fresh Zodiac Sugar Lip Treatments (C$32 each). Available in every Horoscope sign (remember in the early 2000’s when you would wear shirts that say your Zodiac sign on them?!), Fresh has redesigned their cult-fave Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment in a limited-edition packaging.
Fresh paired up with astrologer Susan Miller to guide you into 2019 depending on your sign:
- Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are highly creative and full of enthusiasm and energy. Fire signs are natural-born leaders.
- Virgo, Capricorn, and Taurus are dedicated and responsible—you can always count on them. Earth signs also know how to turn dreams into reality.
- Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius are the most intellectual of the signs; they value curiosity and truth. Air signs can always offer a balanced view on opposing issues.
- Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are emotionally reserved, but their feelings run deep. Water signs have a psychic quality to them; they have a knack for reading your true intentions simply by noticing your gestures and body language.
Fresh also has all the horoscopes online, and after reading mine (I’m a Gemini), I was in awe in how spot on it was. I’ve always been fascinated with horoscopes (back when I was dating, I would always find out the guys horoscope to see if we were compatible), so I love the idea of these lip balms. Plus there’s literally one for everyone; everyone has a horoscope, so I think this will be a total winner no matter who you gift it to.
No matter what you choose, you really can’t go wrong with skincare since it’s an item you always use. I’ll be doing another roundup soon which includes other skincare sets, but honestly, any of these Fresh sets will sure be a hit no matter who gift them to.
Are any Fresh sets on your holiday wish list?
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There are some brands that just scream luxury, and Dior is no exception.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t really dabbled much into what Dior has in terms of their makeup collection. I’ve tried a couple lipsticks, but that’s it. I’ve always wanted to check out their eyeshadows since they are so beautiful (especially since the compact comes housed in a velour case), so when I received some items from their limited-edition Midnight Wish holiday collection, I was very excited to try everything out.
The collection is comprised of eyeshadow palettes, blushes, lipsticks, and nail lacquers. I received one of the eyeshadow palettes, a blush (which is more of a highlighter), and a lipstick (which I had already previously reviewed).
The 5 Couleurs Midnight Wish Limited Edition eyeshadow palette (C$73) comes in two different shades, bronze and silver. I received the bronze version, Lucky Star, which has five complementary eyeshadow shades.
There’s a gold, a silver, a copper, a purple, and a brown in this palette, which allows you to create the perfect everyday eye look, as well as something a little more dramatic for nighttime. The formulation on these are smooth and very blendable. When I created the look shown in the photos below I was very impressed with the texture of the shadows. For $73, I would expect that to reflect highly on the fact that it’s Dior, but the quality is there as well.
For the cheeks, add a little shimmer with the Rouge Blush Midnight Wish (C$55), which Dior calls a blush, but is totally a highlighter. This highlight really is stunning to look at and finishes off any holiday look you put together this season. It’s not the most blinding highlight I’ve used, but it’s definitely something extra special to carry around in your makeup case. The shade is a coppery gold, which allows you to wear this product on a variety of different skin tones. It’s also quite pricey at $55, but makes a wonderful gift for someone who loves Dior.
For the lips, there’s nothing more “holidays” than a bright red. The Diorific Lipstick in Desirable (C$46) comes housed in the most elegant gold case that opens up to an opaque matte lipstick. There are other shades in this line as well, but Desirable is the most festive colour for this time of the year. I also want to note that the lipstick does offer a long wear, which is impressive. Although I’m not the biggest fan of reds, I actually really love how this one applies, looks, and wears. I recommend checking it out this season.
I get to try out so many different brands and items this time of the year, but don’t often get my hands on luxury beauty. Thee is something so special and luxurious about Dior Beauty, so even though it might be “just a highlighter”, it’s definitely more than that. It’s a work of art, it’s a little bit of luxury, and although it will add a little sparkle to your face, it will also add a little sparkle to you mood every time you pull it out.
Have you tried anything from Dior Beauty?
Please note, I was sent this product from PR. All opinions are my own.
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