Hello everyone! I know I haven't been very active on my blog recently (more like the past few months). School is so crazy this year. It's just assignment after assignment, test after test, and now ISU after ISU and exam prep. To say I'm exhausted and stressed is an understatement. However, blogging takes away that stress for a while and I really missed it so I decided to carve out the time to put up a post. Since I have missed March and April Favourites and it's now the last month of spring, I am doing a Spring Favourites to talk about all the things I loved between March and May. I hope you enjoy! I will post again probably early July when school is officially over!

Music:

Dan + Shay are my favourite country duo and they recently released their new singles Speechless, All To Myself, and Alone Together. I am so obsessed with all of them! I can't wait for their album coming out next month.😄😄😄 

Bloom by Troye Sivan is a catchy, fun song that's perfect for spring and summer. I absolutely love Troye's music. If you haven't listened to him before, you have to check him out. You will not be disappointed.  

I recently watched Forever My Girl which I talk about below in the movies section. When I heard the song, Enough in the trailer last year I fell in love. I couldn't wait to hear the full version. It's such a lovely country song sung by someone who doesn't even identify as a singer! Alex Roe has a voice like honey and I would love it if he released more songs. 

Wafia has been a rediscovery for me this month. I've been loving Love Somebody with Ta-ku, Heartburn, and 83 days. Spotify recommended her songs to me and I'm so glad I stopped to listen. This is the type of music I love so much. I've heard of Wafia before when I listened to her cover of Let Me Love You and I was obsessed with her voice then just as I am now. Love her songs so much!

I have been hearing Mine by Bazzi played repeatedly on every single radio station. I was annoyed every single time I heard it. However, one day I stopped to listen and I actually liked it! He has a really nice voice and I absolutely love the chorus. I 've been playing it so much and humming it around the house. It's so catchy! 

Another catchy song! One Kiss by Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris is a bop for the summer. If you have read previous blog posts of mine you would know I love Dua Lipa and this song is no exception. I have nothing bad to say about it! 

Alina Baraz is an old favourite of mine. I noticed that she had released a new album while browsing the new music on iTunes. I am so glad I gave it a listen because I love her new album. It also made me become re-obsessed with Urban Flora, her album with Galimatias. My favourite songs from Urban Flora are all of them LOL! My favourite songs from The Colour of You are: Coming to My Senses, The One feat. Jada, Yours, and Electric feat. Khalid. 

I had been listening to an R&B playlist on Spotify when I came across ELIZA. I had heard of Eliza Doolittle before but it seems she dropped the last name and is reinventing her sound and I love it. When I heard Livid I instantly loved it so I decided to check out Wide Eyed Fool and just...wow. I am definitely going to keep an eye out for her album because these two songs are incredible. 

TV Shows:

The show is about a very successful woman, Abby O'Brien who divorces her husband and takes a trip back home to Chesapekae Shores, taking her two daughters with her. She is confronted with all the people from her past--including her high school sweetheart. She begins to realize that her high-pressure job is taking away a lot of valuable time she could be spending with family and considers moving back home. This decision helps restarts relationships and give Abby the break she's been needing. 

When I was in Jamaica back in March I had American Netflix. Chesapeake Shores used to be on Canadian Netflix but they got rid of it before I could watch it. I finally got the chance to watch it and I loved both Seasons 1 and 2! I can't believe I finished it because I didn't think I was going to between doing homework and travelling. It is such a wonderful show and I can't wait for season 3 which they are filming right now in Vancouver!

Movies:

Liam Page, a country superstar, returns to his hometown of Louisiana after eight years. Liam left his high school sweetheart, Josie, at the altar for fame and fortune in the music industry. He tries to reconnect with those he left behind like his father and Josie. He begins to realize what he missed while he was gone and the price he paid for notoriety. However, a surprise is waiting back home that could change his life forever. This is a story about love, family, and second chances. 

Forever My Girl has landed on my favourite movie list! This movie made me feel like I was on cloud 9. It's so cute and funny and the drama!! It was so excellent. And yes, the plot is not super original but it's a cliche I love and these actors portrayed these characters and told this story so beautifully. The country music aspect also sold me. If you are in the mood for a heart-warming romance, then Forever My Girl is the one for you. 

Elle and Lee have been best friends since birth. Lee's older brother, Noah has constantly picked on Lee his whole life. Elle is the only person Lee has to himself since his brother always gets everything he wants. To avoid Elle being taken away from him, Lee and Elle make a set of rules that both besties must follow. The most important one is that Noah is off limits. However, Elle and Noah begin to like each other and they are not sure if they can keep Lee out of the dark much longer.

The Kissing Booth is soooooo cute! It's obviously another cliche: falling in love with the best friend's brother. But I still loved it! I already watched it twice and I'm contemplating a third time after I finish my exams LOL! There was TONS of drama, bouts of laughter, and cuteness overload!! I can't recommend this enough if you are in the mood for an awesome teen flick. 

Beauty:

I went shopping with my parents a few weeks ago and we decided to go to the NYX store because it's my favourite besides Indigo. We were in there for so long looking and trying on their new collection. I just couldn't leave empty handed. I got NYX Shimmer Down Lip Veil in Sweet Mama (left) and the Duo Chromatic Lipstick in Bless (right). I am absolutely obsessed with holographic things and glitter so when I saw these my brain went into overdrive. They are GORGEOUS!!! I wear both to school everyday (lipstick first and then the lip veil on top). I think I need to go back to buy more colours from this collection! 😍😍😍

My mom recently bought this beautiful nail polish by Sinful Colours called Let Me Go. I kept this polish on for weeks even though I should have taken it off after a week but it was just so pretty! Right now my nails are coated with Essie's Viva Antigua but as soon as this week is up I am painting my nails with Sinful Colours. It is a gorgeous iridescent purple-y blue and makes your nails look holographic. Sensing a trend LOL! You have to buy this nail polish. It is truly the kind that looks good against any skin tone. 

My bought Bath and Body Works' new fragrance Chamomile & Honey and we are both obsessed. The notes are steam-distilled natural chamomile oil, fresh bergamot, sweet honeysuckle & white cedarwood. It is the perfect spring smell. It's like you just took a visit to a local flower garden. I'm in love. I also wear Black Raspberry Vanilla on alternating days which is an oldie but a goodie. The notes are Vine-Ripened Blackberries, Vanilla Orchid, and Creamy Sandalwood. This one is a nice juicy and sweet and perfect for warm sunny days!

Thank you so much for reading today's blog post! Sorry for the inactivity. I'm hoping to rectify that soon since summer is fast approaching. I'll see you in late June/early July! 

love xena

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han (I'll have a review for this book up soon. I loved it).

La Fleur Fine Fragrance Mist by Bath and Body Works (Makes you smell like a beautiful floral garden).

 C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve (Best. Lip Balm. Ever). 

Italian White Sunflowers from Michaels

Gorgeous Storage Box from Winners

Garland from Dollarama

 Twine from Michaels

 Pictures from Pinterest.

Go Play Outside Art Print by thewheatfield on Etsy. 

I love this print! The bright colours and fun doodles are so uplifting and really make me smile. 

I've been obsessed with this pop rock sister trio since their first album Days Are Gone back in 2013. Four years later and they've finally released new music. I love their new sound. They just have a really nice style to their music that you just don't tend to hear that often. It's so refreshing and different (in a good way) from their previous record. Want You Back by Haim is my #1 most listened to song this week. This song is just the perfect song to sing and dance along to (which I've been doing a lot). I can't wait until their new album, Something to Tell You, coming out July 7, 2017! 

I hope you all had a great week and have a great day today! I'll see you soon with a new post. xx

love xena

Happy Sunday! I know that my blogging schedule has been a bit off this past week but I'm going back to posting on Fridays. Right now it's extremely cold where I live so I thought I'd make a seasonal post of my favourite things in winter. I hope you enjoy this post and try out these items for yourself. Have a wonderful day and lovely week! 

Winter Decor:

If you saw my Fall Essentials post you will notice that I have switched out that decor and put up some winter decor. Unfortunately, I can't link the garland because I bought it last year and I don't think Michaels sells it anymore. Definitely check the store to see if they have anything similar. They have really nice garlands and you can get other winter decor there too. I also changed out the fall pictures on my D.I.Y garland and clipped some winter pictures I printed from Pinterest. 

Clothes:
I recently went to Aerie which is American Eagle's store for girls. They sell underwear, pajamas, bras, and more. This is one of my favourite stores because they have very comfortable clothing and underwear. They also have models of all different sizes on their website and posters which is really nice to see as well. I needed new pajama bottoms since my old ones don't fit me anymore. This one is my favourite design because it has cute polar bears on it--plus it's warm and cozy. 

I also love their socks. They are so thick and warm and I have so many pairs because I always ask for them for my birthday and Christmas. Mine is a different colour than this one because I got mine last year but it's the same style. Perfect for bed and with winter boots. 

I also wear an eye mask to bed on weekends since I sleep later and I don't want the sun in my eye to wake me up. I got mine at Zara Home and it does the job. They don't have the exact one I have anymore but they have other really nice colours. I recommend wearing eye masks on weekends so you can have a better and longer sleep without feeling half awake. *hibernates like a bear zzzzz*

Food:
This is a must during the winter. This is one of my favourite drinks besides tea as I don't like the taste of coffee. My favourite brand of hot chocolate is Carnation Rich and Creamy (true to its title). I put 3-4 spoons of it (I know that's a lot but I'm addicted to sugar) in my Natur-a Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk that I warm in the microwave for 1 minute. I bought my mug at Winners for $5.00 and it's my favourite mug ever. The art on it is so pretty and vintage-looking and I love drinking tea and hot chocolate out of it. 

Candles:
I went Bath and Body Works crazy for winter and bought 3 candles. They had so many deals that I just had to be apart of them. I got my favourite seasonal scent Winter, which smells like there's actual snow falling in your house...seriously. It makes the air so crisp and cool and just freshens your room. I am going to burn this one in January because around Christmas I like to burn warm, sweet candles. If I were to recommend any scent it would be this one. It makes a great gift as well, for boys and girls as it's a very gender-neutral scent. 

I also have Marshmallow Fireside which is such a cozy and warm scent. It smells slightly sweet but not overpowering. I've been burning it in my room recently and just sets the perfect tone for reading. 

Hot Cocoa & Cream... I found out about this from Bren who does candle reviews on Youtube. I love her videos so much and I trust her opinion. She was talking about this candle in one of her videos and the notes (decadent milk chocolate, fresh steamed milk, mini marshmallows) is what caught my attention. Trust me when I say this smells exactly like the title and is my favourite candle of all time. Unfortunately, they had this crazy sale for candles online and in-store so they no longer sell this candle *cries*. When not if but when they bring it out next year, I'm definitely buying it (I refuse to believe they won't bring it out next year because it did so well in stores).    

Movies:

Watching my favourite movies during break is probably one of my favourite things to do. As you can probably tell I love romance, drama, and comedies. The movies above are Love, Rosie (watch this if you want a cute, friends to lovers type of romance), Endless Love (watch this if you want an epic romance filled with tons of drama), and Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging (watch this if you want a relatable teen romantic comedy--you'll laugh a ton watching this one). I'm not much of a Christmas movie lover (besides The Grinch lol). If you are looking for a good movie on Netflix I recently watched In-Lawfully Yours and it is so hilarious. It is a romantic comedy that is faith-based and I enjoyed it sooo much. Check out these movies if you are interested (my personal fav is Love, Rosie).


My Own Fireplace:
This is a bit random but I love turning on my TV to the fireplace channel and listening to the crackling embers whilst I read. Fireplace + Burning Candles + Reading a Book + Wearing Cozy Socks = Best. Combination. Ever. 

Music:

Even though I'm not a huge Christmas movie fan, I love listening to Christmas music. I found this song last week and I've been obsessed with it since. It's called Home for the Holiday by Sugar & The Hi Lo's. I love the indie/folk genre and this is like Christmas and indie folk mixed together which is why I love it so much. I hope you like it!

love xena

Autumn is here! I saw these trees outside and I just couldn't miss this photo op. The leaves are changing into gorgeous hues of bright red, buttery golden yellow, vibrant green, and amber orange. I also took some pictures of these beautiful purple flowers that caught my eye. I just need to find out what they are--they're the perfect shade of purple! I hope you enjoy scrolling through the pictures that I took. Also, comment below your favourite thing about autumn--whether it's something you like to do, eat, or wear. Have a Happy Friday and a fabulous weekend!  

love xena

Hello! I hope you had a great week so far and have a Happy Friday! Today's post is all about my favourite things to use/watch/wear/listen to during the fall! I hope you get some inspiration from this post and try out some of these things for yourself. Anyways, if you want to find out more about the items shown in the pictures above then...keep reading! 

Beauty: 

Kat Von D. Shade Shifter Eyeshadow in Brown on the Road (stunning green/brown shifting colour that looks great on all skin tones and all eye colours).

China Glaze Nail Polish in Ravishing, Dahling (gorgeous and glossy dark cherry red).

Zoya Nail Polish in Katherine (jelly red-violet colour-- very buildable and glossy).

Revlon Nail Polish in Knockout (glossy black colour-- perfect for Halloween).   

Candles: 

Bath & Body Works 3-wick candles in... 

Caramel Pumpkin Swirl (caramel-y and pumpkin-y (duh)-- this is warm, scrumptiously aromatic and smells like someones baking in the kitchen).

Leaves (smells exactly the way you imagine fall to smell like-- crisp, earthy, leafy, with a hint of spice).

Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut (sweet, sugary, and doughy-- smells delicious!).      

Fall Decor: 

Michael's Autumnal Leaf Garland (similar since I got the one in the picture last year). 

I also used a string of twine and mini bulldog clips to hang up some autumnal pictures that I printed from the Internet (I suggest scrolling through Tumblr and Pinterest).

Outfit: 

Brandy Melville Sherry Sweater in Pink (super soft and comfortable and also comes in the colour navy).

Forever 21 Zip-Front Denim Mini Skirt (super cute and chic-- it says it's a mini skirt but on me it's regular sized. I'm 5'4" by the way).

Ardene Pointy Flats in Dark Blue (can be dressed down or dressed up-- super stylish and trendy with the pointed toe). 

Books: 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (read about this in my last post).

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (read about this in my last post).

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas (I love Sarah J. Maas's writing style and can't wait to start this series this fall).

TV Show: 

Once Upon a Time (oh my gosh, I started this show late August and it is amazing! It's based on fairy tales and who doesn't love fairy tales? I'm on season 2 now and I love watching an episode or two on weekends). 

Music: 

I made this 8tracks mix because I love fall (if you couldn't tell). I put together some of my favourite songs I listen to in the fall, so if you want to listen to it click the play button above! I also love listening to Imagine Dragons and Coldplay because they are two of my favourite bands, especially during this time of the year. 

love xena

Hello! I hope you are having a great day and summer so far. I have recently gone shopping and accumulated some new goodies that I have been using non-stop and really loving. So, I thought I would make this post to share some really great products which are affordable and essential for the summer. 

For the ears: Conscious by Broods (one of my all-time favourite bands new album)

For the hair: Organix Coconut Oil Weightless Hydrating Oil Mist (makes hair smell great and tames flyaways)

For the lips: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm (smells nice and looks great on all skin tones)

For the face: Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Correcting Powder in Translucent and Real Techniques Powder Brush (the powder is translucent so it works on all skin tones and the brush is great quality, really soft and gentle on the skin) 

For the nose and mind: Blueberry Twist 3-Wick Candle by Bath & Body Works (this smells absolutely incredible and fills the whole room with its fruity potency)  

For the eyes: OAKLEY Stringer Mate 55mm Wayfarer Sunglasses in Clear/Blue (just keep in mind that I got these four years ago and they are on the more pricey side but besides that they look super flattering and eye-catching on)

love xena