Hello all! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a great week since, whether you celebrate that holiday or not! This is a little more delayed than some people, who like to get their posts or videos up the day of or right after Christmas, but I had friends and family things to do, but I love seeing these posts, so I decided to post mine now anyways! Insert the usual disclaimers about how I "don't mean to brag," how I'm "super thankful for all these gifts," and how "I realise Christmas isn't about presents." You know the disclaimers, we all do, and I'm sure anyone looking up Christmas gift posts just wants to see some cool shit, because I know I love seeing other people's christmas gifts!
So here's a peek at everything I got for Christmas. Most of it is not makeup, so maybe it isn't technically relevant, but I also don't exclusively post about makeup anymore, so maybe that's good. These presents were from family, as well as my best friend and boyfriend. I'll show my family gifts first, just because I got them all at once, and the others will be at the bottom. I'm also not going to go into deep descriptions or reviews of anything, if you would like more information on anything do let me know in the comments, and I will either reply in the comments, or try to work in a review post on those things.
So without further ado, here we go...
Drinkables & related gifts:
Tea pot and Twinings English Breakfast Tea; These came in one of those fancy gift sets that is held together with too much tape in a cellophane bag, but I immediately ripped into that so I wouldn't have to do that later and the packing would get tossed with the rest of the wrapping paper.
Malibu Coconut Rum
Starbucks free coffee mug; gets you a free regular coffee or tea every day in January! Plus, it's just a nice quality metal mug, so it keeps your coffee nice and warm for ages.
Carnation Hot Chocolate Variety Pack; with Rolo, Coffee Crisp, and After Eight flavoured hot chocolates. I desperately wish I could find the Coffee Crisp flavour sold separately.
Also, as you can almost see on top of the Pot of Gold box, my sister got me a pair of TARDIS friendship necklaces. Only one is pictured here below, because I gave her the other half.
Chocolates
Pot of Gold chocolates
York Peppermint Patties
Bailey's Chocolates
Belgian Mint Chocolate Sticks
Ferrero Rochers
Caramel Macchiato Coffee Crisp
Lindt Intense Mint Chocolate Bar
Lindt Caramel & Sea Salt chocolate bar
Peanut M&Ms in a travel cup
Non-food gifts
Lots of these were stocking stuffers, which is why they seem like odd little bits and bobs. Obviously the boots were not a stocking stuffer, but they didn't arrive before Christmas, hence the receipt.
Cotton pads and nail polish remover
4 Sally Hansen Hard as Nails nail polishes
travel hand sanitizer
Pocket organizers that stick to the wall
skullcandy Ink'd headphones with microphone
Receipt for Spring Boots, pictured below
Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn (yes food, but didn't really appear in another picture)
sleep mask
loofah
mini deodorant
Cookies and other treats
A Gingerbread Man
Walker's shortbread
Mint Chocolate Girl Guide cookies
Double Chocolate cookes (came with the teapot giftset)
Green Tea Pocky
Strawberry Pocky
Mini Colgate Toothpaste
Travel size Nivea face cloths
I also have a pair of boots my parents ordered from Spring because they didn't have my size in stock, which just arrived today (Dec 29):
Next, here are David's presents. He was way too nice with all this stuff =P
Above: Slipper Booties from La Senza.
Below: My Tattoo; though half of this was actually paid for by Mandy, as well. But it was David's idea first to pay for me to get it done.
I also got this sweater, which I can't get a great picture of, so I'll include the product shot:
And then finally, I was surprised that David's family got me a gift as well, which I'm pretty sure David helped with, because they got me the Fantastic Beasts screenplay and Movie Guide, as well as a $25 Starbucks giftcard!
And that's everything! Let me know some of your favorite gifts you received this year, if you exchanged presents, and what you did for Christmas this year in the comments below!
Hey guys! Today's video is for those of you looking for a pretty NYE or party look that doesn't revolve around glitter and is a little more subdued and wearable. I really love this one, and I'm sure I'll be recreating it, because it's that good, and these eyes would easily go with a variety of lip shades. You obviously do not need to pair it with the deep purple lips I used in this video! I hope you love the look as well and have a fun, safe New Year's!
If you are looking for a glitterbomb makeup look that's easy to recreate, check out my Glittery Drugstore-Only NYE Look I posted last week!
Hey guys! Once again, it's that time of the year again where all the bloggers and youtubers are rifling through their products to pick out the best of the best to share their favourite picks of the year to share! I already posted a Non-Beauty Favourites for 2016, which you should check out if you haven't already, but now I'm back with a complete round up of all my favourites in lots of product categories. I have done this for the past several years, and I had to do it again!
I've also filmed a video featuring my Top 15 products, if you're looking for only the best of the best, or a more condensed version, so I'll embed that here, but if you want to see all my favourites in skincare, makeup, nails, and beauty tools, be sure to scroll down and check out the whole list!
Brow Pencil: CoverGirl Brow & Eye Maker Pencils in Midnight Brown
Brow Gel: L'Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper Gel in Med-Deep
Lip Products
Balm: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Lip Therapy
Honorable Mention: Burt's Bees Nourshing Lip Balm with Mango Butter
Lipsticks:
nude -- MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup
bright -- Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in L.U.V.
red -- MAC Viva Glam Lipstick in Viva Glam I
dark -- MAC Satin Lipstick in Cyber
neutral -- Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Punked Matte
Body Care / Scents / Perfume
Perfumes:
Dior Pure Poison
Nina Ricci La Tentation
Hand Lotion: Great American Clay Body Creme Souffle in Cucumber Melon
Body Lotion: Jergans Wet Skin Moisturizer in Green Tea (not pictured)
SPF:
body -- Hawaiian Tropics Kids SPF 50+ lotion
face -- Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face SPF 60 lotion
Nails:
Base coat: Essie Millionails nail treatment
Colours:
light/bright -- nudes, especially OPI Did You 'Ear About Van Gogh?
dark -- greys, especially Essie Frock 'N Roll
Top coat: INM Out The DOor quick dry topcoat
Tools & Brushes
Nail File: Burton Crystal Travel File
Eye Brushes:
ELF Studio "C" Brush
xoBeauty Round Top Blender
LSigma E40
ELF Essentials Smudger
Face Brushes:
Real Techniques Buffer
Real Techniques Contour
ELF Studio Complexion
xoBeauty Blush
ELF Studio Blush
Hair Brush Travel Tangle Teezer
***
And that's all! Again, don't miss my 2016 Non-Beauty Favourites, if you haven't read it yet. And be sure to let me know some of your favourite makeup and beauty products of 2016 in the comments!
Hi guys! Here's a fun, glittery New Year's Eve makeup look using only drugstore products. I love how it turned out, and you could change up the colours to be more you if you want, or for whatever occasion.
Hi guys! Today's post is going to be round up of some of my favourite things from the past year that have nothing to do with makeup and beauty! Last year I included this at the end of my 2015 favourites post, but this year I figured it deserved it's own post! I thought about doing this in video form, but the timing didn't work out fort hat this yea, so hopefully this works just as well for you!
So I have a few categories and I made no real attempt to limit myself to one thing per category, so you're gonna get a couple of mini-lists. =P So here are my favourite things of 2016 in Movies, TV, books, music, food, drinks, games, and apps! Let me know if you have any category suggestions for future years or future posts.
Favourite 2016 Movies:
Moana — Recent, yes, but so so good! Exceeded my expectations both just with the story itself and with the great music! It's been so long since we had a really great, musical Disney Princess movie, and I definitely feel this was one.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — There was never any doubt that I would love this movie, and I really did. Eddie Redmayne is brilliant as Newt Scamander, and I can't wait to get even more in depth into the history of magic in the movies to come. And I need a niffler.
Suicide Squad — I was so excited for this movie as well, and I loved it! DC movies never quite hit the mark as hard as Marvel, for me, but this one did a much better job than other recent DC films, and I hope to see more of the Suicide Squad, especially Harley and Deadshot.
Deadpool — This movie was hyped up hard on the internet, but it lived up to it! Ryan Reynolds was fucking fantastic, funny, interesting... this movie was so different, and I only hope the Deadpool film(s?) to follow will be as good as this one was.
Favourite Shows/Series I watched in 2016:
Gotham — I mentioned this one in my recent post about all the great shows available on Netflix, but this really was one of the best things I watched this year!
Brooklyn Nine-Nine — Also mentioned in the recent Netflix post, but again worth your time! Who knew I'd love a show featuring Andy Samberg so much? But I really do.
Yuri!!!! On Ice — Wait, is that an anime? Yes, yes it is. While I do watch anime from time to time, none usually gets to me like this one has. The season isn't quite over as I'm writing this post, but I'm looking forward to it, and honestly hoping there will be another season to come! It's a beautifully animated show about figure skating, and it's clear the writers and artists are passionate about getting shit right! It's technical and realistic, the animation of the skating routines is smooth and convincing, and the characters are loveable. If you have any interest in figure skating or anime, I recommend this one.
Game of Thrones — I cannot make a list of my favourite shows of the year without including Game of Thrones. Each season is fantastic, and the recent one was not different! And now that I'm done the books (that are out thus far), I can't wait to see where the show takes us all next!
Gilmore Girls — and finally, Gilmore Girls, as well as the new Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. I watched both this year, and I fell in love with the show. As I mentioned in my Netflix post, I didn't get to follow this one when it was airing, but I always wanted to watch it, and it is such a heartfelt, beautiful show.
Favourite Books I read in 2016:
A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin — I didn't get to read a lot this year, but I did start and finish this huge tome! Honestly, it's 1,125 pages! But it was fantastic! Once you get into the ASoIaF books, you will want to read them all.
The Twilight Tetralogy (I refuse to call it the "Twilight Saga") by Stephanie Meyer:
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
— some of you are judging me for reading Twilight, but I loved this series in highschool, and defended them pretty fiercely (for me) when people attacked them in University. No they aren't deep, and you can probably squish problems out if you're a picky bitch, but I love vampires, and I love the characters in these books, though most of them are flawed. If anything, I love them more for their flaws and quirks. For those of you who still love or like these books, good for you! I loved them just as much on my second read through, and was so happy to find them undiminished by time and other people's complaints.
Favourite Music released in 2016:
13 Voices by Sum 41 — My favourite band since middle school, when I was probably too young to be listening to a somewhat political punk band... haha! This is their first album in YEARS and the first with Brownsound back in the band. I'm so glad, because he brings a sound I hadn't realised I'd seriously missed from Sum41's last couple albums! I also got to see them live for the second time this year, which was amazing!
Death of a Bachelor by Panic! At The Disco — at this point, somehow, Panic! is mostly just Brendan Urie, but that's totally okay because he is clearly all that is needed! This album is on point and beautiful, and I really wish I could have made this concert when they were here in the summer! Maybe next time!
Yellowcard by Yellowcard — bitter sweet, because this is a fantastic album from one of my favourite bands of all time... but it also supposed to be their last ever! There's a lot of pain in the songs on this one, but the music is beautiful and unique and classically Yellowcard, and there are lots of great lyrics. I'm even more sad that Yellowcard didn't even bring their farewell tour to Vancouver, because I've never seen them live, and now I guess I never will =(
Taking One For the Team by Simple Plan — I love this band, and I love that this album tries to be angsty sometimes, but mostly you can feel how happy they are with their lives. I also love some of the weird sounds they tried this time... happy dance-y reggae...? Really Simple Plan? But it's fucking great, and their concert at the PNE this year was so good and so much nostalgia it was insane! These guys are another middle-school band for me <3
Favourite Foods:
Butter chicken & rice — I feel like I fall in love with this stuff more every time I eat it. It's one of the most comforting foods I can think of, and I swear I could eat it every week.
Avocado toast — The internet seemed obsessed with this, and eventually this year I broke down and tried it to see if all the fuss was worth anything. And oh my god, its so simple, but so good. It's creamy, tasty, spicy (if you shake on some chilli flakes and lots of pepper), and healthy. I mean, it's still kinda fatty, but with good fats and lots of nutrients!
Favourite Drinks:
Iced Americano (with or without cream) — found this out kinda by accident this summer when I didn't want something milky. I love black iced americanos...
Caffe Misto — basically a latte but cheaper and maybe more coffee, less milk?
Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice — like an americano, but its espresso, syrup, milk, shaken with ice.
All the tea — I just really love tea.
Phone Apps (Android)
Carrot Rewards — I think this only works in a couple of Canadian provinces, but you can get scene points for movies for doing health surveys and quizzes, and step challenges. They might also do other loyalty programs, but I use the scene points.
Flickr — I use this mostly as an automatic uploader for my phone pictures. It has like 5 tb of space for free, so I have almost all my pictures auto-backed up on Flickr.
Instagram — I just love instagram, but I feel like I've gotten better at it this year, with my 365-day challenge.
Snapseed — I don't use it a ton, but this photo editor from Google is great, and has options that allow you to make really pretty, pro-looking edits I use for IG posts about my recent blog posts
Words With Friends — a silly scrabble-like game you can play online with friends whenever you have a minute. It's fun, basic, and not time consuming, unless you are both sitting there answering your turns right away.
And I think that's all! Make sure to let me know in the comments some of your favourite things in these categories from this year in the comments!
Hello again! I'm back with another round of non-beauty favourites, and today I'm talking about my favourite TV shows that you can watch on Netflix. There are some great ones I have to leave out of this post because they are not on Netflix, but maybe I'll get to those in another post. I do hope you're enjoying these random posts, because I'm enjoying putting them together!
Anyways, I was originally only going to pick 5, but I like a lot of stuff, so for my Top 5, I've picked shows I think are really excellent, really deserve your attention. The rest I've called honourable mentions, some of which I feel were very popular when they were airing on TV, and maybe don't need my praise... but I love them, and they are available on Netflix Canada (as a Canadian, that is the Netflix I have access to!), and if you haven't seen them, I really think you should try them out! Anyways, without furhter ado, let's get into some of my favourite shows on Netflix!
This one was super popular on the internet, so I'm sure LOTS of people have already seen it, but if, like me, you hesitate to jump on a bandwagon, because if everyone is going on about something, it can't be that great... I need to tell you to get off your high horse and try Jessica Jones! It's truly fantastic. It's a little bit film noir, a little bit thriller-y and creepy, mysterious, alluring, and fascinating. I had the hardest time stopping. And it's only 13 episodes, so what do you have to lose? Seriously, give it a go. If you're hesitant because of Kristen Ritter, because you've only seen her play cute, ditsy, hipstery airheads, don't worry, Jessica Jones is nothing like that, and Ritter does an amazing job as a strong—if damaged—female lead. Also, it has David Tennant, so that's a reason to watch, right there. I almost want to go rewatch it, now that I'm thinking about it again!
I'm not usually a comedy fan, or a fan of Andy Samberg (though some Lonely Island songs are funny, but this is a really great, light-hearted, and funny show. If you like Parks & Recreation, this show has a very similar feel to it, but instead of a small government department in Indiana, you're in a police precinct in Brooklyn. It's so funny, and easy to watch a one or a couple, because while there is a story arc or two in each season, the episodes are also really easy to enjoy as one-offs. All the characters are very endearing, and one thing I actually like better than in Parks & Rec, you don't have to feel as sorry for the office punching bags as I always did about poor Jerry/Gary/Larry... maybe that shouldn't have made me so angry, but I hated how they picked on him =(
But anyways, off-topic, wrong show... Watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, you'll love it, there are 3 seasons on Netflix and a 4th one airing, so there's more to come! Honestly it's so much better than this trailer makes it look, but here it is if you want it:
This is probably one of the best DC comics related things I've personally seen, aside from the Dark Knight trilogy. It's a Batman prequel that acts like a crime drama, mostly focusing on a young Detective James Gordon (future Commissioner Gordon), but also features young Bruce Wayne, and some other future Batman characters as children or younger adults. It starts with the killing of Bruce's parents, and the investigation into that crime, but it's such a good show. It's dark sometimes, but that's Batman for you. Gotham is a scary place full of scary people, and it's so cool to see a take on the events that shaped the various beloved heroes and villians of the Batman franchise. Also, Benjamin Mackenzie... who proves he is a much better actor even than his portrayal of Ryan Atwood may have made you think!
Another show with David Tennant... I won't try to hide the fact that I think he is a brilliant actor and have made every effort to search out as many things that he has done that I can. If you haven't seen Doctor Who, specifically from the reign of the Tenth Doctor, you may not understand my near obsession with this actor, but I promise you he is fantastic. Maybe he is not exactly attractive, but I don't give a shit because he is so talented. I've seen him portray a wide variety of characters and he nails each one. So I have to admit that was a large motivating factor in me watching this show.
That said, this show is excellent, whether or now you care about Tennant, or just want a great, dramatic, heart-wrenching, captivating show about a small town murder and the aftermath for those left behind, from the emotional trauma and fractured relationships of those involved, to the police work and twists in the trial. It's such a good show, and has so many twists and turns that it really keeps you guessing about how things really went down. All of the characters are interesting and complex with their own stories, and there is so much going on in this fantastic show. You just have to keep watching.
I was so excited when Netflix announced that this show was coming out, because I'm love England, English history, and the royal family, especially Elizabeth. I also really enjoyed the movie The Queen, with Helen Mirren, which was about more recent history of Queen Elizabeth, so yes, I was excited for a show about Elizabeth as a new monarch, and about the beginning of her reign. And this show has not let me down in the least. It's quiet, in a British way, and may take some liberties with history, or what can even be known about the historical facts of private conversations, such as between the Queen and her sister, but all in all, it's a great show. It's dramatic and beautiful, and Claire Foy and Matt Smith were the perfect choices to play the young Queen and Prince Philip respectively. Besides, it's lovely to see Matt Smith in something new because he hasn't done a lot, and I just love him as a person!
So yes, if you love history, Britain, the royal family, Matt Smith, historical fiction, dramas, British tv, or all of the above, you should definitely give this show a shot! Apparently this show didn't get as many views as hoped, but they are making a Season 2, so hopefully more people will watch and we'll get more of this beautiful series!
Honourable Mentions / Obvious Suggestions
Here are a few shows also on Canadian Netflix which I loved, but which were either hugely popular when they were airing on TV, so I probably don't need to tell you how great they are. These you probably have seen, or know why you don't care to watch them, but in case you missed them, I thought I'd make a quick list. And then a few are just other great shows available on Netflix which weren't quite good enough to bump one of my top 5, but which I still seriously loved.
Besides, it wouldn't be a top 5 list from me if I didn't cheat and add some extras, because I can never bloody choose.
Musical, sometimes goofy, sometimes serious, big, lovely cast, fun recent (at the time) song covers... I just loved this show and really want to do a rewatch!
I don't know what there is to say about this. You probably already know all about it, you've probably seen clips, if not the whole damn series. But it is so great, I can rewatch it again and again. It's classic and on Netflix, so yeah, just throwing it out there.
I watched the first season or 2 of this show, but my parents didn't like it, so at the time, their preferences over-rode mine. Instead, I finally watched the whole show this year on Netflix in anticipation of the new special episodes. And damn, it's a good show. I can definitely see wanting to rewatch in the future, because most of the characters are so lovely, and it's fun watching Rory grow up. And I love Luke.
This is a great British tv show and modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes stories. It's so well written, filmed, and acted, and you have to watch it. It's very short, there are only 3 seasons of 3 episodes each, and I think one special. So less than a full season of Game of Thrones. You won't regret taking the time!
Another British drama-y type show. This one is about some delinquents who get super powers through a freak storm, and their lives after. The first 2 or 3 seasons are the best, but if you start, you may as well finish up. I really enjoyed it.
I started this one on a whim because I wanted to watch something fluffy but didnt want to finish Fresh Prince yet. But honestly, its really funny. It sweet and quirky and not stupid comedy in that loud obnoxious way. Its weird, its like its still kinda dumb, but sometimes it feels intelligent too? Yeah, give it a go. There are 3 seasons on Netflix and I think another is coming.
Another show I'm sure you've seen clips of, if not full episodes. But it's so damn good, and its so interesting how some of the racial commentary is still so relevant. Which makes it sound serious, and it can be, like any good comedy can, but it's also really fun and funny and Will Smith has always been fantastic. Also, some of the meta/self-awareness moments in this show are just gold.
And finally, I have to recommend Supergirl! The first season is now available on Netflix, and the second season is still currently airing. I really love the way they've approached it, and I'm glad that the tone and look haven't changed too much with the station switch to the CW. It doesn't have the same feel as the other CW DC Comics shows (Arrow, the Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow)... I'm not sure why, but I just love it so much more. Maybe because it seems to be more heavily focussed on a female protagonist. I'm not sure. There's a level of cheesiness to this show as well, it's very bubbly and happy as often as possible, and I just really recommend it.
And here are a couple I want to watch, but haven't yet, so I can't suggest them formally:
9. Medici: Masters of Florence
A few things are at play here: 1) this is a Netflix show, and they seem to be pretty damn good at stuff, 2) Richard Madden, 3) I love history, and this is about the Medicis... the Renaissance... one of my favourite periods to learn about! I love me some good historical fiction, as well, so really this just looks great. Plus Jodi (blogger @ uptherollercoaster.com) was tweeting about how good it was recently, which helps.
10. The Vampire Diaries
Honestly, I just love vampires, but I never got around to this show. It seems to have been popular though, let me know your thoughts if you ever watched it. It intrigues me.
***
Let me know any great shows available on Netflix that you think I should have included or need to watch in the comments!
Hi Guys! Just a wearable rusty matte eye look with bright pink lips. I wasn't sure the lips were going to go at first, but I really like how it ended up looking. As always if you think my eye and lip pairings are weird or too bold, do your own thing! =)
Maybe I shouldn't apologize, but I'm sorry anyways for the irregular uploads recently. I'm trying to get back in top of things, but things seem to keep coming up or getting in the way. Hopefully the rest of the year and into 2017 will be more normalised! Thanks so much to anyone who's subscribed and watches my videos!
Hey guys! Back again with more favourite lipsticks! This time I'm talking about my favourite pink shades that I own! Let me know yours in the comments, and check out my Favourite Red Lipsticks and Favourite Purple Lipsticks videos, if you haven't seen them yet!
Hi Guys! Today I'm sharing with you my personal Spicy Chilli Con Carne recipe! I love chilli, and this is the outcome of David and me wanting to put together all the best parts of our families' chilli recipes, as well as other tasty ideas from the internet.
I love how it has turned out, and wanted to share it with you guys in case you're looking for a delicious, spicy, beefy chilli recipe for those cold wintery nights!
Or summer. You do you.
Full ingredient list and instructions below the embedded video, in case you missed anything.
2 pounds ground beef (approximate. I prefer lean or extra lean)
4 jalapeno peppers (or 2 jalapeno & 2 serrano)
4 canned chipotle peppers (mine were small, about 1 inch, if your's are larger, use fewer)
3 bell peppers (I like a mix of red and yellow, but orange or green would also work)
4 or 5 cloves of garlic
1 large can crushed tomatoes (or blend some diced tomatoes)
2 cans red kidney beans
chili powder (about 3 tablespoons, adjust to taste)
cinnamon (1 or 2 teaspoons, adjust to taste)
cocoa powder (1 or 2 teaspoons)
cumin (1 or 2 tablespoons)
salt (1 tablespoon, or to taste)
pepper (1 tablespoon or to taste)
oregano (2-2.5 tablespoons, or to taste
beef stock (1-2 cups)
water (about 2 cups)
Method:
Chop and prep ingredients
sweat onions until translucent and soft
add beef, break down, and cook until just browned
add everything else: peppers, beans, beef stock, water, garlic, tomatoes, and spices. Stir until well mixed, then put on Medium heat to simmer for ~30 min covered.
After 30 minutes, taste and add any additional spices until it tastes just right to you. Remember the flavours will blend better with time, also. Replace lid and allow to simmer for another hour or two, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot and around the edges.
Serve with cheese, or whatever you like. I suggest some bread or rolls, and maybe a glass of milk for anyone more sensitive to spicy foods!
Thanks for watching/reading! Let me know if you make this, and if you have recipe suggestions for future posts!
Hello again! About 2 weeks ago, I posted about my 7 Favourite Basic Teas, but I love too many teas to stop there, so as promised, I'm back now with 7 of my favourite flavoured or specialty teas. I'm basically including anything you probably wouldn't drink every day, either because of the price, because of the seasonal flavours, or because the tea has a specific benefits. Considering the season, feel free to consider these lists recommendations for gifts for the tea lovers in your life, as well. I know I'd be happy to receive any of these teas as a gift myself!
So if you want to see which teas I've picked, keep reading!
Just like last time, I'm going to start with the one tea I don't currently have in my collection, but which I love and recommend anyways!
If you're a Starbucks fan, you probably recognize this tea, or at least the name of it, since the Passion Iced Tea (with or without lemonade) is a pretty popular Starbucks drink. This is the original tea that was used to make that drink, and it's so so good iced! The tea that Starbucks now uses is the Teavana Passion Tango tea, I believe, which is very similar, but not quite as nice, in my opinion... there's a weird spiciness to it, and I often find myself wishing for this one when I order one!
That said, this tea is still available for purchase from Starbucks, as well as in grocery stores that sell Tazo teas, so you can easily make it yourself hot or iced. The fastest way to make yourself an iced tea is to pop a teabag or two (depending on the strength you want) into hot water and steep for 5-10 minutes (again depending on the intensity you like), adding sugar if desired, and pouring the tea over a big cup full of ice. Stir (and add lemonade if you like), if you have yourself an iced passion tea! Personally, I usually don't like fruity teas hot, so I only drink this one iced.
2. DavidsTea Blueberry Jam black tea
I hope you're prepared to see several teas from DavidsTea in this post, because I love them! They have so many great products, so I'm about to fangirl pretty hard here.
This tea was actually sent to me alongside a ChickAdvisor sample a while ago, but I absolutely love this tea! (probably more than the sample it came with...). My aversion to hot fruity teas totally doesn't extend to this one, it's delicious hot or iced, and so sweet and blueberry-tastic, like a cup of blueberry pie or something, and great sweetened or plain. I usually don't sweeten it, but it can be nice if you really want a sweet treat.
3. DavidsTea Cold 911 Herbal Infusion
You can buy this separately, but I got this one through the Cold Survival Kit (which I reviewed when I bought it, if you want to see all the teas included). This one may not sound the tastiest with the eucalyptus and peppermint... it probably sounds like Vick's Vapo-Rub to many people. Honestly, it kinda smells like that, but I love the smell of Vicks, personally, and maybe I'm crazy, but I love the taste of this tea! It's so soothing and feels great on the throat and also just the hot, minty, eucalyptus-y steam that comes off it is so nice to breath while you drink if you're sick. If you aren't sick, this tea is INTENSE, so it's really a medicinal tea... but you do you =P. I definitely recommend picking this up for the next time you have a cold. Oh, and it's all herbal, no actual tea, so it contains no caffeine, and you can drink it as close to bed as you want, if that's important for you.
4. The Earl's Garden
After my last tea post, you probably get the picture that I LOVE Earl Grey tea. But in case that hasn't hit home yet, this will probably prove my love. This is a delicious, fancy, fruity, summery take on original Earl Grey, containing the usual black tea and bergamot, as well as freeze-dried strawberry pieces! It is so delicious, and even just smells so good, it's definitely one of my favourite teas of all time. I've repurchased it, which isn't too common with my flavoured loose-leaf teas, because I like to try new ones, but this one is so good I didn't want to be without. I didn't even ask for an amount, I just had them fill the tin!
This tea is pretty great however you want to drink it: hot, iced, black, with milk, with sugar, with honey... it's all good. If you like Earl Grey, and you like strawberries, you should really give this one a go!
5. Stash Holiday Chai black tea
This one is a weird one, but in a great way! It smells and tastes so christmas-y it's insane, and it's only available each year around the holidays! It has all the regular chai spices, but Stash also added gingerbread flavour and Jamaican rum flavour, to give it an unmistakable Christmas taste! It honestly smells like fresh baked ginger bread and eggnog. It's like a Christmas-scented hug! Again, this is great in a variety of ways, though I've never tried it iced. It is good black, sweetened, or with milk and sugar (or as a latte!). If you want to make a latte, though, I'd recommend using an extra teabag, as the box is not lying when it says "one tea bag makes 8 ounces of hot tea." If you like your flavours stronger, brew stronger!
6. DavidsTea Hot Chocolate Pu'erh Tea
If you aren't familiar with the term, Pu'erh tea is black tea that has been fermented. Traditionally sold as bricks and brews a very dark black tea. It's rich and earthy, and quite tasty, though I can't say I have a lot of experience with different types. This Pu'erh blend is mixed with black tea, as well as cocoa nibs, chocolate pieces, and cocoa butter (among other things) to make a very tasty dessert tea! I'm glad that they are selling this one again this year, becasue I purchased it last Christmas and fell in love with the rich chocolatey tea. Usually chocolate pieces in tea can get a bit oily, but I feel they found a pretty good balance with this blend, because it doesn't bug me like some others I've tried.
This tea is great whether you want to drink it black for a low-calorie chocolate treat (one cup has ~5 cal.), or with milk and sugar for when you really cant choose if you want a hot chocolate or a nice cup of tea... this tea lets you have both in one delicious cup.
7. DavidsTea Mulled Wine Oolong Tea
I'm so sad that DavidsTea didn't bring this one out again this year (also, I'll be tacking on an extra tea just because you can't buy this one any more), but I had to mention it because it is delicious! I've talked about how much I like the rich, smooth earthiness of oolong tea before, so of course I love that this tea is based around oolong tea. In this tea, the oolong is blended with all the usual ingredients in a wine mulling spice mix: orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, plus apple for more fruity flavour. I suppose you could put together your own similar thing by using wine mulling spices and brewing it with some plain oolong tea, but that's a lot more work!
The scent of this blend in the tin is intense, it really hits you in the face when you take a whiff, but it makes a really beautiful, spiced, and slightly tart tea. I love it black, or with a little sugar, which really brings up the flavour of the orange. It's warming and comforting, and a perfect wintertime tea. Though I guess I'll be using it sparingly this year in hopes they put it out again before I run out!!
8. HONOURABLE MENTION: DavidsTea Super Ginger Rooibos Tea
This is another tea from the Cold Survival Kit. Honestly, I was sure I would hate it, because I don't like rooibos, and I hate ginger teas... but damn does this stuff work well!
Unless you like ginger tea... a lot... you aren't likely to drink this one for fun. It's strictly medicinal for me, and I ONLY drink it if I have a bad cold, sore throat, stuffy... you know the drill. This tea contains dried ginger, green rooibos, black, white, and pink peppercorns, and a bit of stevia. It's a bit spicy, as you can probably guess! But if you are super stuffed up, and can't taste a thing or even think, this is great! Its something you can actually taste! The ginger helps you smell again, soothes your throat, and helps you get better, and the peppercorns help to clear your sinus out as well! One thing I will note is that you should not leave the leaves in the water any longer than recommended... the longer they're in there, the spicier this gets... it gets really intense, but it also works even better... so do what you feel is right. I like to mix this one with honey, for even more throat soothing goodness.
***
So that's everything! I mean, it's certainly not all the teas in my collection, but definitely some of my favourites. Again, if you didn't see my first tea post, about my favourite basics and essential teas, check it out now! And don't forget to leave me your favourite teas in the comments, as well as suggestions for other non-beauty favourites categories you'd like me to share with you!
