Anatomy of a Black Friday Shopping List
All the things I loved this year, hopefully they're on sale.
🌟 It’s Time For Black Friday! 🌟
It’s that time of year when I apply my formidable intellect (🤪) to solving my worst dilemma: Finding sweatpants where the knees don’t pop out and enter the room before I do. 😅
Mission: Accomplished! 🎉
🌸 Now before the reveal, a hello! 🌸 I’m Helen, a Toronto creative who makes review videos and vlogs, writes ✍️, and who embroiders 🧵 and paints 🎨. Thanks for opening this!
✨ Recent Creative Projects ✨
📍 Destination Toronto Article: “Bring Your Squad for 15 Amazing Private Experiences in Toronto”
🎥 YouTube Review: Not Buying Estee Lauder Double Wear Anymore. Here’s Why.
📹 Vlog: “I Should Have Done This A Long Time Ago”
🎨 Watercolour Paintings: 90s Makeup & Loose Florals
Here’s my pants find, and the other things on my list for Black Friday and the upcoming holiday season 🎄:
👖 Sweatpants That Are Actually Not Shit 👖
Lululemon Soft Jersey Classic-Fit Mid-Rise Jogger 7/8 Length
Sweatpants where the knees don’t pop out after one hour of wear, thereby entering the room before me like they are royalty and I am a feudal serf: Lululemon Soft Jersey Classic-Fit Mid-Rise Jogger 7/8 Length
👚 Matching Cute Sweatshirt 👚
The Lululemon Scuba Oversized Funnel-Neck Sweatshirt
I love my Lululemon Scuba Oversized Funnel-Neck Sweatshirt. The navy has a gold zipper that elevates the look. I stopped buying Lulu for about ten years but now I’m back at it.
I didn’t say these clothes were cheap! Just cute. They wash well. I’ve washed my set maybe 12 times and they look like I just bought them. Shein could never! Even Athleta or Nike could never.
💄 Revlon Makeup Love 💄
Revlon is still my favourite drugstore brand, that is the makeup hill I will die on as an almost-elderly person.
This lipstick is awesome or maybe you prefer a red, and this is such a good foundation. I’ll be stocking up.
💡 Skincare LED Mask 💡
Skincare LED Mask. I already own this but if you want a good LED mask from a reputable company, for heaven’s sake don’t pay full retail price.
I like CurrentBody, a company based in London. It’s been around since 2009.
Call me overcautious but I’m not buying a product from a possibly shady company where LITERAL light beams strobe into my skin and eyeballs.*
Thus my pick is the LED Face Mask Series 2. You can use my code: CBHELEN, until the first week of December you’ll get 20% off.
I did an unbox and first look of this mask and yes I realize I look like Jason from the horror movies, you can see for yourself here…
*This is an affiliate link (as are some of the other links here), so please take whatever I say with a grain of salt and do your own LED mask research! These are expensive products. I just dabble in this shit, I’m not an expert.
👟 New Balance Casual Runners 👟
These New Balance casual runners were a great find this year.
I made a review video about them and a lot of men commented on my shoes, which has been an interesting change for me as I mostly get comments from women.
These were the best prices I could find at the time of this writing:
👜 Longchamp Le Pliage Tote 👜
I’m considering a new Longchamp Le Pliage large tote bag.
I once snuck a rotisserie chicken into a movie theatre using this tote. Need I say more?
💆♀️ Ouai Haircare 💆♀️
Ouai leave in conditioner. It smells like hair perfume, so I like it.
I’ve also been enjoying Ouai medium hair conditioner.
🎨 Art Supplies 🎨
Stop reading here if you’re not into art supplies, but if you are, ENJOY!
I love to embroider. Think it’s for old ladies? Jokes on you, all the embroidery-loving women in my fibre arts social group are way younger than I am.
Luckily, embroidery supplies cost nothing. Like, $30 can keep you going for the better part of a year.
Fine art materials? Paint and paper? Not so much.
I’m on a complete art making bender, all I do is think about tormenting innocent cold-pressed paper with my creative “genius” every day, so I’ll be scouring everywhere for deals.
🖌️ Watercolor Beginner Essentials 🖌️
🎨 Cotman Travel Palette – Perfect for starting out!
Link to buy🎨 Canson Spiral Notepad – Great for practice. You’ll move on quickly from this brand, but it’s fine for your first try.
Link to buy👩🎨 Cotman Brush Set – Solid set for beginners.
Link to buy
Numbers 1 and 2 above are all you need to get going, I made a video about supplies for absolute watercolour beginners.
🖼️ For the Intermediate Painter 🖼️
🗒 Baohong Academy Watercolor Paper Block – Excellent quality. On par with Arches.
Link to buy🎨 Roman Szmal Half-Pan Watercolor Paints – A step up for confident beginners!
Link to buy
📚 Fancy Watercolor Sketchbook Journals 📚
📚 Strathmore 400 Series Hardcover Art Journal – Great for wet, loose painting.
Link to buy📚 Hahnemuhle Sketchbook – For those who can afford the fancy stuff. 😜
Link to buy
🎉 That’s it for this year’s Holiday Wish List! 🎉
Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁
Take care,
Helen 💕