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Buxom White Russian Collection

Shop My Stash

2020 Empties

The 2020 Blooper Reel

How to Make Fresh Pasta at Home

Buxom White Russian Collection

Buxom White Russian Collection

Feb 11, 2021 | Beauty, Blog, Watch

Shop My Stash

Shop My Stash

Feb 4, 2021 | Beauty, Blog, Watch

2020 Empties

2020 Empties

Jan 28, 2021 | Beauty, Blog, Watch

The 2020 Blooper Reel

The 2020 Blooper Reel

Jan 25, 2021 | Blog, Style

How to Make Fresh Pasta at Home

How to Make Fresh Pasta at Home

Jan 21, 2021 | At Home, Blog, Food Coma, Watch

MAC Powder Kiss Collection

MAC Powder Kiss Collection

Jan 14, 2021 | Beauty, Blog, Watch

2020 Makeup Favourites

2020 Makeup Favourites

Jan 7, 2021 | Beauty, Blog, Watch

Melt x Beetlejuice Full Collection

Melt x Beetlejuice Full Collection

Dec 19, 2020 | Beauty, Blog, Watch

A 70s Sears Wishbook Wishlist

A 70s Sears Wishbook Wishlist

Dec 15, 2020 | Blog, Gift Guide, Watch, Wore Stories

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Dining Alone at Pizza East⁠
Shoreditch, London⁠
March 12th 2017⁠
#SandyJoeTakesLondon

Four years ago I decided to try a dating app for t

Four years ago I decided to try a dating app for the first time ever. My very first match was with this dreamy fellow who asked me to go get a drink with him. The date just happened to fall on Valentine's day. Since we both agreed that the "holiday" was purely a capitalist observed farce, we met up and that's how Jesse came into my life. He was my first match and first and only online date. It's been a thrilling four years and I'm just here to express my deep appreciation for him. He's funny, adventurous, thoughtful, and above all, so very kind. So here are a few of my favourite photos of him from the last few years. This is my Official Jesse Appreciation Post 🥰

Maybe if I close my eyes and sit close enough to m

Maybe if I close my eyes and sit close enough to my space heater it will ~feel~ like I'm in Arizona. Even looking at these photos a year later, I'm blown away by the architecture of Arcosanti 🌵🌵🌵 #SandyJoeStyle #SandyJoeTakesArizona

Every day I'm grateful for having discovered brow

Every day I'm grateful for having discovered brow products. It's the little things. #SandyJoeBeauty

Lately when I feel down, I reflect back on other d

Lately when I feel down, I reflect back on other difficult times that I managed to survive

10 yrs ago, I moved to London after graduating from Ryerson Uni. Feeling trapped being back home in YEG 6 months after graduating, I naturally decided to blow up my life & run away from my problems

My experience of being a foreigner trying to work in a country that just started hiring after the ‘08 recession was frustrating. I kept getting the same answer at every magazine job interview: “you’d be a great fit for the position, it’s just that you’re… not British.” I resorted to interning despite having spent the past 4 yrs putting in the time in a myriad of internships assuming that once I had a *degree* I’d no longer be subjected to this thankless line of work. Often it’s not about talent or schooling but rather how long you’re able to afford to work for free until a job is offered

I landed a hip fashion mag internship under the guise they’d hire me 6 months in. Quickly I realized that wasn’t going to happen. I watched the publisher, a man who never knew poverty, refuse to pay his bills. As a freelancer, I loathe these types. He was a true classist asshole. The office was a 4 story townhouse by Oxford Circus. He’d inherited it from his father, a famous & celebrated abstract painter

I was living in a world class city but shovelling coal at work to keep the studio warm. The dichotomy of London. Another new intern almost killed us with carbon monoxide because they shut the chimney flue. I felt like I was living in a 19th century novel & would joke about getting the black lung

Our home life was even worse. Living with The Funk (our terrible roommates nickname) included cups of tea abandoned all over for days while the cream molded, dirty dishes, stolen food, sewing needles on the floor, etc. I was so familiar with their sex life that I could discern when they were cheating

The England Saga was a difficult time. There were a few bright spots peppered throughout but I inevitably came home long before my visa expired. I often wonder what would have happened if I stayed. This winter is proving to be a difficult one, but if I survived 2011/12, surely I can get through this.

I’m nearing my 10 month mark of staying home and

I’m nearing my 10 month mark of staying home and the isolation is finally getting to me. It’s been a can’t-wear-anything-but-pjs-drinking-chocolate-chips-from-the-bag-for-breakfast kind of week. Everything feels pointless. I try to work a little bit everyday just to feel any sense of purpose but I’ll be honest, the majority of my day is being spent completely distracted while Vanderpump Rules plays quietly in the background as ambient sound. So if this melancholy sounds familiar to you, please know you’re not alone. And I hope for all our sakes, that it will get better. One of the small tasks I completed thid week was my blooper reel. Here are a few slides but the rest reside on my blog theprettysecrets.com. I hope, at the very least, it makes you smile just a little. #SandyJoeTakesArizona #SandyJoeBloopers

Learning to make pasta from scratch is one of the

Learning to make pasta from scratch is one of the few things I've managed to make happen this past year. It's almost as relaxing as putting on makeup, aside from when you discover a spider hiding in your box of basil you're prepping to make pesto out of.... But enough about me, what small joy have you discovered this past year? 🍝 Peep my how to make fresh pasta video on theprettysecrets.com 🍝 #SandyJoeAtHome

The Yeti Goes Skating. One of the fun things about

The Yeti Goes Skating. One of the fun things about documenting all your outfits over the years is revisiting them and seeing how your style has always revolved around absurd vintage pieces. This was from 2015 and I still love all of it. #SandyJoeStyle

PRODUCT REVIEW Schmidt’s Hemp Seed Oil Enriched

PRODUCT REVIEW Schmidt’s Hemp Seed Oil Enriched Natural Deodorant - Sensitive Skin Formula

BACKGROUND INFO
- I was gifted these from Schmidt’s
- I have been using natural deodorant since 2005ish so I’m long past the transition period many ppl have when they stop using antiperspirant
- This review is based on nearly 2 months of testing

INGREDIENTS / IRRITANTS
One of my biggest complaints about natural deodorant was it irritated my armpits to the point where skin would be peeling off. After many painful experiments with different brands, I realized it was due to one singular ingredient: baking soda. While baking
soda is great for odour absorption, it’s also abrasive. Once I figured thay out, it was easier to narrow down which natural deodorants would work for me. If this is a problem you’ve had in the past, I would recommend checking ingredient lists

FORMULA / CONSISTENCY
I’ve used different Schmidt’s deodorant formulas over the years and their normal line (w/ baking soda) doesn't work for me AT ALL. The Sensitive Skin line was a bit better but I still found it to be on the chalkier/dryer side. I think they've finally nailed it with this new formula - it’s for sensitive skin (no baking soda) but avoids the usual chalkiness with the addition of the hemp seed oil. The formula is a much smoother consistency and glides on with ease

STAINS
There are no issues as of yet with it staining any light/white garments. But if you're concerned w/ white deodorant streaks on dark clothes, I regret to inform you that this deodorant will do that. If this is a dealbreaker, I would suggest trying a salt based deodorant, they’re not quite as effective but they also don’t stain. I’ve used the Saje deodorant spray for years

SCENT
The Sage + Vetiver scent is very subtle and I would recommend it to anyone who is bothered by overly scented things. The Rose + Pepper is also on the milder side but is more rose forward than pepper. Not like grandma’s soap collection forward, but similar to walking by a rose bush in full bloom on a summer day. After application, I didn't notice either of the scents at all

Continued in the comments 👇

I think I'll just spend the rest of the year in a

I think I'll just spend the rest of the year in a vintage robe. #SandyJoeStyle

Happy holidays! I hope everyone is enjoying these

Happy holidays! I hope everyone is enjoying these next few days when time has zero meaning. I've been living in sweatpants, eating leftover @padmanadi and playing Super Mario World, loudly panicking everytime a Blargg emerges from the lava or Rip Van Fish wakes from a slumber to chase me. But enough about me, what have you been up to? (Please say super nintendo so we can exchange notes on all the hidden secret exit keyholes) #SandyJoeStyle #SandyJoeTakesChristmas

This year my immediate family came to the mutual a

This year my immediate family came to the mutual agreement to celebrate the holidays separately and I encourage everyone to do the same

While it's not easy saying no to the ones we love, erring on the side of caution is the right thing to do at the moment. ICU's are exceeding max capacity and healthcare workers who already have a difficult job to begin with are overworked, overwhelmed, and in Alberta, underappreciated

As much as I would love to spend time with my family, keeping everyone safe and doing our part to stop the spread is more important

The holiday season won't be the same this year and that's okay. We can all be kind to ourselves and give space to grieve all the loss experienced throughout 2020... But let's also make space for any small joy as well

With that said, here are a few things I find soothing this time of year

- watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and any of the claymation movies from the 60s/70s/80s
- walking + driving around looking at Christmas lights
- calling friends and family to catch up
- writing and mailing letters to friends
- listening to Vince Guaraldi Trio's Charlie Brown Christmas album
- watching stranger's Christmas home movies from the 60s on youtube
- taking up a whole table to do puzzles
- leaving surprises on friends + family's doorsteps

xo SJK

I, myself, am ~strange and unusual~ 💀 ughhhhh B

I, myself, am ~strange and unusual~ 💀 ughhhhh Beetlejuice is such a good movie! But if I'm being honest, it's the cartoon that's forever in my heart. Peep my @meltcosmetics × Beetlejuice video on YouTube. #SandyJoeBeauty

AD Winter has always been the most difficult seas

AD Winter has always been the most difficult season for my sensitive skin. In the past, it has felt like I’ve spent most of my waking hours constantly reapplying moisturizer. The last two years I have avoided this fate thanks to the @neutrogenacanada Hydro Boost Body Gel Cream (fragrance free because… well... I’m a delicate and sensitive flower). Not only does the formula absorb quickly, so I’m able to get into clothes ASAP after applying, but it also locks in the moisture thanks to my favourite ingredient - hyaluronic acid! As for my face skincare, removing all my makeup with the Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover (seriously, this is one of the best makeup removers I’ve ever used) followed by the Ultra Gentle Cleanser Creamy Formula (fragrance free of course). Then lastly, the Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream Fragrance Free and Eye Moisturizer. I love this retinol formula because it’s effective and keeps my skin feeling smooth but gentle enough to use every evening. What are you winter skincare heroes? #NeutrogenaCanada #NeutrogenaAmbassador

In university my colour theory professor told me I

In university my colour theory professor told me I shouldn't wear red. I still disgree. #SandyJoeStyle

Woodward's, Zellers, Kmart, Eaton's, Sears.... All

Woodward's, Zellers, Kmart, Eaton's, Sears.... All of these are defunct department stores that I still see rememants of every so often. Was there ever a more magical place than a department store at Christmas time? Some of my favourite holiday movies (Mom for Christmas starring Olivia Newton-John as a mannequin come to life! Or even A Christmas Story when ralphie is toe tapped by santa down a large slide) revolve around a mercantile setting. Which makes sense since this largely consumer based holiday involves commerce. This nostalgia moves me because I love old shit. I LOVE IT. So I took this love and made a fictious Christmas wishlist picking out gifts from two 1970s Sears wishbooks, just like I used to do as a child. Except knowing that all these wishes defy space and time. Peep that video now ~ link in bio. #SandyJoeTakesChristmas #vintagechristmas #kitschmas

AD Although this holiday season will look very di

AD Although this holiday season will look very different this year, I’m still finding ways to connect with friends and family. There’s nothing I love doing more than dropping off festive gift baskets to those I love. I’ll be making our virtual hangouts special by sharing one of Alberta’s best kept secrets - Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye whisky from @albertadistillers in my holiday gift baskets. It’s a limited-edition whisky that’s aged in charred oak casks in Calgary, Alberta and a perfect addition to any virtual cocktail hour. #albertapremium

Wake me up when it's safe to visit here again 😴

Wake me up when it's safe to visit here again 😴 #SandyJoeTakesArizona

Here are two facts: 1. I'm really into using bron

Here are two facts:

1. I'm really into using bronzer as eyeshadow these days

2. I'm currently covered in dill pickle popcorn dust

#SandyJoeBeauty #SandyJoeStyle

Kitschmas Begins 🎄🎅⛄🦌#SandyJoeAtHome #S

Kitschmas Begins 🎄🎅⛄🦌#SandyJoeAtHome #SandyJoeTakesChristmas