Shoppers Drug Mart at Yonge and Dundas Store Opening

I can’t believe that it’s already September! Where did the summer go? As much as I love the fall season, the end of summer always makes me feel a little bit sad. It’s never easy to say goodbye to those long days, warm nights, weekly softball games, eating outdoors, and fresh local produce. Despite that, I am excited about the new season and the overall feeling of a fresh start that September brings. I’m certainly hoping to have the opportunity for a fresh start this month!

As you probably know, I unexpectedly lost my job back in May. At the time, I was upset and frustrated, but I figured it wouldn’t take me too long to find something else. Well – here we are 4 months later and I’m still trying to find another job.This job-hunting process has really thrown me off my game and has taken its toll on me. If you’ve been through it, you know how mentally exhausting it can be. To try and deal with that, I’ve been taking the time off to re-charge and focus on self-care.

Naturally, I haven’t been doing a ton of shopping for clothes and accessories these days. Without a day job to go to, I really don’t “need” anything…and even if I did, I can’t justify the purchases right now. With that being said, you know that I LOVE shopping, so I’ve been finding other ways to embrace that type of joy. Instead, I’ve been shopping for other things; beauty and skincare products, fitness classes, workout gear and food to cook with. To me, these types of purchases fall under the umbrella of self-care, so I’m able to budget accordingly.

Earlier in the week, I received an especially upsetting rejection from a prospective job. As a result, I was craving a day that was devoted to giving myself a day of self-care. Luckily, I was invited to check out the new Shoppers Drug Mart at Yonge and Dundas Square in Downtown Toronto. The perfect way to treat myself, don’t you think?

A Shoppers Drug Mart, Designed with the Urban Shopper in Mind

Before heading down to the new Shoppers Drug Mart at Yonge and Dundas, I was told that its design was inspired by the needs of the ‘urban shopper.’ This Shoppers Drug Mart location is spread across 3 floors, so they literally have everything you could possibly need (or want). They boast an expanded grab and go section, enhanced beautyBOUTIQUE, and full service pharmacy; truly a one-stop retail space, which was designed to make the lives of customers easier. They carry a lot of the items that you’d traditionally have to go to a supermarket for, including deli meats and cheeses.

Since I was on the hunt for items that fell under that “self-care umbrella,” I chose to focus primarily on beauty (and snacks).

The BeautyBOUTIQUE Experience (And what I bought)

If you’re wondering, the enhanced BeautyBOUTIQUE is amaaaaaaazing!!! They carry dozens of brands, at all price points. They also have a friendly and knowledgable Beauty Expert team, who are happy to help if you have any questions. All of the products were well-organized, beautifully merchandised and fully-stocked – including the testers. (It drives me nuts when testers are missing!!!)

On this trip, I re-stocked a few of my ‘holy grail’ products, like the Benefit Bad Gal BANG Mascara, NYX Lip Lingerie Gloss, and my favourite Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes. I also snagged a few new (to me) items that I’ve been wanting to try out for a while. Here’s a few of the new items I picked up:

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

I’ve tried quite a few makeup setting sprays before and have never really found they’ve done anything to ‘wow’ me. However, I recently gave the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray a try when I saw an in-store tester. I honestly couldn’t believe how good my makeup still looked at the end of that day! I’d applied my makeup early that morning, so it was on my face for like, 15 hours. It was a hot, humid day, so there’s no way it was a coincidence that my makeup still looked good before I washed it off that night. That obviously meant, I was sold.

Smashbox Ablaze Face Palette

I was also very excited to pick up the Smashbox Ablaze Face Palette. It’s part of the Ablaze collection, which is exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart. This palette comes with 2 highlighters, 2 bronzers and 2 blushes – all in beautiful, warm tones. The reason this palette was on my radar was because I’ve seen it all over Instagram and everyone has been raving about it. All of the shades looked just as beautiful in person and it will be perfect for the summer to fall transition.

Essence Lash & Brow Gel Mascara

You all know that I’m a big fan of Benefit’s brow products, but I’m always open to trying something new. Quite a few of my favourite YouTubers have shared their love for the Essence Last and Brow Gel. For the whopping price of $4, I picked up a tube for myself. And you know what? It’s great!! I don’t think I’d use it on my lashes, but I really like how it sets my brows in place.

Nude By Nature Sheer Glow Colour Balm

I’ve seen Nude By Nature products quite a few times at Shopper Drug Mart, but I’ve never tried any of their products for myself. The packaging has always appealed to me, but I’ve been a bit skeptical about the line. I decided to try one of their Sheer Glow Colour Balm lipsticks as a “gateway” product. It’s a beautiful formula and I love the colour I chose, so I’m excited to try some of their other products.