My 3 Holy Grail Harsh Winter Personal Care, Skincare and Lip Care Products

Hello everyone! 

I just wanted to share 3 products that help me to go through the harsh winter that we have here in Banff. The winter that I experience here in Banff is way different from the winter that I experienced back in Guelph. As such, I had to change some of my personal care, skincare, and lip care products because the ones that I used to use back in Guelph did not work for me anymore.

I don't have my flat lay props with me, so this poor picture will do for now ㅠㅠ

Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion

This lotion is a heaven-sent! I grabbed this lotion from the aisle of Shopper's Drug Mart for the first time two years ago and have been using the same lotion ever since. I was attracted to try this lotion because it says, "Transforms skin from very dry to healed in 5 days" on it's packaging. I was instantly sold because I was struggling with dry and cracked skin at that time. It was my first winter where the average temperature of about -20℃ ish and my skin was not ready and suffering.

Alhamdulillah, after trying the lotion for about a week, my skin was no longer dry and almost back to normal. I also did not feel the itchiness that's been bugging me on the previous week. Alhamdulillah. Another plus point is, this lotion is not greasy which makes me super happy because other Vaseline lotions that I have tried usually are quite greasy.

LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask

Bought this sleeping mask at the Sephora after contemplating to buy it for a year. lol! I love the mask as a sleeping mask so much because my skin feel so supple and hydrated every time I wake up from my sleep after putting it on my face overnight. It really helps to save my skin especially when my housemates set the heater way too high. I usually woke up to super dry and peeled off skin before this.

I decided to try and use it as my day moisturizer after my usual day moisturizer failed to do its job when the temperature was lower than -20℃. Surprisingly, it works excellently as a day moisturizer as well. Alhamdulillah. My skin stays moisturized even when I'm outside for few hours and the temperature is around -30℃.

Wow, yakin gila letak awkward selfie! 😆

*Excuse my kejung smile for all my face muscles were kejung at that time*

I just want to show you (if you can actually see it) that my skin was not peeled off or cracked and my lips were not bleeding and cracked despite my face was constantly being slapped by cold and dry wind when I went tubing for 4 hours 😂

LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask

Like the LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask, I bought the lip mask after contemplating to buy it after a year. lol! I love that feeling when I wake up to the moisturized and plump lips. Rasa macam Angelina Jolie sekejap. Hahaha :p Again, this lip sleeping mask save my lips especially when my housemates set the heater way too high. I usually woke up to the cracked and bleeding lips before due to dry air.

I decided to try and use it as my daily lip balm because I thought it would excellently work as a daily lip balm as well. Alhamdulillah, thankfully, I was right. I only need to apply it once before I go outside and my lips will stay moisturized for the whole time, insya Allah. Tried and tested, I was outside for about 6 hours when the temperature was around -13℃ and my lips was still moisturized with only one application.

So yeah, alhamdulillah, these 3 products have helped me to go through the harsh winter here in Banff.  These products may help you as well whenever you go travelling in winter. Anyway, I probably will need to change the products again when the seasons change but that's another story :)

On Filing My Tax Return

It's currently a tax season in Canada which unfortunately, one of the most stressful seasons in my life. It's all because I want to file my tax return perfectly so that CRA will not chase me in the future but I usually have too many questions to be answered. Also, because the number of spam/scam calls that I receive around this time of the year is insane! #excusemeiwanttosleep

Thankfully, I managed to attend a tax information session organized by the Town of Banff last Tuesday and got my all questions answered. A big shout out to Nicole from CRA for entertaining my endless questions! :)

So, for the 2019 tax return (I have been thinking about this one the most as I want to properly conclude my life in Canada), here are the things that I should do;

• Update my information on the website (address, phone number, banking information, etc) as soon as I leave Canada.
• File the tax return earlier than usual. Should aim for the end of February.
• I have to file a paper tax return instead of electronic due to status change.
• Find someone who's flying to Canada in March 2020 to post the tax return in order to save the postage fee. Otherwise, I should be ready to spend enormous amount of money to post the tax return.
• Fully utilize the collect call if I have anymore questions.
• Keep myself updated with any changes as things may change between this year and next year due to the election.

As for the 2018 tax return, I just filed it recently. Like previous years, I'm entitled for a refund, alhamdulillah. If I filed my 2018 tax return correctly, the refund will be about 2.75 times more than the usual amount that I got in previous years. If this stays true, I guess I don't have to spend my savings to go travelling in Canada as I plan to go to few places starting from the end of May, insya Allah :)

Doa. Doa. Doa.

This post was first published on August 1, 2015 on one of my older blogs. Decided to repost it here at Her Little Guilty Pleasures due to reasons that I mentioned in this post.

*************************

If you happened to follow me on Twitter, you must know that I have been feeling so negative for the past week. So, to change my mood a little bit, I decided to write this post. I have to remind myself that despite all the bad things that are happening in my life right now, Allah still loves me. He answered to my desperate prayers, and He still answers to my prayers. Sesungguhnya Allah itu maha pengasih lagi maha penyayang.

Doa #1

I have been praying for this specific things since I was in Form 3. Boleh dikatakan tiap-tiap hari berdoa untuk this thing sampailah awal tahun ni. Then, I stopped. Why? Simply because Allah has finally answered my prayer. It took me almost 7 years to get the answer. It was not the answer that I wanted yet I was happy. Simply because I know Allah knows best! :)

I'm so thankful that He answered my prayer after 7 years. I'm so thankful He didn't answer my prayer as soon as I prayed for it. Allah tak kabulkan doa saya semasa saya masih lagi muda remaja. He answered my prayer when I am a little bit mature. I'm at the age where I know how to handle frustration a little bit wisely.

This is what I always say to my housemate regarding my prayer for this specific thing.

"Sedih juga sebab kita tunggu 7 tahun baru dapat jawapan. Dah tu, bukan jawapan yang kita nak. Tapi, alhamdulillah, nasib baik Allah jawab doa tu sekarang. At least, kita dah kuat sikit. At least, kita dah matang sikit. Takdelah nak frust menonggeng sangat ke apa ke. Kita pun busy sekarang. Takde masa nak bersedih sangat. Kalaulah Allah jawab doa kita awal sangat, mungkin takdelah kita yang sekarang ni kot. Tak sampai Canada agaknya kita kalau Allah jawab doa kita awal sikit."

Update in 2019: Masya Allah, I can't believe it's almost 4 years since this happened. Am still so grateful that He answered my prayers 4 years ago :)

Doa #2

I have been praying to be given a chance to meet this one person. It felt almost impossible to meet this said person. Tapi, itulah. Nothing is impossible for Allah. I guess I was desperate enough that Allah granted my prayer almost instantaneously. I got my first chance to meet and talk to this person but I wasted the chance as I was not fully prepared for it. Nak jumpa sangat tapi bila dah ada peluang, tak guna betul-betul pula. Rasa macam bodah sangat pun ada sebab kita tak tahu kan bila kita akan dapat peluang macam ni lagi. But what to do, eh? I was such a chicken.

Walaupun sedih sebab mensia-siakan peluang pertama, masih lagi terus berdoa agar dapat peluang sekali lagi. Then, I got my second chance after 6 days. Although I was not fully prepared to meet and talk to this person, alhamdulillah, I just grabbed the opportunity and fully utilized it. Alhamdulillah, everything went so well. In fact, I felt so privileged after I talked to this person.

So Farah, this too shall pass. Whatever that make you feel so negative will pass, Farah. Allah will not impose on any self more than it can stand. He loves you! Remember, He answered to your most desperate prayers. And He still showers you with His endless blessings :)