What Should I Buy? At Ulta!

Sooooo I’m going to be near an Ulta in the near future and I’m super excited about it; we don’t have Ulta here in Canada and they carry many brands that we can’t access here (at least without paying ridiculous amounts in shipping and duty).  I’ve started perusing the website to investigate my options, although I have decided to limit my purchases to items and brands that I can’t pick up in Canada.  Here’s what’s on my list so far:

Lorac PRO 3 Palette: The last thing I need is another eyeshadow palette but I can’t walk out of there without one of these.  I’m leaning towards the Lorac Pro 3 but I want to see the palettes in person before I make a final decision.

IT Brushes for Ulta – Your Beautiful Basics Airbrush 101 5 Pc Getting Started Brush Set: I have one IT Cosmetics brush and I absolutely love it.  These brushes are specifically made for Ulta by IT Cosmetics and I’ve heard good things about them.  Again, I want to see what these are like in person but I’m pretty convinced that I want to pick up some of these brushes in some shape or form.

Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator (Guilded Honey): This will be a guaranteed purchase – I’ve been wanting this for a long time!

Soap & Glory Heel Genius: Kind of a weird addition to the list but we have limited access to Soap and Glory products and my heels are in really bad shape right now, plus the reviews on this are really positive.

Makeup Revolution Vivid Shimmer Brick:  We’re supposed to be getting access to Makeup Revolution in the Fall via London Drugs but you never know which products will actually be available.  This has very positive reviews, looks beautiful and is only $7!

Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 Eyeshadow Palette: This is supposed to be a dupe for the Lorac Pro palette but I’ll make that call when I’m in store.  I definitely think I will be picking up some kind of Makeup Revolution palette given how cheap they are.

Mally’s Must Haves Collection: The thing that intrigues me most out of this set is the Poreless Face Defender and the price of that product alone is the same price of this entire set!  All products are full-sized as well so if I can actually get my hands on this I’ll be estatic – what a great value!

Escada Aqua Del Sol: This is available in Canada but only in the largest size – Ulta has a 1.0 oz bottle as well as a rollerball so what size I end up will be another game time decision.

If you have any other suggestions on products I should be considering (or avoiding) please let me know below!

Thanks for stopping by!

Review: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

I’ve had this palette for 6 months now and my review is long overdue.  I received this as a birthday gift and I was super excited to receive it – I mean, it smells like chocolate!  In addition, this is right up my palette alley – a wide range of neutral shades with pops of colour and varying finishes.  This is not a new palette by any means, in fact it was released back in 2013, and followed by the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette and the Chocolate Bon Bon’s palette.  I’ve seen teasers on Instagram that this years’ palette may be a White Chocolate version but I guess only time will tell!  On to my review!

PRICE

The Chocolate Bar palette retails for $59.00 CAD on both Too Faced’s and Sephora’s website.  You receive 14 shadows with a net weight of 0.03 oz and 2 eye shadows at 0.07 oz.  When comparing to other popular eye palettes, the Urban Decay Naked Palettes contain 12 shadows at 0.05 oz. for $66 CAD; both of Tarte’s Tartelette Palettes include 12 shadows at 0.053 oz for $54 CAD; and the Anastasia Modern Renaissance Palette includes 14 shadows at 0.02 oz for $55 CAD.

PACKAGING

I really like the packaging of this palette – it’s made of metal and it feels well-constructed and sturdy, yet it’s not too heavy for travel.  I also appreciate that its easy to wipe down when it gets dirty.  The top of the palette resembles a large chocolate bar – as it should!  I totally appreciate the effort that goes into Too Faced’s packaging – it’s always unique and girly and cute.  The top and bottom “plates” of the palette have magnets in them which ensures a secure closure (also important for travel).

Inside a rectangular mirror is included; I rarely use mirrors in eyeshadow palettes to apply my makeup but they are nice to have just in case.  Note that it’s not perfectly rectangular given the lettering that overlaps it.

SCENT

How often can you actually comment on an eyeshadow palette’s scent, nonetheless in a positive sense?  As I mentioned above, the entire thing smells like chocolate and it’s amazing!   Using this in the morning just makes me happy (and a little hungry!). I can be sensitive to scents/fragrance, but thankfully this doesn’t bother me at all.  The chocolate scent is not overpowering, and once it’s applied, it disappears.

SWATCHES

Row 1 (from bottom to top):

• Gilded Ganache: A satin dark chocolate brown with a fine gold glitter.
• White Chocolate: A basic off-white matte.
• Milk Chocolate: A matte, medium-toned brown with a touch of warmth.
• Black Forest Truffle: Burgundy brown shade with multi-tonal glitter.
• Triple Fudge: Deep brown matte.

Row 2:

• Salted Caramel: Matte peachy beige.
• Marzipan: Rose gold frost.
• Semi-Sweet: Matte mid-toned brown.
• Strawberry Bon-Bon: Matte pale pink.
• Candied Violet: Sheer purple with silver glitter.
• Amaretto: Frosty bronze with a slight burgundy shift.

Third Row:

• Hazelnut: Bronze frost.
• Creme Brulee: Dark gold frost.
• Haute Chocolate: Frosty warm mid-tone brown.
• Cherry Cordial: Matte burgundy brown with a subtle silver glitter.
• Champagne Truffle: Frosty pink champagne.

FORMULAS

The formula breakdown is as follows: 6 matte, 7 shimmers/frosts/satins and 3 glittery shades.

Frosts/Shimmers: The frosty shadows are by far the standouts in this palette – they are super soft, dare I use the term “buttery”, ridiculously easy to blend and are highly pigmented. The only drawbacks are 1) I experience quite a bit of fall-out when using these so they need to be applied carefully and 2) If I pack them on too thick, they irritate my eyes.  My eyes burn and my eyelids get itchy; it’s not the first time I’ve experienced this kind of reaction to shimmery/glittery shadows – my eyes (like basically everything else on my body) are uber-sensitive.  It doesn’t deter me from wearing them, I just need to use a light hand.  My favourites in this group include Creme Brulee, Marzipan and Champagne Truffle.

Mattes: The mattes are right behind the frosts/shimmers in terms of performance.  They too are super soft and buttery, easy to blend and are not lacking in the pigmentation department.  The two I’m not a fan of are Triple Fudge and Strawberry Bon Bon.  Triple Fudge is hard to blend and can look muddy as a result; Strawberry Bon Bon lacks pigment, as demonstrated in the swatch above, although it can be built up if you have the patience.  On the other hand, I’ve dug into White Chocolate as a base colour so much that I’ve stopped using it unless I’m using other shadows from the palette.  I love using Milk Chocolate as a transition shade in the crease as well.

Glitters: The glitter shades are my least favourite of the bunch – I find the formulas patchy, dry and lacking in colour payoff.  The one exception would be Cherry Cordial – it has decent pigmentation and the glitter kind of disappears once it’s blended; I love using it with my Buxom palette as a darker crease colour.  Candied Violet and Black Forest Truffle are the biggest duds out the palette, in my opinion.

PERFORMANCE

I find these last about 7-8 hours with an eyeshadow primer applied before they start to crease.  So that’s decent performance, although I do have shadows that last longer (i.e. my Buxom shadows).  I never wear eyeshadows without a primer base because my eyelids are extremely oily so I can’t speak to how they’d perform without one.

VERDICT

Personally, I love this palette.  Yes, there are some issues with dry formulas, fallout and some irritation for me with the shimmery shades.  But the pros far outweigh the cons – there are more great shadows that not, it smells like chocolate and the neutrality of it guarantees a wide variety of looks that will look fantastic on any skin tone.  If you’re looking for a neutral palette, I’d highly recommend you take a look at this one.

Do you own any Too-Faced palettes?  Let me know below!

Stashmatters Muji Giveaway Goodies!

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win Stashmatter’s Muji Giveaway!  Yay me!  And yay Stashy for hosting such a generous giveaway on her blog – I felt very fortunate to win.  🙂  And of course I had to do a post sharing all the wonderful Muji things I won.  I’ve never even heard of this brand prior to Stashy’s giveaway so I was/am pretty excited to test these all out!

First up, this super soft cotton eye mask and nifty purse hook.  I typically get anxiety on overnight flights and wearing an eye mask tends to help me with that, as well as falling asleep.   And the purse hook is a genius invention of course, because who wants to put their purse on the disgusting floor?

Here’s my absolute favourite item out of the bunch – this Cheek Colour in Pink.  Please excuse the nail indent – my hand slipped when I was opening it and I took a nice chunk out of it. 😦  Grrrr!  This is such a great blush and such a pretty colour.  It has a really soft texture, is highly pigmented and blends like an absolute dream!  I’ve been wearing this everyday since I received it  🙂  There was also this Travel Eyelash Curler that works really well – I have one similar to this that does nothing but pinch my eyelids.  Stashy also included two bonus items – one of which was this nice little compact mirror.  It’s nice and light and I love that it folds over, perfect for throwing in my purse!

Next – a package of facial blotting papers – I keep a package of these in my purse and at my makeup vanity so these will be utilized for sure.  Also, a travel size bottle of the Oil Cleansing for Sensitive Skin.  I haven’t tried this quite yet but I’m the definition of sensitive skin so I can’t wait to see how this works for me.

A few more travel-friendly items – a package of Cotton Buds that are individual wrapped which is amazing and so-smart.  And a package of Cleansing Sheets, which I always take with me no matter where we’re traveling.

I’ve been looking for one of these Cylinder Spray Bottles so this will work perfectly.  She also added in a travel pill case which is something I actually need to utilize – I’m horrible at taking my vitamins with me when we travel.  This Refill Set on the right (which didn’t photograph well – sorry!) includes a funnel, dropper and spatula.  Where has this been all my life?  It’s always such a struggle to de-pot products for travel and this will make things SO much easier!

Two very practical yet necessary travel items – a little notebook and a pen!  I always forget to throw a pen in my carry-on to fill out those darn custom cards – now I have a dedicated one.

Last but not least – candy!  This was the second bonus item she included and these are a yummy citrusy/grapefruit flavour.  I keep them at my desk and they hit the spot when I’ve got a yearning for sugar (which is always).

And that was everything!  Given how much we enjoy traveling, this couldn’t be a more perfect giveaway for me to win!  I’ve really enjoyed everything I received and would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Stashy for all these goodies!  Make sure to follow her if you don’t already – she shares some of the most detailed reviews I’ve ever seen and does some pretty epic hauls.

Thanks for stopping by!

Makeup Haul – Bare Minerals, Buxom & Kiko!

I was in Vegas a few weeks ago and of course, I did a bit of shopping because what is Vegas without shopping?  Nothing, it’s nothing.  Anyway I’ve been using the products for almost two weeks now so I thought I’d share with you what I picked up and what I think about them thus far!

BAREMINERALS

I am a pretty big fan of bareMinerals and Buxom products so when I’m in Vegas I always hit up their outlet store in the North Premium Outlets; I rarely walk out of there empty-handed.

bareMinerals Pretty in Peach Collection -$14.50 USD: This was a bit of an impulse buy at the checkouts; they had one left and given that it included a full-sized blush, I couldn’t pass it up. This appears to be a set that was sold on QVC at some point but it is no longer available online.  Here’s what’s included in the set:

Well-Rested CC Eye Primer

From the website: Corrects, conceals, protects, and renews with an instant burst of cooling hydration, leaving the skin around your eyes looking revitalized and refreshed. Apply on bare skin, under or over your makeup.

My thoughts: This product kind of confuses me because I’m not sure what the purpose of this is.  I tried using it as an eye primer but it doesn’t blend well and dries tacky; I’ve tried it under my eyes to act as concealer, and on top of concealer and it settles into fine lines and creases.  It doesn’t seem to serve either purpose well although I will admit that it definitely has a nice cooling effect on my skin.  I’m not going to give up on it yet but so far I’m not all that impressed with it.

Apricot Sugar Eyecolor (not available online)

From the website: A vibrant, stay-true, shimmering peach shade that can be applied dry for rich color or wet for a high-sheen, foiled effect.

My thoughts: I’m not the biggest fan of loose eyeshadows in pots – they’re just so messy.  But if there’s good colour payoff I’ll work with them.  Unfortunately this is a huge disappointment – it states that this is a vibrant peach shade but it only it’s basically 90% chunky glitter with the faintest tinge of peach.  I’ve even tried foiling it and it doesn’t make that much of a difference.  The swatch above shows up way more pigmented than it does on my lid.

bareMinerals READY Blush in The Summer Fling  (not available online) 

From the website: Combines the bareMinerals SeaNutritive Mineral Complex while enhancing cheeks with a gorgeous flush of lasting color.

My thoughts: This is the entire reason I bought this set as I’ve always wanted to try one of their blushes.  So far, this hasn’t disappointed me.  It’s a beautiful peachy shade – although it takes a while to build up.  Wouldn’t recommend this for anyone other than those with fair skin though, as I don’t think it would show up enough on darker skin tones.

Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Girl Next Door (not available online)

From the website: A universally flattering, glimmering peach gloss and the perfect finish to a natural daytime look. Luscious, vibrant color is loaded into a refreshing formula that slips on satiny-smooth for sheer-to-medium coverage with eye-catching shine.

My thoughts: This is a really sheer, glittery gloss (sensing a theme here?) but unlike the eyeshadow, I can work with this.  The formula of BM glosses is very similar to Buxom’s; I’ve used this overtop of other lip products and it gives them all a nice glossy finish with a touch of sparkle.

bareMinerals The Dream Come True Palette ($24.50 USD)

From the website: Complement your true, natural beauty with this palette of three soft, serene shades that multitask as classic eye shadows and luminous highlighters. It’s color that’s incredibly long-wearing and amazingly blendable with anti-aging benefits.

My thoughts: Another QVC featured set that is also no longer available.  The packaging just sucked me right in on this one – despite it being cardboard, I just couldn’t resist it!  In addition, all the shades appeared to be quite pigmented when swatched so I snatched it up.  Unfortunately I’m kind of having some buyers remorse with this.  While the shadows all swatch nicely, when applied to the eye they’re extremely sheer and it’s difficult to differentiate between one another.  In addition, Queen Phyllis and Celestine are extremely glittery, have a ton of fallout and they irritate the heck out of my eyes!  On the bright side, I can repurpose Queen Phyllis as a highlighter and Talented as a blush so not all is lost.  And I do love the double ended brush that came with it (it’ll work great as a contour brush too!).

BUXOM

The Bare Minerals outlet also carries a small selection of Buxom products; as much as I love bareMinerals products, I think I love Buxom even more.  There isn’t much in their line that I’m not a fan of.

Buxom Eyeshadow Brush – $6.65 USD

From the website: Expertly applies vibrant and lively, waterproof color that’s sure to please. Specially designed to tame Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadows,* the tapered brush head gives you the most well-behaved, precise application. The wider brush base lets you apply buildable layers of vivid color, so you get the exact intensity you’re after.

My thoughts: I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a Buxom brush before but I thought the shape of this one seemed pretty unique!  I liked how fat and wide it was and how soft the bristles were.  I can’t say it does anything out of the ordinary but it’s just a good overall eyeshadow brush.  It came along with this little case which is cute but I’ll likely never use it.

Buxom Full Bodied Lip Gloss (Boo-Yah) – $9.50 USD

From the website: Lusciously smooth and ultra-hydrating, this lip gloss offers a high-shine, shimmering finish with a no-tingle, pout-plumping effect. Encapsulated hyaluronic spheres help to promote hydration and fullness while jojoba oil and Vitamin E help moisturize and protect lips.

I LOVE Buxom’s lip glosses – they’re super glossy but not sticky and they smell like a vanilla cupcake.  These don’t leave behind the tingling sensation that I’m used to with the Lip Creams so I don’t find them as plumping but they’re still great.  This one offers a light wash of colour and can work well on its own, as well as overtop of other lip products; this particular shade leaves behind a shimmery, almost metallic looking shine.

KIKO

I was super excited to come across a stand alone store at the Fashion Show Mall; I’ve heard of Kiko but never used any of their products before.  Even better was that they were having a summer sale and had markdowns on a bunch of products.  I was near the end of my shopping day so I restrained myself a bit but I wish I had bought more!  Next time!

Kiko Fusion 01 Powder Brush – $11.90 USD

From the website: This face brush is perfect for applying and blending pressed, loose and bronzer powders. The soft, dome-shaped bristles ensure maximum control during application. The high-quality, synthetic bristles guarantee an even, smooth look and permit an easy, precise and professional-looking application of powders.The brush’s metal handle gives this tool a modern and elegant look. During the design process, the handle’s weight was carefully considered to create a practical, easy-to-control brush.

My thoughts: This.is.amazing.  By far my favourite purchase from Kiko.  First off, this brush is HUGE and it works wonders when applying powder (duh) but I also love using it all over my face once I’ve applied all my makeup to ensure it’s all blended.  It’s so soft and fluffy and the metal handle feels sturdy and luxurious.  I totally wish I had picked up more of their brushes.

Kiko Blending Wave Multi-color Blush (Ingenious Mauve) – $5.90 USD

From the website: Two-tone blush with a silky, creamy texture. The pan is composed of two different tones. The soft, velvety texture ensures excellent coverage and makes the product easy to blend. The powder clings to the skin, creating a natural, adjustable look. The blush comes in a compact case, also containing a practical mirror. The flashes of colour painted on the white top and the embossed brush strokes recall the theme of the collection inspired by the world of art.

My thoughts:  I love this too!  First up, the packaging is beautiful and unique; secondly the blush all 3 ways is gorgeous.  My favourite way is to blend both colours together.  I find it a little soft so it does kick up a bit of powder but it blends like a dream and has the perfect balance of pigmentation – not too light, not too dark.  The swatches didn’t photograph well but mixed it shows up a really nice coral shade.

Kiko Eye Base Primer – $4.90 USD

From the website: A creamy texture made from a smoothing and matifying powder base.  This supports the application and the fixing of the eyeshadow, making it extra long-lasting over time.Its light pigmentation neutralizes the tone of your eyelids emphasizing the resulting eyeshadow colour.  Hypoallergenic = formulated to ensure minimum instance of allergic reactions.  Ophthalmologically tested. Paraben free. Fragrance free.

My thoughts: I’m pretty picky when it comes to eye primers – I can’t wear just any because my lids are super oily.  This has impressed me – it’s a pretty thick formula but it blends effortlessly.  I also appreciate that its tinted as it helps blur any visible veins and discolouration on my eyelids.  Lastly it’s kept my shadow in place all day, with no creasing or fading.  A little of this goes a long way so I suspect this will be lasting me a while.

Kiko Endless Sky Volume Effect Mascara – $10.90 USD

From the website: Volumizing mascara featuring innovations that help preserve the structure of the eyelashes.  The formula’s ingredients instantly create a thick sheath that envelops, adds volume and helps to protect the lashes from base to tip. The thick, creamy texture doesn’t clump, applies easily and is adjustable.  The applicator consists of a mixture of different fibers and colours the lashes in a brilliant, jet black. The brush’s fine point reaches even the shortest side lashes.  The product comes in an elegant, coral-tinged gold package with an elongated shape, enhanced by a raised, three-dimensional design. Its silhouette is sensual and ergonomic.  

My thoughts: Mascara is another thing I’m picky about – my lashes are naturally quite long so I like mascaras that can enhance volume and thickness and are highly pigmented.  This seems to add a bit of length and a bit of volume but not a lot of thickness.  I’d describe it as black, but probably not jet black.  I haven’t experienced a lot of clumps, nor a ton of flaking so that’s positive.  I”m not sure what they mean but the texture being adjustable?  Regardless, I’d rate this as a middle of the road mascara – nothing inherently bad about it but it doesn’t do anything amazing – it’s just a good everyday mascara.  I must say I do love the rose gold tube however – so pretty!

That wraps up my Vegas makeup haul.  Overall – disappointed with my Bare Minerals products and very happy with my Buxom and Kiko products!  I’d love to try more of Kiko but it doesn’t look like they ship to Canada so that’s a little disappointing; guess I just need to make another trip to Vegas! 😉

Have you tried products from any of these brands?  Let me know below what your favourites are!

Thanks for reading!

Review: Too Faced Love Flush Blush Wardrobe

Too Faced’s Love Flush Blush Wardrobe

Up until a couple of years ago, I was a one-blush kind of girl.  I never saw the need to have more than one blush on hand.  Since then, my blush collection has definitely grown, but I still didn’t really see the need for an entire palette of just blushes – it just kind of seemed like a waste to me.  I couldn’t see myself possibly liking or actually using that many blushes, so what was the point?

Enter Too Faced’s Love Flush Blush Wardrobe.  When this launched late last year, I thought it looked nice but didn’t really feel the need to run out and buy it.  But then I kept coming across bloggers and You-tubers raving about it.  So I took a closer look at it and it didn’t take long before I was convinced I needed it.  So I picked up my own at Sephora sale a few months ago and I’m so glad I did!  I gave a brief review on it in my Sephora Haul & First Impressions it but I’ve been loving it so much that I feel it warrants its very own review.

Too Faced’s Love Flush Blush Wardrobe

So, a little about this palette; it contains all 6 shades of their Love Flush Long-Lasting 16 hour blushes, sized at 0.07 oz each and retailing for $45 CAD (although Too Faced’s website is selling it for $50 CAD so buy it at Sephora).  For comparison’s sake, a full-sized (0.21 oz) blush retails for $32 CAD. So all in all, this is a pretty good value.

The packaging is made of a sturdy yet lightweight cardboard; I’m not a fan of cardboard packaging as I find it damages and stains easily and it doesn’t take long for it to look worn.  As a result I won’t be traveling with this, but I rarely travel with more than one blush anyway so for me it’s not a big deal.   Also included inside is a long, albeit decent-sized mirror.

Too Faced’s Love Flush Blush Wardrobe

The blushes are set out in a horizontal strip and contained in heart-shaped pans.  At first I wasn’t sure how it well this would work with a brush but I’ve had no issues.  I like using my e.l.f angled blush brush to apply these and it works really well.  If you prefer using a larger fluffier blush brush you might have an issue with it not picking up the product on all of your brush or picking up some of the neighbouring blush.

The blush shades included are:

Swatches of Too Faced’s Love Flush Blush Wardrobe

Love Hangover (described as a perfect warm pink)

Baby Love (described as a dusty nude with gold sparkle)

I Will Always Love You (described as a gilded peach)

How Deep is Your Love (described as a watermelon pink)

Your Love is King (described as a plumy rose)

Justify My Love (described as as a bright pink with gold sparkle)

I have to say, swatching these doesn’t really do them justice.  They aren’t the highest pigmented blushes I’ve tried but they are extremely buildable, and that’s exactly what I love about them.  I find I rarely use highly pigmented blushes because I’m on the paler side and they require me to use a very light and careful hand. With these I can get a nice wash of colour with one application and more intense application with a second.

Note that Baby Love and Justify My Love are described as having “sparkle’ in them but I don’t experience any sparkle or glitter when applied at all.  I’d describe the finish on all of them to be satin, with I Will Always Love You leaning towards a more shimmery, almost subtle highlight-type finish.  The formula on these is great – it’s soft and extremely bendable but not at all powdery.

The only caveat – they claim to provide 16 hours of wear time.  I have to dispute that because there’s no way that these last that long on me.  On average I’m getting about 6-8 hours of wear, depending on what foundation I’m wearing that day.  I feel like 16 hours is a LONG time though…does anyone really need their blush to last that long?  Regardless, I can’t say it lives up to that claim.

I love all the options it gives me and the fact that it’s expanded my blush horizons.  Baby Love and Your Love is King are not shades I would not normally reach for as I tend to stick with peach and pink tones.  I didn’t realize how versatile and flattering a neutral blush could be, nor did I think I could pull off a plum hue – turns out I was wrong!

If you’re interested in this palette, I’d recommend you pick it up sooner rather than later as it’s limited edition.  I’m not sure how much longer its slated to be around but I really don’t think you’d regret this purchase – I certainly don’t!

Thanks for reading!

Beauty Blogger Lovers Tag

Thank you to Lipstick on the Lake for tagging me on this…tag?  😉  This is a fun one and a great way to learn of some new bloggers/Youtubers to follow!

If you are tagged, answer these questions, then tag some people. Let’s all celebrate being makeup addicts together!

1) Which beauty blogger would you like to do your makeup?

Lisa Eldridge – no contest.

2) Which beauty blogger do you want to be your best friend?

Leighannsays.  She is one of my favourite YouTubers – she’s quirky, hilarious, and just seems so down-to-earth.

3) Which beauty blogger would you have a secret affair with?

Haha – Kate Bryan from The Small Things Blog.  She’s so pretty and has great hair.

4) Which beauty blogger would you like to go on a shopping spree with?

I would choose Tati (GlamLifeGuru) because she seems like the expert on shopping sprees and hauls.

5) Which beauty blogger could convince you not to buy something you’ve always wanted?

Emily Noel83 – her reviews are always so detailed and comprehensive.  I feel like she covers all the bases and is truly honest in her reviews.

6) Which beauty blogger’s stash would you want to transplant into your room?

I struggle with this one because while I’m kind of in awe of most beauty guru’s collections, I feel like having that much product around me would be really overwhelming.  But If I was going to do it, I’d go big and transplant Temptalia’s.  Not only would I likely have almost every beauty product known to man, it’d be organized to a T.

7) What are the top three items a beauty blogger has talked you into buying?

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

Cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

Milani Baked Blush (Luminoso)

All 3 were recommended by Leighannsays.

8) What are the top three items a beauty blogger has talked you out of getting?

Hmmm this is a hard one….I’ve always been intrigued by Wen Haircare but Maskcara recently had a post on her blog about why she’s transitioned to Living Proof Products from Wen.  After reading her post I no longer have interest in it (apparently lots of people have experienced hair loss after using it).

I remember wanting to try Benefit’s They’re Real Eyeliner when it first came out – and then every beauty guru on the planet said how horrible it was.  So I didn’t try that.  As well, not many have good things to say about the L’Oreal eyeshadow palettes (that I think were meant to be dupes for the Urban Decay naked palettes).

I tag the following lovely bloggers to participate in this tag!

Its Jordan Leigh

Simply 20s Life

Luzz05’s Blog

Richelle Reviews Beauty

…and anyone else who would like to participate!

Thanks for reading!

First Impressions: Winter 2015 Luxe Box

I received my Winter Luxe Box a few weeks ago and I’m finally getting around to doing a first impressions on it.  This is my second box I’ve received since I subscribed back in the (late) Summer.  I received the Fall box and I was pretty happy with it – it had a good variety of products and I found it had a good value.  I also really like the fact that it’s delivered once a quarter instead of every month.  You can find more about Luxe Box on their website here.

So, on to my box!

 Face Shop Character mask (Moisturizing) – $4 CAD

I haven’t tried this yet but I can’t wait to – how hilarious does this look?  I’ve never tried anything from The Face Shop either so I’m looking forward to giving something of theirs a try.  I still find sheet masks a little weird and sometimes off-putting but my skin could use some extra moisture now that the weather has become colder and drier.

Starlooks Luxe Longwear Eye Liner Pen – $19 USD

I was pretty happy to see a full-size liquid liner pen included as I use liquid liner quite a bit and calligraphy/felt tip types are my favourite.  I’ve used this a couple of times and I’m pretty impressed with it.  It lasts all day, doesn’t smudge or flake goes on smoothly and is fairly pigmented.  The problem is I’m not sure I see myself ordering this for $19 USD; exchange sucks right now and I have a few drugstore versions that work just as well for less.

Teez Trends Read My Lips Lipsticks – $22 USD

I’ve never heard of this brand before but I love its unique and colourful packaging!  This is another full-sized product which is always great to receive!

The shade is a deep red with a tiny hint of berry.  It’s very pigmented and I was quite impressed with its smooth texture.  I’ve worn it once and given that it claims to be long-wearing I fully expected it to dry out my lips.  But it’s surprisingly moisturizing!  I’m not sure I see myself paying close to $30 CAD for it but I need to try it out a bit more to see if it lives up to its high price tag.

Benefit They’re Real! Mascara – $12 USD

When I saw the collection of Benefit products in my box I was pretty excited!  Benefit isn’t a brand I haven’t tried a lot of and I’d like to try more.  The exception being this mascara.  I tried it years ago and I wasn’t a fan of it; it didn’t do much to my lashes.  I prefer volume over length though because my lashes are naturally quite long.  Despite that I’ll give this another try and see if it maybe works better for me this time.

Benefit They’re Real! Tinted Primer – $10 USD

As mentioned above, when I tried the They’re Real! Mascara a while back I wasn’t impressed with it.  But I’m intrigued by this lash primer!  This can be worn alone for a more natural look or worn underneath mascara; it claims to increase length, lift and separation.  I also like that this is water-resistant.  I’m looking forward to giving this a go!

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara – $16 CAD

I’ve heard such good things about this mascara and I’ve been dying to try it but not willing to fork over the money for it.  So I was stoked to see this included!  My lashes don’t hold curl easily or well so I’m anxious to see if this actually does what it says it will!

Benefit They’re Real! Remover – $18 USD (for 50 ml)

 

 

This eye makeup remover sample was a little disappointing to me – the foil pack is quite small.  I would have thought they’d be able to include a small tube with a cap at least. I hate receiving foil packs like this because it’s really hard to get a good idea if it’s a good product or not when its only enough for one use.   I would have preferred to receive a sample of the They’re Real! Push Up Eyeliner instead.  I’ll stop whining now but I’ll perhaps throw this in my travel stash and use it for an overnight trip.

And that wraps up the Winter Luxe Box.  Overall I was pretty happy with this box, aside from small sample of the makeup remover.  There isn’t anything in here that I’m super disappointed with (except maybe the eye makeup remover) or don’t see myself using or at least trying out once.  So I plan on keeping my subscription for another quarter minimum!

Did you get a Luxe box this quarter?  If so, what did you receive?

Thanks for reading!