London Drugs Haul & First Impressions!

So I stopped in London Drugs to pick up some new deodorant, and I walked out of there with all of this:

Because I totally needed 2 new foundations, another mascara, lip balm, a concealer, another face wash, night cream and eye cream.  I did need (ok want) another tube of the Jergens BB cream so technically that’s justified.  Must stay out of drugstores…or just stores in general.

Anyway, here’s the details on what I picked up:

Mitchum Unscented Gel Deodorant & Anti-Perspirant – $3.99 (SALE!)

I’ve discovered that the Dove dry spray deodorant that I’ve been using it actually irritating my skin and causing a rash – lovely!   I used to use Mitchum deodorant years ago and it seemed to work, so I thought I’d revisit it.  Bonus that it was on sale!

My first impression: I find this leaves a sticky residue after applying but once it’s dry it goes away.  No irritation so far either.  It seems to be doing its job so far.

 

Nivea Smooth Replenishing Cream – $2.49 CAD

Nothing super exciting here – just a small hand cream to throw in my purse.  This has macadamia nut oil in it which seemed interesting so I thought I’d give it a try.

My first impression: I’ve only used this once but it seemed to work fine.  Not too thick, standard drugstore lotion perfumey smell and my hands felt moisturized after.

e.l.f HD Lifting Concealer (Fair) – $3.99 CAD

If I could find a concealer that doesn’t settle into the fine lines around my eyes that would be great.  I liked the sound of this one (lifting?) and it was cheap so I figured it was worth a shot.

My first impression:  Creamy texture, a good colour match for my skin tone but I’m not seeing much staying power with this unfortunately.

 

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation (Classic Ivory) – $9.99 CAD (SALE!)

I’ve been wanting to try this foundation for a while because everyone raves about it.  Lately I’ve been wearing Covergirl’s Ready Set Gorgeous foundation and I included it as a love in my June Loves & Letdowns (review here) but it’s always good to have options.  Plus this was on sale this week so I thought I might as well pay a little less for it if I was going to try it.  I have read some comments about this causing breakouts which worries me a bit because it does have sunscreen in it.

My first impression: I’ve used this once so far and it probably wasn’t the best day to test it out for the first time.  Basically I was sitting directly in the sun for 2.5 hours straight so it just melted right off my face.  I’m not sure any foundation would have withstood those conditions so I’ll try it out under some more normal conditions and I shall keep you updated!

Marcelle Flawless Skin Fusion Foundation – $18.99 CAD 

This was a total impulse buy and one that I hope I don’t end up regretting!  I was just about to leave the cosmetics area and I noticed this on display. Given the price, I normally would have just walked away but there was a $5 manufactures coupon for it so I took the plunge. I’ve never tried any of Marcelle’s products before and I didn’t realize that they are a Canadian company, which I’m always happy to support.  The weird thing is I can’t find anything online about this foundation AT ALL.  Maybe it’s just because it’s so new but it seems weird that Marcelle wouldn’t have anything about it on their website at the very least?

My first impression: So I’ve only used this twice but so far, I REALLY like this.  I’d describe the texture as almost serum-like and it’s very lightweight.  I find it leaves behind a slightly dewy finish and it feels like its light coverage but it covers really well!  I’m going to continue to use this for the rest of this week and cross my fingers that the love just continues!

EOS Visibly Soft Coconut Milk Lip Balm – $3.99 CAD

Okay, I’ll admit that I was not fond of the original EOS lip balms that everyone else seems to go crazy over.  I tried them once and found them waxy and not at all moisturizing.  I read online somewhere about the newer versions being a vast improvement over the originals, so I purchased the coconut milk version.

My first impression: So far, so good!  This smells absolutely amazing and it’s definitely moisturizing!  I’ve only used it a handful of times but I’m kind of loving it already!

Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream (Light) – $11.99

I just did a full review on this in my Used & Abused post (read it here).  Love this stuff!

 

CeraVe Skincare Essentials Pack – $19.99 CAD

I’ve been wanting to try a few CeraVe products for a while now – specifically their eye cream and AM moisturizer.  I went and took a peek at the eye cream and it was priced at $22.99 (eek!).  I was about to walk away when I saw this display of these skincare essential packs that included the coveted Eye Repair Cream, Foaming Face Cleanser and the PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion.  It was on sale for $19.99 (marked down from $29.99) so I snatched it up immediately because #nobrainer.  Even at $29.99, this is a fantastic deal, given that the eye cream retails for $22.99 alone!  I’m so tempted to go and buy another one but I know that I need to try these out for at least a couple of weeks first to ensure that I actually like them.

My first impressions: I’m liking the cleanser – not super moisturizing but not drying either and it takes off the majority of eye makeup which is really rare!  The eye cream – meh, doesn’t seem to be doing anything fantastic but its early days!  Same with the PM moisturizer but I’ll keep using all of these and do a full review in the near future.

Covergirl The Super Sizer Mascara (Very Black) – $6.99 CAD

I’ve heard some super good things about this mascara and I’ve been dying to try it.  It’s not one I would normally try because I typically like the traditional bristley brush mascaras, however I was intrigued by the reviews that said this was great for volume.

My first impression: The brush takes a bit of getting used to as you have to twirl it through your lashes as you apply it. As a result I find it end up getting mascara on my top water line which is a little annoying.  However this definitely provides some serious length and I’d say a reasonable amount of volume.  It does get a bit clumpy but I was able to use the brush to comb them out a bit which I thought was pretty cool!  I picked this up in Very Black and it is indeed, very black!

Have you tried any of these products?  If so, leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts – I’d love to hear them!

Thanks for reading!

Loves & Letdowns – June

Welcome to July!  I’m super behind on posts –  I was away for a little over a week on vacay and lately it’s been super hot here, which means I’ve not been sleeping well, which means I haven’t had much energy to do much at all lately.  Thankfully it sounds like it’s going to be cooler this week so I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.   I’ve noticed it seems a little slow in terms of posts for everyone so I guess it’s just that time of year!  Gotta get out and enjoy the warm weather while it lasts right?

Moving on to my loves and letdowns for the month of June!  Let’s start with my loves:

Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation – $8.99 CAD

I’ve had this foundation for just about 2 months now but I’ve only started using it regularly in the last month.  About a month ago I was breaking out like crazy and I was a little worried that this was one of the products causing it.  Having used this everyday for a few straight weeks I can confirm that this was not the culprit.  Which is great because I really like this foundation!  First off –  the plastic tube packaging is great!  I really dislike foundation in glass bottles – it’s just a matter of time before I drop of the bottle on the floor and smash it to pieces.  I don’t have to worry about that happening with this.

Secondly, in terms of coverage I’d classify this as medium, that could be buildable to full if desired.  My only caution with that is that I think it may look a little cakey if you pile too much of it on.  I still need to wear concealer with it as it doesn’t completely cover the broken capillaries under my eyes and old acne scars.  On my skin this dries to a demi-matte, slightly powdery finish but it doesn’t look dry at all.  My only complaint is that I do get slightly oily about mid-day which is  easily remedied by blotting with powder.  I wear shade 115 which is their lightest shade and it matches my skin tone really well and doesn’t oxidize at all.  I find this applies best for me with a damp beauty blender.  For the price, I’m super impressed with this and definitely plan to re-purchase!

Garnier Skin Renew 5 Second Blur Instant Smoother – $15.99 CAD

I was at Winners last month and they had a bunch of Garnier products in their cosmetics section.  I picked up this primer, read the description, was intrigued and was even more intrigued when I noticed it was priced at  $5!  I figured I didn’t have much to lose by giving it a try for that price!  When I finally cracked it open a little over a month I was pleasantly surprised about how good it was.  It really does most of what it claims: “Our light reflecting technology creates a visible blurring effect: lines and wrinkles are filled, pores and irregularities minimized, shine is mattified.”  It really does blur over large pores (and I have large pores on my nose and cheeks) and any acne scars.  Does it make them disappear completely?  No, but I’ve yet to find a product that successfully does that.  I do have some fine lines under my eyes and unfortunately I don’t find it does much for those.

It does have a very silicone-like, slippery texture which I am personally fond of because I like how it allows my foundation to blend flawlessly into my face.  I use this with the Covergirl foundation I mentioned above and it works wonders on me.  I always have the problem of foundation and powder sinking and sticking into my pores and this has completely solved that problem for me.  The only thing I’m not crazy about is the packaging; I find air gets caught in the tube so when I’m trying to remove it I’ll get a puff of air out of it and sometimes a bit of product with it and it’ll go flying across the room.  That doesn’t bother me too much though, and even though I’ve seen this in the drugstore being sold for pretty much triple the $5 I originally paid for it,  I would definitely repurchase this!

Maybelline Volum’ Express the Mega Plush Mascara – $8.99 CAD

I’ve been on the never-ending search for my holy grail mascara for months now and this was my newest candidate.  I was intrigued by the flexible brush as well as the gel-mousse formula so I thought I’d give this one a try.  Overall, I’d say this is a pretty solid mascara.  Is it the most voluminous mascara?  Not for my lashes.  But it did separate and define each lash, didn’t clump and provided really great length.  I liked how it left my lashes feeling quite soft and natural and not hard and crunchy.  There was also minimal smudging and flaking while wearing throughout the day which is really important to me.  I can’t stand having racoon eyes!

My only gripe about this is that I think the flexible wand is a little gimmicky and might contribute to the lack of volume this provides.  I find the flexibility means that the brush can’t grip your lashes as much as a non-flexible brush can.  But the brush itself is quite full and bristly which is a preference of mine.  Another thing I liked – you can build this up quite a bit without it getting clumpy.  Again, it’s not perfect but it’s definitely one that I’d purchase again!

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush – $10 CAD

I’m a bit late on the Real Techniques train but I thought I’d start slow with this Expert Face Brush.  Now I realize how much I’ve been missing out because I absolutely love this brush!  I’ve used it to apply mineral powder foundation, liquid foundation, and finishing powder and it applies them all fabulously!  The bristles are so soft and dense and it gives my skin an airbrushed finish.  I can’t believe how fantastic this brush is for $10!  If you’re looking for a new foundation and/or powder brush I’d highly recommend this one!  I can’t wait to try some of the other brushes they have!

Sephora Beauty on the Fly Travel Bag – $5.95 CAD (No photo)

Apologies for not having a photo of this item; I realized I forgot to include it after I edited the picture and I was too lazy to go back and retake and re-edit the photo! 😦

I purchased one of these way back in April prior to our trip to Mexico.  I used it on that trip, loved it and then my husband eyed it up and stole it for a work trip.  So what is it and why is it so great?  It’s a re-useable, TSA approved bag meant to store your liquids in when you travel.  It’s made of a thick, transparent plastic with a sturdy zipper at the top.  Previously I’ve used ziploc sandwich bags which work fine but would often rip and tear by the end of a one-way trip.  I’m constantly digging into my purse and/or carry-on for chapstick, hand sanitizier and hand cream before, during, and after my flight so I loved how no matter how much I did this, this bag stayed intact and didn’t rip or tear.  I also appreciate the zipper because I often forget to zip the ziploc bags (or I think I zipped it and I actually didn’t) and I’ve had products fall out of my purse.  I  purchased another one of these for my most recent trip to Vegas and it just re-affirmed how much I love it (and why my husband stole my original one!).  I received this free @ Sephora because I purchased 3 travel sized products (the ones around their cash registers) but you can buy it on it’s own for $5.99 and I personally think it’s well worth that and more!  Particularly if you travel a lot!

And now for my letdowns:

Colab Dry Shampoo (Rio) – $7.99 CAD

I’m not sure why I bought this.  I needed another can of dry shampoo and I happened to be in London Drugs and this was sitting right next to the cans of Batiste.  For the record, Batiste is my absolute favourite dry shampoo and I’ve never found anything that even comes close to working as well as it does.  This, and Batiste, were on sale for $7.99 so I picked up a can of each.  The fact that this was invisible is what intrigued me about it but unfortunately it does absolutely nothing to soak up the oil from my roots.  In fact, I almost feel like it makes my hair look and feel greasier/oilier.  It also provides no texture as well so if you’re looking for that from a dry shampoo, this is not the one for you.  On the bright side, I do like the fact that it’s invisible and it has a lovely scent.  But it doesn’t provide what I need from a  dry shampoo so I won’t be repurchasing this.

Dove Original Dry Spray Antiperspirant – $5.97

Antiperspirant and I have a long history together and it hasn’t been a great one.  I sweat.  ALOT.   So I need a good, strong antiperspirant to help me get through the day without pit stains and BO.  That’s probably TMI but it’s true.  I’m always on the hunt for the best antiperspirant and I haven’t found one yet that works for me and this one is no exception.  I liked the concept of this – it’s a dry aerosol spray so it just feels cleaner and more effective when you spray it under your arms.  The things that annoyed me about it were 1) You have to hold the can 15 cm away from your underarm prior to applying it.  I’m not sure who came up with that measurement but it’s ridiculous.  I needed to pull out my ruler to figure that one out.  If you hold it closer you’ll end up with little balls of deodorant under your arms, which is a good look if you’re wearing a sleeveless shirt!  If you don’t hold it close enough it won’t be effective and you’ll smell all day.  Made both mistakes multiple times while trying this out.  2) I hated the smell of this.  I usually always purchase unscented deodorant because a) I have sensitive skin and b) when I wear scented deodorant that’s all I can smell all.day.long.  Wiffs of “Powder Fresh” and “Summer Rain”…..barf!  Anyway I thought this one would be a little lighter and smell similar to Dove soap, which I don’t mind.  Unfortunately the scent of this is like the dove soap scent on steroids and the scent is REALLY overpowering, to the point where I started feeling nauseous by the end of the day because it’s all I could smell.  So, I definitely won’t be repurchasing this but I did manage to find an Unscented men’s version of this that I’m currently trying out so I’ll keep you updated on what I think about that!  #sweatypeopleproblems!

Essence I Love Extreme Volume Mascara – $3.99 CAD

This might just be the worst mascara I’ve ever used.  😦  Good thing it was only $4!   The brush is huge and way too big (and I like big brushes!) and I had mascara all over my eyelids after attempting to apply this.  The first time I wore this I was at home on a Sunday, when I was being lazy and lazing on the couch.  An hour in, I had racoon eyes and flakes under my eyes.  Which was pretty shocking given that I had done absolutely nothing that day – I hadn’t even stepped outside. I can’t imagine what it would look like if I had wore this to work.   So needless to say I won’t be repurchasing this.

And that’s it for this month.  Have a great week!