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!

Loves & Letdowns – May 2016

I haven’t done a Loves & Letdowns post for a while and decided it was time.   I find that doing them on a monthly basis was a bit of a struggle for me – I don’t always have a long list of things that I loved (or let me down) so every couple of months seems to work better.  Without further adieu, here’s what I’ve been loving lately:

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil: My mom passed a sample size of this shower oil on to me a while back and I decided to break it out back in April.  I’ve been using it several times a week and I LOVE it.  I put a drop or two directly on my skin and rub it in and it produces a light lather.  It leaves my skin feeling smooth and moisturized but not greasy; I particularly like using it to shave my legs as it leaves them feeling so silky.  I much prefer this over the Almond Supple Skin Oil that I purchased at the Sephora sale, and I most definitely plan on purchasing the full size.

Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara: I received this sample at the Sephora sale and I’ve been using it off and on since (you can read my first impressions review here).  Honestly, my opinion hasn’t changed, I still really like this mascara, although the packaging isn’t the best.  I thought for sure it would dry out quickly given the design of the tube, but surprisingly it’s still going strong!  Therefore I’ve added this to my purchase list, which is big considering I rarely splurge on non-drugstore mascaras.

Too Faced Love Flush Blush Wardrobe: I just did a full review on this so I bother repeating myself.  It’s awesome and I highly recommend it.  I’ve been using it non-stop for the last 2 months so it definitely deserves a spot on here.

L’Occitane Citrus Verbena Hand Cream Gel: I go through hand cream more than any other product and I love trying new ones.  This smells amazing; it’s so fresh and clean and refreshing.  The fact that it’s a gel means it isn’t intensely moisturizing but it works great for me in the summer months when my hands aren’t quite so dry.  Plus the gel leaves behind a nice cooling effect.

L’Oreal Brow Plumper by Brow Stylist (Transparent): I was in need of a new brow gel and given how impressed I was with the Brow Stylist Definer, I thought this would also be worth a try.  And it is great!  The small brush makes it super easy to get a precise application, while the formula keeps my brows in place without leaving them crunchy or sticky.

Swatch of Rimmel’s Airy Fairy

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick (Airy Fairy): I picked this up after hearing Young Wild & Polished says its one of her favourite drugstore lipsticks, and I can see why.  It’s a great pinkish nude shade with a maeuve undertone and the slightest hint of gold shimmer.  I find the formula kind of drying so I do make sure to coat my lips with balm before wearing this and before re-applying.  Despite that I really like how this looks on me – often nudes can wash me out but I think this one works!

Blaze Pizza: Pizza is the one thing that I feel like I could eat every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of.  I LOVE thin crust pizza but it can be hard to find places that make it right!  Enter Blaze Pizza!  This is a chain restaurant that has just started to expand into Canada.  I’ve eaten here a few times and the pizza is delicious!  The best part is you can customize your pizza and put whatever toppings you want on it for only $10.45 CAD.  I only wish the location was closer so I could eat here more often.

The Rosie Project: I read this book while on vacation and it was the perfect beach read!  It’s a hilarious account of a socially awkward genetics professor on his quest to find love.  I couldn’t help but picture Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory as Don here – way too many similarities!  If you just want to sit back and read something easy yet enjoyable, I’d recommend this.

And a few letdowns….

China Glaze Let’s Jam: I need help, I cannot stop buying nail polish!  I really need to start wearing ones I already own before I buy more, but when I saw this collection swatched on various Youtube channels, I knew had to try at least one.  By the time I found the collection, there weren’t many colours left – not that I was disappointed about scoring this one – it looked gorgeous.  Unfortunately it was a huge disappointment.  It’s a lilac purple shade with a blue shift but the blue shift is barely noticeable, except in certain light.  And I think I got a wonky formula – this took FOREVER to dry, no matter how long I let it set.  I literally applied this and 5 hours later my nails nicked and smudged, even though it felt completely dry to the touch.  I’ve tried applying it numerous times with the same result.  I have zero patience for formulas like this!

Mitchum SensitiveSkin Soft Solid Deodorant: I typically wear Mitchum deodorant because it’s the only one that is effective enough to wear every other day.  I really don’t like wearing deodorants with aluminum in them but I’m a big-time sweater and I just can’t go the natural route.  Because I have super sensitive skin, I couldn’t resist giving this a try.  Unfortunately it doesn’t work anywhere near as well as my regular Mitchum Gel.  I have to put several thick layers on for it to work, and if it’s a hot day out, it only lasts for a few hours max.  I also have to apply it daily, I can’t skip a day like I can with the gel.  I also hate that it’s a white solid; it doesn’t dry completely so I end up with white marks all over my clothes.  Fail!

L’Occitane Verbena Icy Lip Balm: This was an impulse buy when I was picking up the Verbena hand gel; unfortunately I just don’t find this moisturizes my lips at all.  It has a super thin and lightweight formula and it just kind of sinks into my lips and leaves no benefit behind.  In addition, the scent is almost non-existent.  Wouldn’t recommend this.

What made your favourites list this month? Let me know below!

Have a great day!

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!

This & That Fridays – April 29

Well we made it another week…and we made it through April!  Sunday is May 1 which means…

Image Source

Hehehe…never gets old!

Emily Noel is one Youtuber that I make a point of watching regularly…and I love this video she posted Wednesday.  Kalee is hilarious!

The last thing I need is another coat for spring/summer…but I’ve been seeing these utility cargo pocket jackets everywhere and I want one.  Like this one from Joe Fresh or this one from Ricki’s.

I fell behind on blogging this week because we had painters in our house and it was hell.  I spent hours vacuuming and dusting only to have everything look the exactly the same hours later.  It was a vicious cycle, exhausting and I never want to do that again.

I got some amazing deals at Costco last weekend. First up they had a 1.18L bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Peppermint Soap for $12.99!  They also had maxi skirts in a variety of colours for $14.99. I just bought a basic black one and its so comfy (and stretchy!).  And for $14.99 you can’t really go wrong!  Costco can be a dangerous place sometimes.

We watched Southpaw last weekend and it was so good!  Jake Gyllenhall (had to look up how to spell that!) was amazing in it; I know it’s been out for a while but we rarely watch movies in theatres.  We also watched Trainwreck which was hilarious but pretty crude.  Typical Amy Schumer though!

Did you see the teaser for the newest Too Faced Chocolate Chip palette?  It’s nothing but a snapshot of the packaging but I’m sure it’ll be amazing like all Too Faced palettes are.  With the white packaging I feel like it should be called the White Chocolate Bar palette or something though…

This rainbow grilled cheese sandwich is all the rage on Instagram and I’m not sure I really understand why.  To me it just looks gross. I’ll pass.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good pair of leggings?  I’ve bought them from Costco but I find them way too thin, and I’ve tried a pair of Hue’s which I love because they’re so soft and comfy but they fade really easily.  I’m heading to the mall today to see what I can find.

I saw a video on Instagram of someone contouring their feet….first up, no.  Secondly, who has time for that?  #toofar

I’ve decided to scale back my This & That Friday posts to once every two weeks instead of every Friday. I think it’s going to be more dynamic this way plus I have a backlog of posts that are just waiting to be written that can easily take its place every other Friday.  🙂

Need to catch up on my posts?  Here’s what I’ve published over the last two weeks:

Sephora Haul & First Impressions
What Should I Buy – Filling my Z-Palette
Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Have a great weekend!

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Sephora Haul & First Impressions!

Did you participate in the Sephora sale?  I did and although I didn’t get everything I intended (as usual) and made a few impluse purchases, I generally stuck to my shopping list.  Here’s what I picked up:

L’Occitane Almond Smoothing and Beautifying Supple Skin Oil – $52 CAD:

From the website: A quickly absorbed indulgent body oil formulated with more than 50 percent almond oil to help skin feel firmer, smoothed, and hydrated.

I first heard of this from Youtuber Brianna Fox, I believe she mentioned it in a monthly favourites post.  She said it was great for using after you’re out of the shower and it leaves your skin soft and smooth.  I mentioned it to my Mom and she said she uses it and loves it.  Since my skin has been feeling exceptionally dry lately, I decided to treat my skin.  The price was a little hard to swallow but I figured if it was that good, it’d be more than worth it.

First impression:  I’m not sure about this quite yet.  The oil itself is lovely – it absorbs quickly as it claims, it smells beautiful and my skin feels supple, soft and smooth afterwards.  However, the packaging is my biggest gripe.  The oil is housed in a beautiful thick glass bottle with a spray pump – normally this wouldn’t be an issue but it takes quite a bit of effort to push the pump down and that combined with my oily hands feels like a disaster waiting to happen.  I was using this every other day but I’ve since cut back to every 3rd day because I’ve already used about 1/5 of the bottle.  Given the price I can’t really justify buying a bottle of this every month and I was hoping it would last a while.  So while I like this, I think next time I’d try the Almond Milk Concentrate instead.

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Water Foundation – $47 CAD:

From the website: A lightweight, full coverage hydrating foundation infused with tarte’s Rainforest of the Sea™ complex.

I kept hearing everyone and their dog rave about this foundation and when I saw it in store, I couldn’t resist.  The packaging was beautiful, the shade (light neutral) was a perfect match for my skintone and the coverage looked amazing.

First impression: I obviously still have not learned my lesson to not buy foundations without trying a sample first.  I have sensitive, combination skin with an oily t-zone and dry, dehydrated skin everywhere else.  There are very few foundations that work for me, and unfortunately this is not one of them.  A few minutes after applying it, I loved how it looked, it literally made my skin look flawless.  Then it set, and that’s when the problems began.  It highlighted every dry patch and pore on my skin, and as the day went on, it only got dryer.  I tried applying it with various beauty sponges and foundation brushes, with primer, without primer and I just couldn’t get it to work.  On top of that, it was making me break out (not that that’s anything new).  So I unfortunately I had to return this which was disappointing.

Too Faced Love Flush Blush Wardrobe -$45 CAD

From the website: A six-piece, high-impact blush palette with shades that last for 16 hours.

I’m a big fan of Too Faced products and I’ve yet to try their blushes.  I’ve also been wanting a blush palette for a while so this killed two birds with one stone.  I swatched each one in store and they all looked like shades I would wear regularly so I was sold.

First impression: So happy with this purchase!  All of the blushes have just the right amount of pigment so you don’t need to use a light hand but you can easily build them for a more intense look.  They have a silky soft texture and tend to last about 6-8 hours on me, depending on what I’m doing.  My only complaint would be the packaging – it’s beautiful but it’s cardboard so I won’t travel with this – despite the fact that it’s super light, I know it’ll get scuffed and scratched in a second.  That’s no where near being a deal breaker though, so if you’re looking for a blush palette, I’d suggest you highly consider this one!  Note: this is limited edition.

Tarte Rainforest After Dark Colored Clay Eye & Cheek Palette – $48 CAD

From the website: A limited-edition, colored clay eye and cheek palette for day to night looks.

I did a post a few months back on multi-purpose palettes as I was trying to decide which one I should buy.  I looked at a few options but ultimately narrowed it down to this one and Tarte’s Showstopper palette.  I ended up choosing this one because it had everything I was looking for (eyeshadow, blush, bronzer and highlighter) and the shades are on the cooler side so I felt it’d work better with my skin tone.

First impression: Another satisfying purchase!  This is a great palette, I’m so happy with it!  The eyeshadows are fantastic – super buttery and pigmented and I absolutely love the shades.  The blush, highlight and bronzer are also gorgeous.  I’m going to be traveling with this soon and will do a more in-depth review sometime in June so stay tuned!

Original Beauty Blender – $28 CAD

From the website: An edgeless, non-disposable, high-definition cosmetic sponge applicator.

If I’m being honest, I really did not want to buy another one of these.  Paying $28 for a makeup sponge kinda kills me!  But I’ve tried many of its dupes and I still like this the best – nothing applies my makeup quite the same.  My last one lasted me a year which I’m pretty sure is much too long but I took pretty good care of it. We’ll see how long this one holds up!

First impression: Still great!

Buxom Eyeshadow Bar Single Eyeshadow (No Faux) – $15 CAD

From the website: A primer-infused, powerfully pigmented eye shadow refill with intense color payoff.  Described as a iridescent snakeskin.

I’ve been eyeing this shade long before I even purchased my Buxom palette, and I’ve been waiting for it to come back in stock at my local store for months. Luckily there was one left when I visited and I couldn’t wait to get it home and try it out.

First impression: No Faux is a duo-chrome, warm-toned brown eyeshadow with a pale and dark green shift. I found the texture to be a touch dry compared to my other Buxom shadows, which was a little odd.  I’ve worn this several times since I purchased it and I love how beautiful and unique it is.  I do find this works better pressed into the lid rather than blended all over – the duo-chrome tends to disappears when it’s blended out too much.  Overall though, very happy with this purchase!

Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint (sample) – Full size $28 CAD

From the website: A jet-black, volume-packed mascara so anyone can master the tarte of the fringe.

I usually buy my mascara from the drugstore but this was a 100 point perk so I can never resist trading in a few points to try something new.  I’m pretty picky about what I look for in a mascara, so anything with a heftier price tag really has to blow me away to convince me to buy it.

First impression: Damnit – I love this!  This is an amazing mascara  – it’s super black and it adds crazy length, definition and volume to my lashes which is exactly what I look for in a mascara!  On top of that, it doesn’t flake or smudge.  My other favourite higher-end mascara is Too Faced’s Better than Sex and I think (I think!) I might like this better because thus far (knock on wood), I haven’t experienced any flaking.  The only drawback is the packaging – there’s no edge at the end of the tube to wipe the excess product off on, so it gets pretty messy pretty quick.  I think this is specific to the sample size though, the full size appears to be different.   If this continues to be awesome, I’ll be adding this to my full-size purchase list for sure!

Clinique Take it All Off Set – $17 CAD

From the website: A duo featuring a dramatic, black mascara and a creamy cleansing balm to remove makeup and refresh.

I’ve been wanting to try Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm since last year and I finally decided I was going to do it.  I was happy to find this little set in that always dangerous area before the checkouts and I figured this was a perfect way to try it out without committing to the full size.  Plus it included a mini High Impact mascara as well.

First impression: So at first, I didn’t really like this.  Mainly because I wasn’t following the directions and applying it to wet skin, rubbing it in and then washing my face.  That did pretty much nothing to remove my makeup.  Then I re-read the directions and applied it to dry skin – and I was much happier.  This does work really well to remove all traces of makeup (including stubborn eye makeup!) but it requires patience as it’s a bit of a process.  I’ve found the way it works best is to really massage it to my skin (particularly my eye area), let it sit for a minute or two and then rinse.  The end result is my face is completely devoid of every trace of makeup and feels super soft and moisturized.  I’ve never had a cleanser do both of those things at the same time!  So consider me impressed but also disappointed that I didn’t buy the full size of this! I have yet to try the mascara so I’ll keep you updated on that.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream with Super 7 Complex – $19 CAD

From the website: A daily age-defying moisturizer formulated with Fresh’s proprietary Super 7 Complex, proven to prevent the signs of aging, provide 24 hours of significant moisture, and boost radiance.

This was another impulse purchase – I had no intention of buying this but that darn checkout section got me again!  In fairness I did need a new day cream and I had forgotten about that prior to getting in line so this was a convenient option.  I haven’t tried much in the Fresh line aside from their Sugar Lip Treatments and Soy Face Cleanser.

First impression: The first thing I did when I opened the glass jar was sniff it and I was kind of disappointed with the cucumber scent.  It wasn’t strong by any means but I hate cucumbers and anything that smells like them!  It smells very similar to the Soy Face Cleanser, perhaps a little more muted.  However what really impressed me was when I applied this to my face – wow!  It’s a silky smooth, lightweight cream that just melts into my skin really nicely.  It’s really hydrating but it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave behind that horrible tacky feeling that creams sometimes do.  So while it’s still pretty early to make the determination that this is my new favourite moisturizer, I have to say that it’s definitely impressed me so far.

If you read my Sephora Shopping List post, you’ll notice there’s a few items that I said I was going to buy that didn’t make it home with me, including:

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Lipstick (Firebird): I swatched this in store and I was disappointed.  The colour is pretty but I thought it was going to be more unique. ]

Sephora Kiss Me Balm (Soda Pop): My store didn’t have this shade in stock so I’ll pick it up another time.

Escada Aqua Del Sol Fragrance: Apparently Sephora no longer carries Escada in-store, only online.  Given that the rollerball was sold out online, I couldn’t be bothered to place an online order.

Benefit Coralista Blush: Given that I purchased the Too Faced Blush palette above, I didn’t feel like shelling out more for an individual blush.  I still want to try this though, so it’ll stay on my ongoing list of products I want to try.

Bite Agave Lip Mask: This was something I REALLY wanted but my store was sold out of the clear version and I had no interest in the coloured options.  I was annoyed but I’ll pick it up at some point as I know it’s normally in stock.

My initial plan was to go in store and confirm what I wanted and place my order online so I could take advantage of ebates.  Problem being I was using a gift card to pay for my purchases and guess what?  You can’t use gift cards to pay for purchases online in Canada.  That REALLY ticked me off – like its 2016, why is this not possible?  So I ended up just purchasing everything in store and scaling back on my purchases a bit.

Would love to know what you picked up from the Sephora sale – please share with me below or link to your posts!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sephora Shopping List

It’s that time of the year again – another Sephora shopping event is here!  I’m a VIB Rouge so from what I understand I get to start shopping on the 7th, which is tomorrow.  However I still haven’t received an email from them notifying me of the sale.  And, okay, can I just vent a bit?  There really is nothing of any kind of significance that differentiates between being a VIB Rouge and a VIB.  Aside from the fact that as a VIB Rouge, I spend $650 more a year but basically get a few small perks that definitely don’t make spending that much more worth it.  In my mind, for events like these, Rouge should get 20% instead of 15%.  Or we should get more free samples or something.  SOMETHING!  I’m not sure I see myself striving towards Rouge status this year, although I don’t really tend to do that anyway, it just kind of happens.  But I think I might explore other options such as Shoppers Drug Mart where I can actually use my points to get free stuff.  Why isn’t Ulta in Canada?  Ugh.  /end rant.

Okay, now that I’ve got that out of the way, let’s move on to what I plan to purchase from this god-forsaken store.  I always love reading/seeing what everyone else is buying so hopefully you’re sharing your shopping list too:

1. Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm – $36 CAD: I’m out of an everyday face cleanser and I was going to buy this guy last year but I don’t remember why I didn’t, I think I purchased Sephora’s Green Tea Cleanser instead.  Regardless I’m definitely picking this up this time around, I’m excited to give a cleansing balm a whirl.
2. UD Gwen Stefani Lipstick (Firebird) – $21 CAD: Love this shade, I think it’s going to be perfect for spring and summer.
3. Tarte Rainforest After Dark Coloured Clay Eye & Cheek Palette – $48 CAD: If you read my first What Should I Buy post, you’ll know that this was one of many contenders in the Multi-Purposes palette line up.  I’m 95% sure this what I’m going with, unless something unexpected makes an appearance in-store.  I just love the colours in this and feel they’ll work really well with my skin tone.
4. Too Faced Loved Flush Blush Wardrobe – $45 CAD:  Not sure I really need a blush palette but this looks so pretty, plus I love Too Faced products.  I think I want to take a closer look at this in store before I commit to it though.
5. Sephora Kiss Me Balm (Soda Pop) – $8 CAD: I always eyed this up in the checkout area but aside from the scent, didn’t think it seemed all that great.  However, after reading Stash Matters review, I think I’m going to give it a try.  It helps that I love anything that smells like soda/cola/Coke/Pepsi.
6. Escada Aqua Del Sol – $25 CAD:  Mmmmm this is like summer in a bottle.  It’s warm and bright and fruity and perfect for warmer weather.  I’m going to try it out in the rollerball size if possible.
7. Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Volume Mascara – $33 CAD: This is on my list as a result of this post on Beautezine; I love me a good volumizing mascara and I’m not afraid of clumps!    I’m not usually one to buy non-drugstore mascaras, aside from Too Faced Better than Sex, but I think I’m going to give this a try to see how it compares.
8. Benefit CORALista Blush – $36 CAD:  This has also been on my list for a while, along with the Rockateur and I think I’m going to go with Coralista…I think?
9. Buxom Eyeshadow (No Faux, La La Lavish, Posh Purple) – $15 CAD: I’m loving my customized Buxom eyeshadow palette and I want to add some of their more unique shades to my collection.  I’ve been wanting No Faux forever but it’s always sold out – hoping I can snag it this time around.
10. Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask – $30 CAD I’ve been wanting to try this for years and I’m going to bite the bullet this time.  My lips have been feeling really dry lately so I’m hoping this will help.
11. Beauty Blender – $28 CAD:  I bought my first Beauty Blender a year ago and it took me a while to warm up to it but now I can’t live without one.  I’m trying out the Real Techniques and Quo versions and unfortunately I think the Beauty Blender is going to remain my favourite.  Post comparing the 3 coming soon!

What are you buying at the Sephora sale?  Let me know below!

Thanks for reading!

Used & Abused – Product Empties

It’s been a long time since I’ve done an empties post and my basket overfloweth so this was long overdue.  So on to it!

HAIR PRODUCTS

Batiste Dry Shampoo: I talk about Batiste all the time on my blog and I did a review on it very early on into my blog.  I only wish they’d bring more scents to Canada – the Floral, Tropical and Fresh scents are the only ones I’ve seen stocked regularly in store.  It’d be nice if there was more selection as I know they definitely make quite a few different scents than just those 3.  Won’t stop me from using it though!

Repurchase: Yup!

Chi Magnified Volume Finishing Spray: This made my list of Top 15 of 2015 Products because it does what a hairspray is supposed to do.  I know that doesn’t seem like much but me and hairspray don’t typically get along.  My hair is stubborn and this shows it who’s boss.  If you have problem hair like me, I’d recommend it!

Repurchase: Yes

Paul Mitchell Color Protect Daily Shampoo: Another product on my Top 15 of 2015 (God I’m boring!) but I’m estatic to have finally found a shampoo that works for me (it’s been a long journey, believe me).  This moisturizes my fine hair just the right amount and leaves it feeling silky and smooth.  Also because I colour my hair using a shampoo with colour-protecting properties is important to me so I appreciate that too.  I’m already on my third bottle of this.

Repurchase: Yes

David Baba for WildAid Bohemian Beach Spray: I bought this at Winners quite a few years ago and I always threw it in my travel bag to use on beach days.  I haven’t used many beach/sea salt sprays but I was pretty impressed with this one.  It definitely gave my hair some texture and a bit of wave (which is something given my hair is naturally stick straight).  I had to be careful not to overuse it though as too much of it made my hair crunchy and sticky.  I had about 1/2 a bottle left of this but I had to dump it out as it was starting to smell a little funky and looked like it was discoloured.  I’d love to be able to find this again but I haven’t been lucky enough to come across it.

Repurchase: Yes

BATH & BODY

Radox Time Out Herbal Bath (Lavender & Mimosa): I purchased this bubble bath in the clearance section at Superstore later last year for something like $3.  I’ve used bubble baths from this brand before and had always been happy with them.  I like having lavender-scented bath products around for when I am struggling to sleep; there’s nothing like a lavender-scented bubble bath to drift me into dreamland.  This definitely does the job but I don’t see myself making a point of repurchasing this; I liked it but I just picked it up because it’s on sale.  No complaints with it at all though!

Repurchase: No

Delectable Vanilla & Cream Super Smoothing Body Polish: Mmmm this stuff smells divine – like a delicious vanilla cake.  The scent won me over immediately but I also love that it’s a gentle yet effective body scrub.  If you’re looking for a super intense scrub this probably isn’t for you but my sensitive skin loves this stuff.  I’ve tried the Strawberries and Cream scent too and it’s equally as amazing.

Repurchase: Yes

Ombra Aromatic Foam Bath (Berries): Ombra makes my favourite Eucalyptus bubble bath and I actually received this mini bottle when I purchased that exact product.  This worked just as well as the Eucalyptus version but it smelled like cranberries.  It foams up well and the bubbles don’t dissipate which is key to a good bubble bath.

Repurchase: Yes

Delectable Coconut & Cream Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream:  I love this hand cream but I hated the scent.  And I love coconut-scented things!  But this just smells too synthetic to me, kind of like one of those fuzzy car air fresheners that hang off the rear-view mirror.  So while I wouldn’t buy this lotion in this particular scent, I know I’d be happy with the vanilla or strawberry versions.

Repurchase: Yes

SKINCARE

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water: Another repeat offender in my empties – I’ve been using this for years mainly as my eye makeup remover, sometimes as my all-my-makeup remover when I’m feeling lazy. I did a full review on it here.  I’m happy with it – it works great and I have no complaints with it but I kind of feel like trying something new.  We’ll see.

Repurchase: Yes

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief: This is a fantastic moisturizer for dry/dehydrated skin!  I have combination skin but it made such a difference in the dry patches that I sometimes have flare up.  I also loved it as an overnight moisturizer if my skin was feeling parched – I’d wake up the next morning with super soft, re-hydrated skin.  I particularly loved the gel texture of this – I found it be to really cooling and soothing.  I didn’t really find that it did anything for wrinkles or fine lines though so I wouldn’t buy it for that reason.

Repurchase: Yes

Too Cool for School Egg Cream Sheet Mask: Maybe I haven’t found the right one yet but I’m not sold on sheet masks. I haven’t tried a lot of them but the ones I have tried haven’t done anything amazing to my skin that I feel I couldn’t get from just a regular face mask in a tube or bottle.  I had high hopes for this one but again, it just fell into that “ok” category.  My skin felt moisturized after – yes.  But that only lasted for about an hour or so and then my skin was back to way it was.  Perhaps you need to use these regularly to see lasting benefits but that would get really expensive.  I’d much rather spend more money on mask in a jar or bottle that will last me months than continually buy these.  Anyway back to this mask – I kind of expected this to smell like eggs but it didn’t thank god (gag – that would have been gross); it had more of a light floral scent.  No issues there.  I did find it a little difficult to apply as there was a sheet of thin plastic mesh you had to remove first and I ended up ripping the mask trying to do that.  Ugh.  Anyway I got it on and I found it to be quite goopy/tacky although once I took it off and rubbed the serum into my skin the tackiness disappeared.    One last thing I will say about sheet masks in general though – they will force you to relax.  It’s pretty much impossible to do anything but sit there and will it to stay on your face.  So if you’re in need of some relaxation, you might want to give one a try.

Repurchase: No

BareVitamins Skin Rever-Upper: I’ve mentioned before that I just don’t do thick moisturizers in the morning.  My skin takes forever to absorb anything so I don’t have time to sit and wait.  Which is why I like this stuff!  I have a more detailed review on it here but in short, it’s lightweight and absorbs quickly but still leaves my skin moisturized.

Repurchase: Yes

CeraVe Eye Repair Cream: Eye creams are another thing that I just can’t ever get to work for me.  There hasn’t been one that I’ve tried that’s done a darn thing.  No exception here – this did absolutely nothing. Note that I rarely have dark circles or puffiness but I didn’t even find that it moisturized my under eye area.  Despite that, I was trying to use it up but I contaminated it when I had my eye infection so there’s still a good 1/2 of the tube left.  Can’t say I’m super torn up about that.

Repurchase: No

Peter Thomas Roth 10% Glycolic Acid Moisturizer: This was the very first product I reviewed here on my blog (a few months short of a year now – time flies!).  This is another product I’ve used for years and I’ve kind of fallen out of love with it because I don’t find it works as well as it used to on me.  I was using it twice a day however, so I feel like my skin got a bit too used to it and it stopped being so effective.  Either way, I did see results when I used this – my skin was clearer and less prone to breakouts, it helped fade old scars, and decrease redness.  And as I write I feel like I want to go purchase another tube of this, just to have on hand and use a couple times a week.  The only thing that bugs me is the price – but one tube would typically last me 6 months..  So if you’re a fan of glycolic acid, I’d recommend this!

Repurchase: Yes

Olay Wet Cleansing Towelettes: These are my go-to makeup remover wipes – I’ve tried a few different brands and types and I always come back to these because they work.  They’re gentle on my skin yet strong enough to actually remove a face full of makeup, including eye makeup.  They also stay moist right through to the last wipe – I hate it when wipes dry out halfway through the package.  Most importantly for me – no breakouts!  I always pick up a package of these before I travel anywhere.

Repurchase: Yes

Sephora Collection Express Cleansing Wipes – These used to be my go-to makeup remover wipes – but I think they’ve since changed the formula.  I wasn’t able to remove all my makeup with just one of these – I often had to use 2 or 3.  Then, halfway through the package, they dried up. Which is surprising given they have the plastic tab to seal them.  These are double the price of the Olay ones I mentioned above but don’t work near as well.

Repurchase: No

MAKEUP

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation: I rave about this often because it’s my favourite foundation to date.  This made my Top 15 of 2015 for a reason; full review here.

Repurchase: Yes

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer: This was an okay concealer, but I’m not sure I’d re-purchase it again.  It provided a good amount of coverage but I found it to be pretty dry, which is most likely related to the fact that it contains salicylic acid in it.  It’s supposed to help to clear up any blemishes but I honestly didn’t notice any difference.  And it’s use is limited because of that – you most definitely can’t put this under your eyes.  However it didn’t cause any additional breakouts so that’s something!

Repurchase: No

Buxom Big & Bushy Mascara: This is kind of a horrible name for a decent mascara.  I had just started using this when I got an eye infection last month and I had to chuck it before it’s time because I didn’t want to risk re-infecting my eye.  This has my kind of brush – a wand with full with “natural” (not silicone) bristles.  It provided some pretty good volume but I wouldn’t say it was massive as the description states.  It also references maximum length which I can’t really agree with – it gave a good amount of length.  Overall I feel I can obtain similar results with a number of drugstore mascaras though.

Repurchase: No

Covergirl The Super Sizer Mascara: This was my second time purchasing this mascara and even though I loved the first tube I purchased, this time I was kind of meh about this.  First off, my brush was wonky when I opened it – not sure if it went into the tube weird when it was packaged or what but the wand was all bent.  I did my best to straighten it out but it didn’t seem to function normally as a result.  I also experienced way more clumping this time, whereas I was able to comb any clumps out no-problem with my last tube.  If this had been my experience the first time I tried this mascara, I never would have re-purchased it. I’m hoping I just had a lemon.

Repurchase: On the fence.

Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara: This was another “meh” mascara.  It had a really weirdly shaped brush – similar to an S shape and it was quite large and fluffy.  Which normally I would like, but because of the S shape, I found it hard to apply evenly.  It did give me some decent volume but it flaked like crazy.  No go for me.

Repurchase: No

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: This little sample introduced me to my new favourite mascara that didn’t come from the drugstore.  I haven’t purchased a non-drugstore mascara in ages because I never found one that was worth the extra cash.  This one is.  Crazy volume, length, thickness, super black formula, definition.  The list goes on and on.  It checks all the boxes but be warned – it does flake.  I find using no more than 2 coats lessens the flaking but the good far outweighs the bad for me with this guy!

Repurchase: Yes

L’Oreal Infalliable Super Slim 12H Liquid Eyeliner: This is one of my favourite drugstore eyeliners.  It stays put all day, is super black and the slim tip makes it easy to draw a precise line.  My dislike is also the slim tip – it’s flexible so it damages easily and once it’s damaged you might as well just chuck the whole thing.  I tend to be a little hard on my eyeliner so I find I go through these quicker than I would like; however I experienced the same issue with the Stila Eyeliner that everyone raves about and it was much more expensive.   I get similar results with this one so I’ll just stick with these as they are about half the price!

Repurchase: Yes

e.l.f Eyelid Primer: This is the best “drugstore” eyelid primer I’ve ever tried. I still can’t believe its is only $3!  Full review here.

Repurchase: Yes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance: My favourite non-drugstore eyeshadow primer!  It made my top 15 of 2015; love this stuff!

Repurchase: Yes

 

Lipsmackers Dr Pepper Lip Balm: My favourite lip balm ever, hands down.  I’ve been wearing Lip Smackers since I was in elementary school…so let’s just say that it’s been a very long time.  I almost had a heart attack last year when they said that they were potentially no longer making Lip Smackers – thank goodness someone stepped up and continued production.  Out of all the flavours I’ve tried, the Dr. Pepper one is the best – it gives my lips a hint of colour and smells like my favourite soda.  Can’t go wrong!

Phew and that was everything!  Apparently I need to do these more often as this was much too long.  If you read it all, or even just a portion – thanks for reading!

January Loves & Letdowns

Woo hoo it’s finally February!  And with that comes another month of Loves & Letdowns.  First off I’d like to rid January good riddance – what a crappy month that was.  I had pink eye and a virus for two weeks straight and I just finally started wearing contact lenses last week.  It’s been a long month and I’m glad to see it go!

Now on to my loves and one, lonely letdown for the first month of 2016:

LOVES

e.l.f Contour Palette: I picked this up back in September at the e.l.f store in New York and I hadn’t really used it that much since then as it was buried in the back of one of my drawers.  I re-discovered it early in January and realized how good it actually is.  I still find the bronzer shade a little orange but I use it a light hand and it’s wearable.  But I’ve really grown to love the contour shade, highlighter and yellow-toned “banana” powder to set my concealer.  While they are a little powdery, they blend easily and are just pigmented enough for my fair skin.

Buxom Full & Fabulous Mascara: Buxom and Bare Minerals were really having a moment with me this month.  This was the mascara I chose to use while my eyes were healing and I can’t say I was disappointed with this.  It gave my lashes some serious definition, separation and length.  The formula is a good balance between wet and dry, which is perfect if you like to build your mascara (which I do).  That said, I’d say you can only apply about 3 full coats before you’re just wasting product because it’s not making any kind of a difference.  So I would have preferred for it to add a little more volume and thickness but sometimes I can get a bit carried away in that area.  I also appreciate the fact that this didn’t flake or smudge throughout the day and I loved how long the brush was – it made it really easy to get those little lashes in the corners of my eyes.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette: This was a birthday gift and I was able to use it a few times in December before my eyes got infected.  I just started using it again last week because I definitely did not want to risk contaminating this.  It is a beautiful palette!  I can’t get over how soft and blendable the shadows are and I love the cocoa scent.

 

Bare Minerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 (Top Shelf): As mentioned above, when I was dealing with my eye infection the last thing I wanted to do was contaminate my eye makeup.  SO I dug through my makeup collection and pulled out this eyeshadow duo and figured I would use it (and only it!) until my eyes improved.  I didn’t expect much from it but I’m happy to report that this little palette blew me away! Each shadow is super buttery and soft and pretty darn pigmented, particularly the gold/bronze shade.  And they have some serious lasting power!  These were still going strong by the end of my 12 hour day – no creasing or fading at all! The only drawback I did notice was that there was definitely some fallout from these which was a little annoying (you can see how messy it gets in the picture above).  But ultimately it’s convinced me that I need to try some additional Bare Minerals shadows because I think they’re hidden gems!

Buxom Full On Lipstick (Brooklyn) / Full-On Lip Polish (Sophia): I received each of these in separate gift sets late last year but only started using the two of them together in January.  I love the formula of each of these – the lipstick is super moisturizing, very pigmented and the polish is super glossy, tingly and not sticky.  I wasn’t super crazy about the shades on their own – Brooklyn is a brownish/pink and Sophia is a very sheer pink.  But together they’re fabulous!  These are just small sample sizes but I’ve made a significant dent in both of them as I’ve basically been wearing these the entire month.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask: I already raved about this in my 2015 Favorites so I won’t repeat myself except to say that I’m still using this and I’m still loving it.  Totally buying the full size of this once I run out.

St Ives Fresh Hydration Lotion (Citrus & Vitamin C): I’ve had this for a while but have only started using in regularly the last month or so.  I really wanted to try out one of these aerosol spray lotions and I’m really glad I did!  I like the ease in which I can apply this – I can spray with one hand and rub it in with the other.  I also really like how lightweight the actual lotion is.  If I’m being honest I hate thick lotions that take forever to sink in, especially in the mornings when I’m getting ready for work.  This absorbs quickly but still keeps me moisturized throughout the day.  And it smells really bright and fresh!

Marc Jacobs DOT Fragrance: Normally I wouldn’t include a little fragrance sample in my favourites but this was a pleasant surprise!  This was a small little spritzer but I was able to ration it out over 5 days because this is a POTENT perfume.  Which in my mind is great, I hate fragrances that wear off throughout the day.  The scent is described as one containing red berries, dragonfruit, and honeysuckle and notes of jasmine, coconut water and orange blossom.  Ultimately its sweet, fruity and a little musky which is totally my preference when it comes to perfumes.

Hot Tools Hot Styler 1 1/2″ Thermal Hot Brush: I’m not going to say too much about this because I want to do a full review of it later on but I LOVE this tool!  It literally takes me half the time to round brush my hair with this as it does with a regular round brush.  And it leaves my hair much smoother.  Bonus – it’s currently on sale!

The Mindy Project: I started watching this at the beginning of this month and I’ve been hooked ever since.  I love finding shows that truly make me LOL because that’s rare (maybe I have high standards?) – I hate cheesy humour.  The Mindy Project isn’t free from the odd cheesy moment, but the majority of it is filled with inappropriate, non-politically correct humour.  Totally gained a new respect for Mindy Kailing through this as well; I used to watch the Office and while she had some funny moments, it pales in comparison to her performance here.  I may see glimpses of myself in her at times as well – not sure if that’s a good thing but it makes me laugh and I love it!

LETDOWN

Tom Ford Black Orchid: My second perfume sample that made it into this post but this one didn’t fare so well.  It’s my lonely letdown for the month.  This may be the most overpowering, heavy perfume I’ve ever tried and I hated it.  It’s super musky and warm and sweet. I really didn’t like it as soon as I applied it, but I gave it a chance to sit on my skin for a bit to see if it would change once mixed with my skin.  It didn’t, it just got stronger and more potent.  Not a fan!

What products did you enjoy (and not enjoy!) this month?  Let me know below!

Thanks for reading!

What I Got for Christmas & My Birthday (2015)!

Christmas & New Years seems like it was forever ago but because I was sick after Christmas, I didn’t have a chance to share what I received, so I thought better late than never! My birthday is on New Years Eve, so I’m combining both sets of gifts into one post. I was pretty much spoiled this year by everyone so I’m very thankful to everyone for gifting me such wonderful things!

Receiving perfume, in the words of Buddy the Elf, is my favourite!  I love trying and discovering new types and changing up what I wear on a daily basis – so I like having lots of options.  Which is probably why I received these 3 bottles for Christmas!Fantasy – Britney Spears:This is one of my favourite perfumes so I was very happy to receive another bottle of this.  Yes, it’s Britney Spears but I’ve worn this for years and it smells sooo good!  And the bottle is really pretty too.
Seductive – Guess: My MIL gave me this and it’s not one I would have picked up on my own, but it’s a nice addition to my collection.  I really like the classic design of the bottle.
BonBon – Viktor & Rolf: Okay, first can we talk about this glorious packaging?  It’s a BOW.  As if that isn’t enough on its own, it also included a special edition rhinestone encrusted bow around the top.  Not only is the bottle itself gorgeous, the perfume is beautiful too – it smells sweet and slightly fruit, with a slight hint of muskiness.  This was a gift from my parents and it’s essentially me in perfume form.

Foreo ISSA Toothbrush: D bought me this and before I opened it, he told me that it was a last-minute gift and I can return it and he didn’t know why he bought it?  I didn’t really know what to expect so I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it and discovered this toothbrush.  I had seen these in Sephora before and thought they looked cool but gawked at the price tag. Unfortunatley the reviews I’ve read on this aren’t that great…so I might return this.  I haven’t used it yet so that’s still an option.  Still deciding.

Rocky Mountain Soap Lavender Bath Salts, Vanilla & Ginger Bubble Bath (no longer available), Vanilla Mint Soap, Root Beer Lip Butter: I’m a HUGE bath person so I really enjoy receiving bath products.  I’ve used Rocky Mountain Soap’s products before so I’m familiar with several of these.  I’ve been using the Bubble Bath for a week now and I like it – it foams up nicely and it smells pleasantly of ginger ale (unfortunately it’s limited edition).  The Bath Salts are heavily lavender scented which I personally don’t mind – I like using these before bed.  The lip balm smells exactly like a glass of root beer which is right up my alley; I haven’t tried the soap yet but I’ve placed it near my bathtub and will soon.

Too Faced The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette:  My parents gave me this for my birthday which was fantastic because I’ve been coveting this for a while.  I’ve only had a chance to use it twice since I received it (due to my pink eye) but so far, I’ve been really impressed.  The shadows are very pigmented, super buttery and blend so easily.  And they smell amazing!  Full review to follow.

Bite Beauty Mauvember Luminous Creme Lipstick (no longer available online; not pictured): I can’t believe I forgot to include this in the picture above because I adore this lipstick!  The colour is gorgeous, the formula is beautiful (silky smooth) and it has convinced me that I need more Bite Beauty lip products in my life.  Although it’s no longer online, the last time I was in Sephora I still saw a few of these left near the checkouts so snatch this up if you can as it’s (sadly) limited edition!

Sephora Look Color in the Eye Brush Capsule: My mom included this in my stocking and I think this is a great gift for any beauty-lover.  This is perfect little set to throw in your travel bag or purse; plus they come in great colours.

Precious Moments Snowman Snow Globe: Despite having Rubbermaid bins on top of Rubbermaid bins of Christmas decor, one thing I did not have was a snow globe.  I’ve been looking for a nice one for a while, and my parents surprised me with this Precious Moments one for Christmas. Sometimes the figurines in snow globes can look kind of cheap so I like how carefully crafted this is.  It also plays music – the song being “Vivaldi’s Winter.”  Definitely one of my favourite Christmas gifts.

Kate Spade New York Cornelia Pave Bezel Watch: This was a birthday gift from D but I knew I was getting it.  I’ve been eyeing this watch for months and when we were in New York in the Fall it was on sale at Macy’s for a really good price.  So he bought it for me and stored it away for my birthday.  Honestly, I can’t stop staring at this when I wear it – it’s just so pretty and sparkly!  One thing I didn’t notice until today is that the back is engraved with “In a New York Minute” – if I didn’t associate this with our New York trip before, I most definitely will now.  ❤

Swarovski Megan Pendant: Another gift from D, this time for Christmas.  I wasn’t sure about this when I first opened it because it seemed a little large for my liking but I wore it on Christmas Day and received lots of compliments.  I think it’ll be a great special occasion necklace, which is something that I actually don’t have a lot of.

I also received gift cards to Sephora and the mall which are burning a hole in my pocket!  I really want to go blow them all this weekend but I’m trying to be more mindful of my purchases this year and make sure I’m buying things I REALLY want and love.  We’ll see how long that lasts.

What did you get for Christmas?  Let me know below!

Have a beautiful day!

Top 15 of 2015 – Beauty!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas with family and friends!  I can’t believe that Christmas has come and gone already – everything just seems to go by so fast.  While Christmas was fun, it was super busy, a bit chaotic and stressful before and during so I enjoyed spending the last couple of days relaxing and decompressing.  But now it’s time to get back into blogging!

Since the beginning of December I’ve been contemplating how to compile my top products of 2015…do I put everything into one post or break them out into categories in a series???  Then I saw Leighann Says do her Top 15 Favorites of 2015 on her YouTube channel and my decision was made – it seemed like an easy way to do it!   I thought I’d have no issue narrowing my list down to 15 products…I was wrong!  I was surprised at how many products I used this year that I actually liked!  However I made sure I was mindful as I went through them so that the products I’m mentioning here were ones that I truly loved and actually deserved to be on my list.  The majority of these have been included in my monthly Loves and Letdowns posts but there are a few that I have been enjoying over the last month or so too (and would have been included in my December Loves & Letdowns had I done one).

On to my list:

1. Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Primer: The fact that I purchased the full size of this primer says a lot.  I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did – I figured it would leave me greasy and oily by the end of the day but it actually does the opposite.  It gives my skin a natural glow and leaves it feeling hydrated and moisturized.  The combination of this with the Covergirl foundation below is perfection.  Another bonus is the scent – it smells like coconut! Review here.
2. CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation: I can’t believe that my favourite foundation of the year comes from the drugstore.  Previously I’ve never had luck with getting drugstore foundations to work for me – they’ve always caused breakouts and I’ve had trouble getting the shades to match my skin tone. I have zero of those issues with this one.   I’m actually on my second bottle of this and I fully expect to buy a third.  Review here.
3. Bare Minerals Skin Rev-er Upper: I don’t do thick moisturizers in the morning – my skin takes too long for them to absorb and I just don’t have the time.  This can be used as a primer or a moisturizer, but I prefer to use it as the latter.  It’s lightweight, absorbs quickly but still gives my skin the moisture it needs.  Review here.
4. CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion: This has replaced my Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid moisturizer that I used and loved for years; I find it provides similar results for quarter of the price.  Review here.
5. Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask: As per my review linked below, I find this works better as a scrub rather than a mask but it can be used either way.  This is gentle while still being effective and it’s another drugstore bargain!  Plus it lasts forever – I’ve been using this a couple times a week for the last 6 months and I’ve barely made a dent in it.   Review here.
6. Too Faced Chocolate Soleli Matte Bronzer: I’ve been wearing this religiously since I purchased the Too Faced Most Loved Set back in October.  Despite it’s medium/deep shade description, it’s not as pigmented as expected.  Which definitely isn’t a bad thing if you’re on the paler side like me.  And the subtle cocoa scent is just the best.  Review here.
7. Milani Baked Blush – Luminoso: Everyone raves about this, and now I understand why.  This shade is so universally flattering and devoid of the shimmer/ glitter in Nars Orgasm.  And it’s drugstore!  This has been my go-to blush for a little over the last month or so and I’m loving it!
8. Too Faced Shadow Insurance: If I’m going to splurge on a eye primer, this will receive my money.  This is another product I tried and fell in love with from the Too Faced Most Loved set (which I actually should have included in this list!) and it is easily the best higher end eye primer I’ve used.  If you have oily lids like me, you’ll want to give this a try.  Review here.
9. Milani Eye Tech Extreme Liquid Eye Liner: I tried many liquid eyeliners this year and this one edged out the rest.  It actually stays put, is super black and glides on smoothly.  Highly recommended. Review here.
10. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: Okay, I will warn you – this mascara does flake  But I don’t care because it does amazing things to my lashes.  I love the huge bristley brush and the super black formula.  It’s not perfect but its the closest I’ve found to it.  Review here.
11. Buxom Full-On Lip Cream – Rose Julep: I used to wear Buxom lip glosses years ago and I loved them…and I can’t remember why I stopped.  I recently acquired 3 mini sizes of these and while I love all 3, Rose Julep has stood out the most.  It’s just a perfect, everyday light pink shade.  I’m halfway through the tube and I’ve only had it in my possession for the last couple weeks.  I love how these leave a tingly sensation behind after I apply them and I feel like they actually do plump up my lips a bit (if only temporarily).  Can’t wait to give more of these a try in 2016!
12. Paul Mitchell Color Protect Daily Shampoo: Finding a shampoo that didn’t suck was a challenge this year and I tried out quite a few before I was successful.  This adds just the right amount of moisture to my fine hair, while still giving it a bit of volume without causing frizziness.  Bonus that it protects my colour as well.
13. Chi Magnified Volume Hairspray: My hair feels like my biggest enemy some days and trying to find styling products that actually do what they say is a constant struggle.  This hair spray has been such a great find for me – it gives my style a good strong hold but doesn’t leave it feeling sticky or crunchy.  Review here.
14. Beauty Blender: Previous to purchasing my Beauty Blender, I had tried a few knockoffs and was never all that impressed with them.  Yet I kept reading rave reviews on this thing so I finally caved to the pressure and purchased one earlier this year.  Best decision ever!  I absolutely love how this applies my foundation and concealer and if I want to, I can use it apply powder, blush, bronzer and highlight too.  And despite my continuous use over many months, it’s just starting to show signs of wear now.  I’ll be buying another in 2016 I’m sure! Review here.
15. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush: My one and only Real Techniques brush but my favourite foundation/face brush that I own.  The bristles are soft, it fits comfortably in my hand, and most important – it gives my foundation that air-brushed effect.  I couldn’t be happier with this brush!  Review here.

What were your favourite beauty products of 2015?  Are any of mine on your list?

Thanks for reading!