This & That – August 21

What’s going on with me:

Is there anything more frustrating than typing up an entire post, forgetting to save it and then losing it? *facepalm*

I placed an order for my first Love with Food box this month, thanks to Coffee Break with Dani. She was doing an unboxing on her channel and she had a 40% code and now that they ship internationally, I couldn’t resist giving them a try.  My box ended up costing me about $16 USD (including shipping), although the costs will increase the following month.  Keep an eye out for my review in early September!

Have you seen/heard?

Urban Decay is releasing a Naked Ultimate Basics Palette this fall, and I’m kind of liking the way it looks – it’s nothing super original, but I’ve hit pan on all the matte shades in my Naked palette and I’m considering a replacement for it.  Might be an option!

Have you tried any of these wild and wacky Oreo flavours?  I haven’t seen many of them in Canada, but I have tried the S’more flavour – which were really good, and the Red Velvet Cake flavour, which were just meh.

Recent purchases…

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes: I was a little disappointed in the last package of Olay wipes that I picked up so I decided to try something new. I was impressed with these – they removed my makeup with ease and were super gentle.  New potential favourite!

Ked Coursa Sneaker: I returned my Sam Edelman espadrilles that I bought a few weeks ago and replaced them with these.  Such a good decision!  These are so comfy and are made of a soft t-shirt like material.

Currently coveting…

RW & Co Lace Dress with Collar: I pretty much love anything lace but adding the white collar to this just makes it that much cuter.

CoverGirl Clean Matte BB Cream: Every review I’ve read/watched says this is nothing like a BB Cream but more like a foundation.  I’m not sure how well the matte formula will work my combo skin but given the drugstore price, I’m willing to take the risk.  Have you tried it?

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

• Loves & Letdowns Lately
• Review: Vichy Normaderm Skincare

Wishing you a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Follow me!: INSTAGRAM: @classicmaggie | TWITTER: @classic_maggie | PINTEREST: @classicmaggie

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!

This & That Fridays – February 5

Yay it’s the weekend!  And it’s Superbowl weekend which = FOOD!  I’m trying to decide what I should make for Superbowl – there’s always so many options.  I definitely want a dip – (have I ever confessed my love affair with dips?  If I could just eat dips for the rest of my life I’d be VERY happy.  Probably very large too but whatever).   I might try a queso dip out this year – this one claims it’s the World’s Best so with claims like that, how could I not give it a go?  Plus it only has two ingredients although I can NEVER find Rotel here in Canada.  #canadianproblems

Did you see the Heinz Superbowl commercial – omg!  WEINER DOGS!  The ears!  The little legs!  So cute!

I’m in love with this swingy trench coat from Anthropologie.  I want it!

I need some organization inspiration.  I’m trying to figure out how to keep our bills/receipts/mail/other miscellaneous paper things clean and neat so we’re not stuffing them in our junk drawer to the point where you can’t get the drawer open because it’s so stuffed.  AND what do you do with your charging cords for phones/Ipads, etc.?  We have them on a little bar area across from our kitchen but I hate how cluttered it looks.  I’m going to be scouring Pinterest & Houzz this weekend for ideas.

Have you seen the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette?  I’m really tempted to get it because it looks so pretty – but do I actually need a blush palette?  For $60?  I wish they sold them individually.  I’m so torn about Firebird as well – the colour looks glorious but I suck at applying intense lip colours (discovered that today – got to work with my fuchsia lipstick all over my face!)

I signed Maggie up for a 3 month subscription to FURKID by Paws & Play box and we should be getting our first box by the end of the month.  I went with this subscription service because I liked how they allowed me to customize the box based on the size of my dog, her chewing tendencies, gender and her treat preferences.  Also its a Canadian company so no dealing with pesky exchange rates!  Maggie (aka me) is eagerly anticipating receiving her first one and I think I’m going to do a post on it so stay tuned!

Have a great weekend!  GO DENVER! 🙂

Product Letdowns of 2015

In the midst of the craziness that has been 2016 so far, I almost forgot to include a post on what products didn’t work for me in 2015.   I’ve done posts on my top beauty and non-beauty products of the year, so I feel its only fair to include my letdowns as well!

I must say that I sometimes enjoy reading about what products didn’t work for others more than hearing about those they love.  It’s always so interesting to hear why a product doesn’t work for someone, and I have way more trust for Bloggers/YouTubers who do so.  It drives me nuts when their reason for not discussing disappointing products is that because “it’s too negative.”  I mean, how often does a product work for absolutely everyone?  Almost never.  /end rant.

So in the spirit of “negativity”, here are the products that didn’t work for me or I just didn’t enjoy in 2015!  Note that I have very sensitive, acne-prone skin I’ve grouped these into 2 categories – those that caused breakouts and other.  I had reviewed about half of these products at some point last year, so I included a “Coles Notes Review” that lists the highlights of my review, as well as a link back to my original review/post if you want more detailed information.  The other half of products mentioned were ones that I forgot to do a review on, or ran out of time to do prior to the end of the year.

CAUSED BREAKOUTS

Kat Von D Lock it Foundation

I realized that I purchased this foundation back in the summer, used it for a week and then returned it and never mentioned a peep about in on my blog.  And I was really sad about it, because I think this is a fabulous full-cover foundation.  It covers REALLY well, was a great match to my skin tone and made my skin look almost flawless…until I started breaking out that is.  One of the ingredients in this is Isononyl Isononanoate and I suspect I’m allergic to it (given that it’s the common denominator in other products I’ve used that caused a similar reaction).

While this foundation provided fantastic coverage it also had a tendency to cake up really easily/quickly.  I found that using my Beauty Blender really aided in avoiding this. It is quite thick so I didn’t need more than one pump – a little goes a long way.  While I’m disappointed this didn’t work for me, if you don’t have sensitive skin and are looking for a full-coverage foundation, this could work for you!

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation

I purchased this at the VIB Rouge sale back in November and given the positive experiences I had with Too Faced Products this year, I was very excited to try this out.  I had heard/read mixed reviews on it but I wanted to see what it was like for myself.

Unfortunately this was a great big fail for me.  While it looked flawless right after I applied it, within a couple of hours my face was a greasy mess.  It didn’t matter if I set it with a powder, used a mattifying primer, or a setting spray – the result was the same.  On top of that, it also made me break out.  😦  I think if you have dry skin this could probably work wonders on you, but it wasn’t for me.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation

Coles notes review – Separated on my face, highlighted dry patches, caused major breakouts.

More detailed review here.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder Pressed Powder:

Coles notes review – Controlled oil well but caused major breakouts.

More detailed review here.

CeraVe Foaming Face Cleanser

This was on my July favourites because it was one of the few cleansers that I’ve tried that actually removed all my makeup (including eye makeup) AND it didn’t dry out my skin at all.  After just over a month of using it I realized it was the causing some small (but consistent) breakouts.  I stopped using it and it went away.  Sigh.

More detailed review here.

eos Lip Balm

Coles notes review: Caused some breakouts around my mouth…but I haven’t considered suing them for my reaction to it (haha!).

More detailed review here.

OTHER

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops

Coles notes review – Couldn’t get these to blend properly nor last on my skin.

Full review here.

Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector

Coles notes review – didn’t mattify, dries up really quickly and left a white residue behind.

More detailed review here.

Dr Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner

This definitely made my pores smaller but left me oily by the end of the day.  Thankfully this is a sample size and I used points @ Sephora to get it.

Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion

Coles notes review: Left me greasy and oily by the end of the day, and left a white cast on my skin.

Full review here.

Rimmel Brow This Way Brow Setting Gel

Coles notes review – This made my eyebrows orange, it had a horrible formula and the brush was way too big.

More detailed review here.

NYC Big Bold & Precise Felt Tip Eyeliner

This is one of those gimmicky eyeliners that has two different tips – one that’s supposed to be thin and precise and the other that’s thicker and dramatic.  I can’t get either side to work – it’s patchy and watery and smudgy.  And it doesn’t last very long.  Thankfully I only paid around $5 for this so I’m not too heartbroken.

Essence Super Fine Eyeliner Pen

For $2.99, I really can’t complain too much about this eyeliner pen.  It’s super black and has impressive lasting power BUT the tip is super thin and damages easily.  As a result it becomes too flexible and you can’t get a precise line with it.  So while this one didn’t work great, Essence’s Original Eyeliner Pen has all the benefits of this one but without the easily-damaged tip.

Fructus Full & Plush Fortifying Shampoo

Coles notes review – Actually had the opposite effect of volume on my fine hair.

More detailed review here.

COLAB Dry Shampoo

Coles notes review – did nothing to soak up greasy roots and doesn’t even compare to my beloved Batiste.

More detailed review here.

Kirkland Signature Daily Facial Towelettes (available in-store)

I discovered these @ Costco late last year and I think I paid $15 for a large box of them.  It seemed like such a deal and because I’m generally impressed with most things from Costco so I couldn’t resist giving these a try.  Sadly these are probably some of the worst face wipes I’ve ever used.  They are so heavily fragranced and they dried out my skin like crazy.  And now I’m stuck with multiple packs of them.  I may give some away and I’ll use the rest to clean off my makeup vanity and swatches.

Dove Original Dry Spray Antiperspirant

Coles notes review – not effective, heavily scented,

More detailed review here.

Even though this is a pretty extensive list, I still feel like I forgot a few. I was kind of disappointed with how many products didn’t work for me, especially those that made me break out.  I know I have sensitive skin, but it can pretty discouraging.   The good thing is it really makes me pay attention to ingredient lists!

What were your product letdowns for 2015?

Thanks for reading!

 

Loves and Letdowns – May

Well I figured it’s about time I jump on this bandwagon, because why not?  I love reading other bloggers monthly favorites posts as it’s such a good way to learn about new products! Basically I’ll be sharing the products I loved throughout the month, as well as those that were letdowns and just didn’t work for me.  Pretty much the same as a favorites and unfavorites post but I thought I’d switch up the words a bit because I’m different, like this goat:

I laughed way too hard at this – hope it made you giggle too! 🙂

Enough about goats, on to the topic at hand:

LOVES:

NYX Butter Gloss – Tiramisu ($7.99 CAD)

I picked up this gloss a few weeks ago at London Drugs and I’ve been using it every day since.  It’s the perfect pinkish nude for every day use!  I find it works great on it’s own or on top of a brighter lip color to tone it down.  I love the formula – it’s super creamy, not sticky and glides on smoothly.  It smells delicious as well, I’m not sure how describe it (maybe like a vanilla cupcake?) but not overly sweet.  I’ll definitely be picking this one up again and I’d love to try the other shades at some point as well.

Maybelline Volum’Express The Colossal Mascara ($8.99 CAD)

Its been a long time since I’ve ventured out to try a new mascara; for years I was happy using L’Oreal’s Voluminous Carbon Black mascara.  Then something changed and it began to flake and smudge on me and I was crushed.  I’ve been in search of a replacement and so far this one has stood out the most.  It has the natural bristle brush that I like and it lengthen and thickens my lashes really nicely with very little to almost no clumps – which is really rare!  I find it flakes a little sometimes but I’m willing to live with that given it’s other benefits.  The only thing I’m not crazy about is the scent – it smells flowery.  Which I find kind of weird – mascara shouldn’t have a scent right?.  Doesn’t bother me though so I will definitely be repurchasing this one!

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Leave-In Smoothing Cream ($7.99 CAD)

Lately I’ve found my hair is getting super dry, particularly around the ends.  I attribute that to my use of my curling iron on a daily basis, in addition to my hair being colour-treated.  I also tend to only wash my hair once every three days, using dry shampoo in between.  I find my hair feels and looks pretty dry during those in-between days, particularly on day 3.  I came across this and thought I’d give it a try.

This is meant to boost shine, control frizz and smooth your hair without making it feel greasy.  I take a dime sized amount, and distribute it through my ends right before I use my curling iron.  It definitely makes my curls feel smooth and sleek and I find it does help hold my curls a little longer when the humidity is present outside.  It also smells amazing – a little bit fruity but nothing overpowering.  I’m very careful to not get this anywhere close to my roots as I can see it weighing my hair down and making it super greasy (it also recommends against doing so right on the bottle).  So far I’m loving this and would recommend it!

L’Oreal 12 Hour Infalliable The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner ($11.99 CAD)

THIS.IS.AMAZING!!! Best liquid eyeliner pen I’ve ever used, hands down and I have tried them all from the super cheap drug store versions to the higher end brand-name types.  Nothing beats this.  It is the only liquid liner that I’ve tried that truly stays on all day long and does not budge.  Yet it is simple to remove at the end of the day using my regular eye makeup remover!  I’m just blown away by this! I also love the super slim tip, it makes it very easy to get  precise line!  I have a bad habit of pressing down too hard on the tip when I’m applying liner and damaging it.  The tip on this is sturdy enough that I have yet to damage it (although I am trying to be more gentle!).  It’s also very pigmented and build-able – if you don’t get a thick enough line to begin with you can easily go overtop of it without it dragging and erasing the previous line.  If you wear liquid liner and you haven’t tried this yet – go out now and buy this!  I can’t rave enough about this, I’m in love!

The Original Beauty Blender ($26.00 CAD)

Okay, I really didn’t want to like this.  Previously I’ve used Beauty Blender knock-offs and convinced myself that there really wasn’t much difference between them and the original.  The thought of paying close to $30 for a makeup sponge seemed ridiculous.  However, I took the plunge over a month ago and ordered one to see what all the hype was about.  And at first, I wasn’t crazy about it. But the more I used it, the more I grew to like it and eventually love it and now I’m not sure I can go back to the knockoffs.  I feel like I’ve used and abused this and it’s practically in the exact same condition it was when I bought it.   No rips and no tears, unlike the cheaper versions where that occurred within a couple of weeks of use.  I can also get every trace of makeup out of it when I wash it which is impressive because I usually go an entire week of use before giving it a good cleanse.  It also applies my foundation beautifully and I’m loving it for applying mineral makeup! So I suppose I’m a convert now.  Which I’m okay with because I see the light now – this thing is really great!

LETDOWNS:

Essence I Love the Stage Eyeshadow Base – $3.99 CAD

I have super oily eyelids and I usually have trouble trying to find a primer that keeps my eye makeup set all day and doesn’t crease.  Unfortunately this was another one to ad to the fail pile.  It was super cheap so I’m not too crushed but it sure would have been nice if it had worked!  Despite the fact that it did basically nothing to stop my eyelids from creasing, I also hated the formula.  It’s super thick and dry and very difficult to blend!  The color is a little odd too – it has an orange/yellow tint which I’m guessing is meant to hide any discoloration and even out your lids but the problem is if I got this anywhere near my eyebrows it turned them orange!   Won’t be repurchasing this one!

Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion – $37.00 CAD

In my hunt for the perfect primer I picked this up a few months ago, used it for a week and it was promptly thrown into my black hole of products never to be worn again.  Which is disappointing because I used Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion for years and liked it.  Also it was pretty expensive (I should have taken it back, I forgot and now its too late). I found this did absolutely nothing to minimize the appearance of my pores and my skin was just a complete oil slick halfway through the day.  Consistency-wise it’s pretty thick and it definitely leaves a bit of a white cast on your face so I can’t see this working well for anyone with darker skin. I tried using it with different foundations and setting powders and I had the same result every time. This could possibly work for someone with super dry skin but it definitely wasn’t for me.

NYX Wonder Pencil (Light) – $5.99

This is supposed to be a 3 in 1 product that you can use as a concealer, eye brightener and lip liner.  I’ve tried it for all 3 purposes and I haven’t been impressed.  When using it to line my waterline, I could barely get any transfer.  I think part of the problem is that it’s just too hard and dry.  Same problem when using it as a concealer, I found it really highlighted any dry spots on my face, barely covered the areas that I applied it to and lasted an hour at most.  As for using it as a lip liner, I found it hard to apply – again given how hard it was, and it didn’t make any difference in the lasting power of my lipstick.  So all in all, a big thumbs down for this one.

That’s about it for May! Until next time!

Vacation Beauty Routine – Part 2

First off – apologies for the horrible quality of my pictures lately. I take all of my pictures with my iPhone which usually works fine but lately it’s been acting up and making all my pictures blurry and fuzzy.  😦  Can’t even fix them much using Pic Monkey.  It’s annoying but I’m hoping to have it fixed soon.

So today I’m sharing the second part of my vacation beauty routine!  I like to keep my beauty routine simple on beach vacations because after spending all day out in the sun, we’re usually pretty tired so we go for dinner and maybe a drink or two and then hit the hay.  I hate spending a bunch of time on my makeup and hair only to be back in the room removing it all an hour or two later.

So I know I keep repeating myself but the extreme humidity created so many challenges for me and my beauty routine on this trip.  While my skin was never been softer and in less need of moisture, it was so frustrating to spend an hour getting ready, only to walk outside and feel like my makeup evaporated off my face and have my hair go flat and frizzy.  I had more products that didn’t work than did work, so I’ll definitely be seeking out some humidity-proof products the next time I travel somewhere warm.

On the reviews!

Primer: Rimmel London Stay Matte;  $7.99-9.99 CAD, depending on retailer

I’ve been using this primer for just under a month and I love it!  I have what I like to call extreme combination skin – super oily t-zone (especially my nose!) and super dry everywhere else.  Given the humidity, dryness really wasn’t much of a concern for me on vacation (one of the few benefits!).  This product really helped keep me relatively shine-free and extend the life of my eye makeup and foundation.  Yes, I said eye makeup!  I use this as my eyelid primer AND foundation primer and it works perfect for both.  Love that I can use one product for two purposes!  It reminds me a lot of Benefit’s the Porefessional but for a lot less!  I’ll definitely be re-purchasing this one!

BB Cream: Rimmel London Radiance; $7.99-9.99 CAD, depending on retailer

I purchased this at the same time I bought the Stay Matte Primer.  I did a first impressions review of this when I purchased it and I still really like this.  It’s a nice match to my skin tone, creamy and gives me a nice light finish.  This is the “Radiance” version of their BB cream but I don’t really feel like it gives me any kind of healthy glow or radiant finish like it claims but I’m not too hung up on that.  The only thing is I didn’t find that it has a lot of staying power, particularly in humid conditions.  Going forward I’d propbably give the Stay Matte version a try if I was going somewhere warm but this one works great at home.  For the price, you really can’t beat this though!  I’ll be repurchasing!

Powder: Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed; $5.99-8.99 CAD, depending on retailer

So I was wearing this at home for about a month and I was really liking it.  It’s most definitely mattifying and I found it was really great at keeping oiliness at bay, especially on my nose.  However the last few weeks I’ve been experiencing some pretty bad breakouts.  I was going through the different products I was using and looking at the ingredients and discovered this has mineral oil in it.  I know there’s lots of claims out there that mineral oil in beauty products doesn’t cause breakouts but anytime I use something with it in it – breakout city.  So I’ve stopped using this and my skin has been clearing up.  Disappointing as I really liked this but obviously it’s not worth the breakouts.  Won’t be purchasing this one!

Mascara: Urban Decay Perversion Mascara; $26 CAD

I used my VIB points to pick up a deluxe sample of this mascara before I left on my trip.  I hadn’t heard anything about this prior but mascara is one of those items that I typically buy in the drugstore.  his mascara is super pigmented.  I’m not sure I’ve ever used a mascara that makes my eyelashes so dark and black, which I really liked.  Unfortunately, that’s all I liked about it.  It is super wet so I completely removed any curl I had in my lashes right after the first coat.  I like to coat my lashes a lot, so by the time I was done my lashes were stick straight and spidery.  It gave my lashes very little volume although it did add a lot of length.  I’m lucky enough to have fairly decent length lashes so I’m always looking for volume and thickness.  I also found it clumped a lot.  The brush is a natural bristle brush which I prefer, but it was really wide and thick so I was constantly touching my upper and lower eyelids with it.  Lastly, within a few hours I had raccoon eyes and flaking.  Ironically though it wasn’t so easy to remove at the end of the night.  As a result I would definitely not purchase the full size of this mascara.  Never mind the fact that it retails for $26!  Also maybe it’s just me but I find the name weird.  Perversion?

Shadow & Liner: Urban Decay Naked Palette; $64 CAD

I’ve had this palette for years.  Probably too long actually, I’m sure it’s probably expired.  But I’m slowly making my way through the shadows and I intend on using it until I’ve finished up every colour.  I always bring this with me on vacation because it’s so versatile.  I can do a nude eye or a dramatic smokey eye or something in between.  For the last 6 months I’ve been addicted to liquid eyeliner but I didn’t feel like bringing it with me on vacation.  Instead I used some of the darker shades as eyeliner using a liner brush and it worked great.

Side note – has this always been $64?  I don’t remember paying that much for it way back when.  It honestly seems ridiculous but assuming I did pay that much for it, I’d do it again as I use this almost every day.  It’s worth it.

Solid Perfume: Pacific Perfumes – Aloha; $28 USD

I picked this up in Hawaii last year for myself as a treat and I absolutely love it.  I’ve never used a solid perfume before but I’m not sure I’ll go back to using regular perfumes while on vacation after this.  It travels so well, and you don’t have to worry about the bottle breaking or perfume leaking in your suitcase.  The scent is light, musky and totally reminds me of Hawaii with notes of Bergamont, Cedarwood and Pomegranate.  It’s definitely lighter than a regular perfume but I like that – I just feel like everything should be lighter when you’re on vacation.  Love the packaging as well – the perfume is contained in a little sustainable wood pot.  The only thing I don’t like about this is the price $28 for 0.33 oz (yikes!) and as you use it the solid flattens out and it can be difficult to apply.  I’m not likely to order one of these online but this will last me a while given that I’ve dedicated its use strictly to vacations.  In the meantime I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for other solid perfumes to add to my collection.

Hairspray: John Fredia Frizz-Ease Moisture Barrier Firm Hold; $3.99 – $4.99 CAD (travel size)

I’ve honestly never had a good experience with any of the Frizz Ease products but I had this in storage so I thought I’d give it another try as well as try to use it up (I hate not using things that I’ve purchased, even if they suck).  This did absolutely nothing for my hair.  Granted, the humidity was really high (85% or more on some days) but the point of this spray is that it’s supposed to provide a humidity shield for your hair.  I’d style my hair as usual, spray this on, walk outside and it was flat and frizzy in 2 minutes flat.  Do not recommend this product at all and won’t be repurchasing.

Facial Wipes: Neutrogena Make-up Removing Cleansing Wipes; $8.99-10.99 CAD, depending on retailer

I’ve never really ever been a fan of facial wipes.  I find they never really get all my makeup off and I usually have to really “scrub” around my eye area to get my eye makeup off, which irritates the super sensitive skin around my eyes.  I picked these up because I’d heard good things about Neutrogena’s face wipes in general and thought the lavender scent sounded nice.  They also claim that they’ll remove all kinds of makeup, including waterproof.  These took of my foundation and other face products with ease but when it came to my eye makeup, it was painful.  I really had to rub my eyes to get my mascara and eye shadow off despite the fact on most nights I wasn’t wearing very much of either.  I also found the scent overpowering and somewhat irritating to my skin.  My skin is fairly sensitive though, so knowing that, I really shouldn’t have bought these in the first place.  Wouldn’t re-purchase these.

Lipstick: Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate #103 (no longer available);

I received this lipstick as free gift at Shoppers Drug Mart a few months ago and I thought I’d bring it along with me.  The rest of my makeup was fairly neutral and light, so I thought a pop of colour on my lips would be nice.  I’m typically not a fan of lipsticks, I prefer glosses and balms as they tend to be more moisturizing.  Surprisingly I actually quite like this one.  This is rosy pink cream and the colour is quite pigmented.  I didn’t find it super drying like most long-wearing lipsticks but I didn’t really find it all that long lasting either.  It’d last about an hour or two before the colour would start to fade and I’d need to re-apply.  I probably wouldn’t repurchase this just because lipsticks aren’t my thing, but for a lipstick, I liked it more than I thought I would.

Well if you made it all the way to the end of this – thanks!  I know it was a long read but I had a lot to say and share so I hope you found some of my thoughts useful!

Until next time!