Tag Archives: e.l.f.

What I Bought This Month – December 2014 Haul

Oh December. So filled with holiday presents and limited edition palettes that I just want to devour. Forget spending money on other people, I swear I end up spending more on MYSELF during the holiday season. I feel like I need/want/can’t live without it and it’s not necessarily a mindset I want to be in because the closer I get to being a Sephora VIB Rouge, the more and more scared I get!

That being said, I was the recipient of some pretty sweetass gifts this Christmas (plus, you know, I bought things as well), so I am more than happy to share it all and pass on the lust that product photos induce!

Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette ($59 CAD)
Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette ($59 CAD)

Oh god. The Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette. Like, do I really need another neutrals palette? I mean honestly, I’m not even a neutrals kind of female!

Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette
Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette

But it’s got (slightly) different colours than the original, it smells lovely and… holy WOW, I was not expecting the slimmer packaging (I have the older, fatter version of the original Chocolate Bar palette) to make so much of a difference, but it really, really does. I’m more inclined to use this because I don’t feel like I’m pulling out a safety deposit box every time I go to use it like I do with the older palette.

I’m hoping she didn’t lick it…
I’m hoping she didn’t lick it…

I wasn’t the only female into it. Kolme’s getting a kick out of the smell as well.

I shall it “Cat with Chocolate Bar”
I shall it “Cat with Chocolate Bar”

D’awwwwwww.

Too Faced Melted – Peony, Violet, Fig, Fuchsia ($25 CAD each)
Too Faced Melted – Peony, Violet, Fig, Fuchsia ($25 CAD each)

And then… and then the Too Faced Melteds happened. I already owned three, but I got five more throughout the month of December. FIVE. I cannot go on about these enough – seriously, best lipstick ever (go check out my rave on Lipstick & Lullabies). So much so that I’m trying to avoid buying other lipsticks because I know they’re just not going to be as amazing as these are. I was gifted Melted Peony by Chantal during a Secret Santa exchange, I picked up Melted Violet and Melted Fig during a Sephora order, and my husband gifted me Melted Fuchsia and Melted Ruby for Christmas. What a serious score. Yessssss!

Bite Beauty Mix N’ Mingle Lip Mini in Musk/Retsina
Bite Beauty Mix N’ Mingle Lip Mini in Musk/Retsina

I was also gifted a Bite Beauty lipstick duo (Retsina and Musk) by Chantal as well! My shot on the right is pretty awful (bad lighting) but it’s nowhere near as pink as the bottom shade on the box depicts! I’m excited to try these shades out as I’ve been using Fig obsessively since I bought it earlier this year.

Lise Watier – Teal ($25 CAD)
Lise Watier – Teal ($25 CAD)

Dear god. This eyeshadow. I wasn’t able to photograph it that well (and boy did I ever try), so go check out Kalyn’s photography of it because that’s what made me buy it. At 25 bucks for the SINGLE eyeshadow, I  had a little bit of sticker shock. I have to admit I’m still cringing over having dumped the money on it, and even more irritated at myself that I haven’t even used it yet! But… the time will come and I too shall enjoy Lise Watier‘s Teal duochromeness.

e.l.f. Small Stipple Brush ($4 CAD)
e.l.f. Small Stipple Brush ($4 CAD)

I snapped up the elf Small Stipple Brush when I happened to be at Target over the holidays (I’m never at Target). Emily Noel goes on and on about this brush so I figured I too must have it in my collection.

Real Techniques – Lash/Brow Groomer ($7.99 CAD)
Real Techniques – Lash/Brow Groomer ($7.99 CAD)

This was bought as a filler item on an Amazon order to bring me up to the free shipping threshold (sigh). I’ve sort of been wanting a lash comb… but not really. I’m sure it’ll come in handy at some point.

Urban Decay Vice palette (2014 edition)
Urban Decay Vice palette (2014 edition)

Ohhhh yes. When my mom asked what I wanted for Christmas in November, I essentially told her she had to go rush out and get the Urban Decay Vice palette from Sephora pronto because I was worried they’d be sold out.

Urban Decay Vice palette (2014 edition)
Urban Decay Vice palette (2014 edition)

And like a champ, she pulled through (and it IS in fact sold out on Sephora’s site now). I had been lusting over this ever since I started seeing it pop up in several YouTube videos. This is the kind of palette I want to have when I’m travelling: A few rows of boring basics, and the rest are bright, loud shades that I can have fun with. Super pleased with this one, which is slightly amusing to me since I had zero interest in the previous iterations of this palette.

Side note: Why the hell are beauty bloggers/YouTubers always so obsessed with the “perfect travel palette”? We’re always talking about the best palette to take on vacation with us like it’s vital to our wellbeing, but let’s be realistic here, we don’t travel THAT much in a given year to warrant the number of “travel-friendly” palettes that we have!

Blistex – Mint, Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
Blistex – Mint, Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm

A couple of lip balms I was gifted as well – both highly necessary for the winter!

The Body Shop – Frosted Cranberry
The Body Shop – Frosted Cranberry

Pair of stocking stuffers here: The Body Shop‘s Frosted Cranberry scent in a shower gel and a shimmer(!!!) lotion.

The Body Shop – Pink Grapefruit
The Body Shop – Pink Grapefruit

And yet more Body Shop stuffs! This time in the Pink Grapefruit scent (I’m a huge fan): Body Sorbet (totally new product to me) and another shower gel as well.

Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Cloths ($8.49 CAD)
Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Cloths ($8.49 CAD)

And what’s a haul without some Neutrogena wipes? 😉


Phew! Fini!

What’s On My Face – Volume 27

There’s an insanely cool look (to me) in this set amongst the usual ones. Read on!

20141114_look1-1

Standard neutral lid with bright lip combo.

20141114_look1-2

Eyes

  1. e.l.f. Coral Reef gold shade all over the lid.
  2. e.l.f. Coral Reef purple shade on the outer corner and lightly through the crease.
  3. MAC Shroom on the browbone.

Tarte‘s black gel liner to create the wing with Urban Decay Perversion mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Stay Perfect in Deeply Ivory
  • Bronzer: e.l.f. Surf’s Up
  • Blush: essence Pinky Flow
  • Lips: Too Faced Melted Candy

20141114_look2-1

I had a bunch of freebie items from No7 (well, FREE if I spent enough money on the brand… which I had) that I wanted to try out and this was the look I got out of them.

20141114_look2-2

Eyes

I first lined my upper lash line and outer corner of my lower lash line with Boots No7 Metallic Eyes Pencil in Purple, then I applied:

  1. Boots No7 eye shadow in Violet Shine all over the lid and over the liner.
  2. MAC Sketch on the outer corner and through the crease.
  3. MAC Shroom on the brow bone.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Stay Perfect in Deeply Ivory
  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Blush: Can’t remember!
  • Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
  • Lips: Soap & Glory Raplumzel

20141114_look3-1

Playing around with e.l.f.’s Little Mermaid collection.

20141114_look3-2

Eyes

  1. e.l.f. High Tide gold shade on the inner third of the eye.
  2. e.l.f. High Tide blue shade on the middle of the lid.
  3. Inglot Matte 338 on the outer corner.
  4. Too Faced Chocolate Milk through the crease.
  5. MAC Shroom on the brow bone.

To line the outer corner of the lower lash line, I used MAC Phone Number pencil and then layered Inglot Matte 338 on top lightly. Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes.

20141114_look4-1

I love how this look came out from a visual perspective. It’s in no way flattering on its own (even though I’ve given you somewhat decent photos above) but it was a lot of fun to create. I was looking for orange cut creases online for Halloween and I found this as a source of inspiration/outright copying.

20141114_look4-2

Taken at the right angle, this look is BEAUTIFUL in photographs. I love the sharp edges and the vivid colour. I wore this to work the day before Halloween (hey, any excuse right?) and it sure did net me some reactions alright! lol

20141114_look4-3

Eyes

I first applied NYX‘s Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil in Milk all over the lid and blended it out with my finger. I then applied:

  1. Sleek‘s neon orange from the Acid palette all over the entire lid, right up and over my crease.I then used Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper and carved out the top of the crease (keep your eye open for this), and;
  2. used Urban Decay‘s Blackout to blend out the edge of the liner upwards.
  3. Urban Decay Foxy is on my brow bone.

I used Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner to create the enormous wing and dragged it into a tiny point on the inner corner of my eye. I lined my lower lash line and water line with Urban Decay‘sBlack Velvet pencil. Estee Lauder Sumptuous Infinite Daring Length + Volume Mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: Hard Candy Skinny Dipping
  • Lips: Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Coralista

20141114_look5-1

Totally falling in love with this lip colour! Too Faced Melted Berry is absolutely beautiful and goes with a whole variety of looks (+obvious observation that it’s fall and it’s a dark lip shade, yadda yadda).

20141114_look5-2

Eyes

  1. MAC Vanilla pigment all over the lid.
  2. MAC Shag through the crease.
  3. MAC Expensive Pink on the outer corner.
  4. Wet n Wild Brulee on the brow bone.

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Infinite Daring Length + Volume Mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: CoverGirl CC Cream in 110 Classic Ivory
  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: Hourglass Luminous Flush
  • Highlighter: MAC Vanilla pigment

What I Bought This Month – September 2014 Haul

Settle in folks, this is another doozy of a haul. I spent almost two weeks in September travelling in Europe and this meant getting to dabble in makeup brands that I don’t have access to in Canada. I picked up a lot of different brands and products overseas, as well as a few new releases here in Canada/US.

Makeup Geek Vegas Lights palette ($37.99 USD)
Makeup Geek Vegas Lights palette ($37.99 USD)

The most exciting thing I picked up was the brand new Makeup Geek Vegas Lights palette. I hemmed and hawed over this sucker for a little while, but in the end splashed out for it. I love Marlena of Makeup Geek, and I *love* her eyeshadows.

Vegas Lights: Casino, Sin City, Roulette, Mirage, Desert Sands, Bada Bing
Vegas Lights: Casino, Sin City, Roulette, Mirage, Desert Sands, Bada Bing

The colours in this palette are right up my alley – specifically Sin City and Roulette. The bottom row really helps ground any look you can come up with this palette. I’m impressed thatMakeup Geek managed to put out a palette that actually has serviceable neutrals along with some beautifully coloured shadows. I think this palette is limited edition, in which case, consider picking this up before it’s completely gone!

Makeup Geek shadows: Chickadee, Glass Slipper, Shark Bait ($5.99 USD each)
Makeup Geek shadows: Chickadee, Glass Slipper, Shark Bait ($5.99 USD each)

When I put in the order for the Vegas Lights palette, I also put a few shadows in the order. I have this (completely useless) idea of collecting all the Makeup Geek shadows so had to plug in a few more for this order.

MAC Chromacake in Landscape Green ($31 CAD)
MAC Chromacake in Landscape Green ($31 CAD)

For this year’s Halloween costume, I’m going as Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Because of Gamora’s green skin, I’m going to need a heck of a lot of coverage so I hopped on over to the MAC Pro store and picked up a Chromacake in Landscape Green. I’ve never used a Chromacake before, or any kind of body paint before, but I’m hopeful that this will turn out well.

MAC pigment in Landscape Green (free)
MAC pigment in Landscape Green (free)

The lady at the MAC Pro store was kind enough to give me an insanely generous sample of Landscape Green pigment to match my Chromacake. In fact, she gave me so much pigment I was actually able to mix it with alcohol and press it into an eyeshadow pan. Very handy!

essence – Life’s a Cherry ($3.99 CAD)
essence – Life’s a Cherry ($3.99 CAD)

I’ve been loving the Autumn Peach blush by essence that I was previously sent, that I wanted to check out the other shades. Life’s a Cherry is a lovely pink veering on red shade. I think the lighting on the shot above really doesn’t make it across right, but so far I am loving this other essence blush as well.

e.l.f. Disney Ariel Eye Collection ($5 USD)
e.l.f. Disney Ariel Eye Collection ($5 USD)

The Disney Ariel collection was never released in Canada as far as I could see, so a friend in the US shipped a bunch of the products up to me. The eyeshadows aren’t bad, but that eyeliner is absolute crap.

e.l.f. Disney Ariel Bronzer & Mini Kabuki Brush ($5 USD)
e.l.f. Disney Ariel Bronzer & Mini Kabuki Brush ($5 USD)

The brush on this one is far too scratchy, but the bronzer is fairly nice. Pretty glittery, but still useable.

Ardell Disney Ariel Lash Kit ($8 USD)
Ardell Disney Ariel Lash Kit ($8 USD)

And lastly from the Ariel collection, a couple pairs of false lashes. They’re regular Ardell lashes but specially packaged up for this Little Mermaid collection.

Tarte – Rainforest After Dark ($26 USD)
Tarte – Rainforest After Dark ($26 USD)

My wonderful friend Sara whom I was vacationing with in Prague managed to snag me a few goodies in the US that she very kindly brought over for me. She managed to get an awesome deal on the Tarte Rainforest After Dark palette.

Rainforest After Dark
Rainforest After Dark

Having only ever tried Tarte’s blushes and bronzer, I was curious how their eyeshadows would perform. There are some lovely shades in here, but the palette on its own needs help. There’s no matte brow shade that works for me (the light pink is too dusty of a pink colour) and the pale lavender-grey is actually quite sheer and requires a lot of packing on. That being said, this sucker is super handy. The browns on the right side are wonderfully pigmented, the bronzer and the highlighter are wonderful and the blush is like all of Tarte’s blushes – easy to blend and looks great on my cheeks. This palette is wonderful for a full face – something quite rare in a palette of this size.

NYX – Fizzies ($5.99 USD)
NYX – Fizzies ($5.99 USD)

I had bought NYX‘s Butter Lipstick in Fizzies back in March but had managed to mangle it when I took it out to a club one night with me. The bullet broke in half and no matter what I did, I couldn’t put it back together. Since NYX‘s Butter Lipsticks still aren’t available in Canada, once again Sara managed to pull through and picked me up a tube in the US. Here’s hoping I don’t break this one as well.

Too Faced Melted Lipsticks in Melt Berry and Melted Candy ($21 USD, each)
Too Faced Melted Lipsticks in Melt Berry and Melted Candy ($21 USD, each)

She also snagged me two of the newer shades of the Too Faced Melted lipsticks. I haven’t actually tried any yet, but I’d been lusting over them for several months. As they’re cheaper in the US, I broke down and had her buy me two – Melted Berry and Melted CandyMelted Candy is AMAZING. It’s almost fluorescent and shows up amazingly in pictures.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul (free)
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul (free)

And finally, she also kindly gave me a few products that hadn’t worked out for her. NYX‘s Soft Matte Lip Cream is a product I’ve heard about constantly over the years, but had never picked one up. The colour above is Istanbul and I’m excited to try it out.

NYX Butter Gloss in Red Velvet and Fortune Cookie (free)
NYX Butter Gloss in Red Velvet and Fortune Cookie (free)

And lastly, Sara handed over two NYX Butter Lip Glosses that hadn’t worked for her. (Shock, horror!) I’ll always happily add more of these to my collection!

Soap & Glory Lid Stuff in What’s Nude (£10 GBP)
Soap & Glory Lid Stuff in What’s Nude (£10 GBP)

I had a layover at Heathrow on my way to Prague and made a mad dash for the Boots they had in one of the terminals. Thankfully, this particular Boots had Soap & Glory makeup products and I was able to pick up their Lid Stuff eyeshadow quad in What’s Nude.This is a handy quad to bring along with a super bright palette, quite similar to one of the Urban Decay Naked Basics.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker in Raplumzel (£8 GBP)
Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker in Raplumzel (£8 GBP)

Also from Soap & Glory is their Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Raplumzel. This is completely unlike any other balm sticks I own. It’s way more buttery and soft, very reminiscent of a Revlon Lip Butter except that this smells like caramel or something. Delicious!

Boots No7 Stay Perfect Foundation in Deeply Ivory (£14.50 GBP)
Boots No7 Stay Perfect Foundation in Deeply Ivory (£14.50 GBP)

Boots’ own brand No7 was having a deal on where if you spent enough money, you’d get a free goodie bag. I was interested in picking up more foundation from No7 as I already use their Instant Radiance foundation quite often. I got re-colour matched with their fancy handheld device and they paired me up with Deeply Ivory, two shades darker than what I had been previously using. I really love just how well the colour match seems to work with this brand, I’ve never been disappointed! I have zero idea if the technology is the same, but I’ve found that the Boots one gives me accurate results whereas the one from Sephora is seriously dodgy.

Boots No7 Lipstick in Sweet Copper (£9.95 GBP)
Boots No7 Lipstick in Sweet Copper (£9.95 GBP)

The lady at the Boots counter was doing colour matching to “find your perfect shade of lipstick”. I’m sure this suckers some women in, but it was really just about colour matching your skin and then finding a few shades that seem to match it based on some card they had. I thought it was basically a bunch of garbage, but I picked out a colour I didn’t think I had (yeah right) and it turned out to be Sweet Copper. Beautiful shade and I really love the consistency.

Boots No7 Exquisite Eyes Gift with Purchase (free)
Boots No7 Exquisite Eyes Gift with Purchase (free)

And because I’d spent enough money on their No7 line, they gave me this set. It includes a mascara, an eye pencil, a brush and a shadow.

Barry M Nail Paint in Diamond Glitter (£2.99, each)
Barry M Nail Paint in Diamond Glitter (£2.99, each)

I spotted the Barry M display and snagged the last two Diamond Glitters left on the display. I had previously gone through an entire bottle of it and I knew I loved it. I was happy to re-stock this in my collection because I can’t get Barry M in Canada.

Too Faced – Melted Nude (456 Kč)
Too Faced – Melted Nude (456 Kč)

Because I had loved the Too Faced Melted lipsticks that Sara had brought me up from the US, that I ran out at bought Melted Nude in Prague. Bonus being that it was on sale (price above is the non-discounted price) and it was cheaper than I could even get it in Canada. Sold!

Sephora Eye Lash Curler (315 Kč)
Sephora Eye Lash Curler (315 Kč)

This one was a necessity. I had forgotten my eyelash curlers at home and had to pick up a pair while on vacation. I’ve been using Tweezerman ones for years and I guess I just assumed eyelash curlers are supposed to pinch your eyes? Wrong, so wrong. I was happy to discover that Sephora‘s eyelash curlers are wonderful! No pinching of my lids at all! Think I’ll be throwing out my Tweezerman ones immediately.

L’Oreal Micellar Gel (119 Kč)
L’Oreal Micellar Gel (119 Kč)

Now this was interesting! I picked this up at Rossman, one of the drugstores in the Czech Republic, because I had read that L’Oreal regular liquid version was similar to Bioderma‘s micellar liquid. This is the gel format and I’m curious to see how this works in comparison with my other makeup removers.

Dermacol Soft Heel Balm (72.90 Kč)
Dermacol Soft Heel Balm (72.90 Kč)

Picked up Dermacol‘s Soft Heel Balm solely because of the packaging. I have nasty heels and anything I can use to repair them is definitely right up my alley.

Dermacol Party Time mascara (179 Kč)
Dermacol Party Time mascara (179 Kč)

I wish I’d bought more Dermacol, but I didn’t actually realize that they were a Czech brand until very late into my trip. This was another item bought purely because the packaging screamed at me. Not opened yet because I have a bunch of other mascaras I need to finish up first.

essence blush up! in Heat Wave and Pinky Flow (105 Kč, each)
essence blush up! in Heat Wave and Pinky Flow (105 Kč, each)

Snagged these two up because I’ve never seen them in Canada! Bush ombres are just way too pretty to pass up and the one on the left looks like a dupe for MAC’s Ripe Peach, a blush I had never managed to get my hands on.

Astor Lipcolor Butter in Feeling Feline (169.90 Kč)
Astor Lipcolor Butter in Feeling Feline (169.90 Kč)

Hot pink, slightly sheer and called Feeling Feline! We had to go to three or four DM stores before we finally found one that hadn’t already been used. I also like how it’s not cut at the top like all the other chubby stick lip products.

Catrice Liquid Liner in Dating Joe Black (94.90 Kč)
Catrice Liquid Liner in Dating Joe Black (94.90 Kč)

Nikkie of NikkieTutorials claims this is better than Make Up For Ever’s liquid liner. Sold!

Gabriella Salvete Glitter Enamel (89.90 Kč)
Gabriella Salvete Glitter Enamel (89.90 Kč)

Yet another 3D silver glitter polish to add to my  collection! I think this one is textured though.

Gabriella Salvete Liquid Eyeliner in Black (129.90 Kč)
Gabriella Salvete Liquid Eyeliner in Black (129.90 Kč)

I really don’t need more black liquid liner, but this one claims that it’s matte. I’ve yet to meet a liquid liner that’s actually matte, but hey, I’m willing to give it a shot!

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (15 €)
Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (15 €)

My brother brought this over from France as I was getting low on the one I had back in Toronto. I had thought this was around 7 or 8 euros, but it turns out it’s a lot more expensive than that. I wonder if the price got jacked up recently?


That’s it for this post! There were a few things I picked up in Vienna that I don’t have on me now (forgot them in the car, my friend in Germany is going to mail them to me) so they’ll be in next month’s post.

 

What I Bought This Month – March 2014 Haul

This is a massive haul. Epic even. I went to the U.S.  for two weeks and it was basically a “no holds barred” kind of deal. I mean… when everything is just naturally cheaper, even when you factor in the exchange rate, what the heck else are you supposed to do? Dive right in, throw money at things and have a damn good time doing it!

So buckle in. This is a big one.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover ($7.99 CAD)
Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover ($7.99 CAD)

And to start us off… the boring stuff. I haven’t seen my usual Marcelle makeup remover on sale in a while so I decided to pick up the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover since it was on sale instead. I’m a bit confused how this is oil free and yet there is two distinctly differently liquids inside that need to be shaken up.  I’ve not used it yet as I have a minuscule amount left in my Marcelle bottle.

Nivea Milk & Honey ($2.99 CAD)
Nivea Milk & Honey ($2.99 CAD)

I bought Nivea‘s Milk & Honey balm specifically for my vacation in March as I didn’t have a lip balm in a tube anymore; they’re all in pots which are really just too messy for travel. It’s okay… nothing overly special though. I’m not over the moon about the scent like a lot of people are, but it’s a serviceable lip balm and that’s all I needed.

Too Faced La Creme Lipsticks – Jelly Bean, Bon Bon and Coral Fire ($22 USD each)
Too Faced La Creme Lipsticks – Jelly Bean, Bon Bon and Coral Fire ($22 USD each)

My first stop in the U.S. was to Sephora. And I dove right for the Too Faced display. I had heard many good things about their La Creme lipsticks but (like a lot of things in this post) the Canadian price tag had made me go “NOPE”. I picked up Coral Fire from their original line and from their spring collection I picked up Jelly Bean and Bon Bon. They are unbelievably creamy and they have a smell/taste unlike any other makeup product I have ever sniffed – it’s lemon-y! I love it! Totally unique and completely unexpected.

Too Faced – Chocolate Bar palette ($49 USD)
Too Faced – Chocolate Bar palette ($49 USD)

I hemmed and hawed over Too Faced‘s Chocolate Bar palette for a few months. For one, it’s yet another neutral palette and I prefer brights. For two, I have a lot of eyeshadows to begin with. And then the buts started. But it smells like chocolate. But it’s so pretty. But it’s cheaper in the US. But it’s got a matte brow bone shade. But it has more than just neutrals (*cough*notreally*cough*). In reality, I didn’t need it, but I wanted it. I tend to skip over palettes because they’re “expensive” and I could usually buy more items with that money (even if it is less bang for your buck). But I really do like palettes and I want to have more of them and less single eyeshadows. I’m really enjoying this palette so far and probably the most boring shade (Salted Caramel) has been really lovely.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat ($35 USD)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat ($35 USD)

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes are just too pretty to pass up. I’ve heard nothing but good things so I picked up the one that suited my tastes the most – Diffused Heat.  On first swatch I was not impressed at all: The blush is way less coral than anticipated and actually looks mostly pink, a light pink in fact. I was a little incensed, even though I knew that this was supposed to be pretty paled-out considering it’s mixed with a face powder. In the end, the colour is beautiful on me and is an incredibly easy colour to wear. It must be because of the swirled in face powder, but I dare say this blush is idiot proof. I restrained myself to only one in this line… although I really would like more of them…

Bobbi Brown – Apricot blush ($25 USD)
Bobbi Brown – Apricot blush ($25 USD)

Bobbi Brown‘s Apricot blush was what I was expecting Diffused Heat to look like on the skin. I picked this up as it’s been mentioned a few times in Essie Button‘s videos. This is my first Bobbi Brown product and so far I’m impressed. I thought this would be similar to my Illamasqua blushes, but it’s (thankfully) not the same. I *never* get compliments on my blush, but this one garnered instant compliments at work when I wore this.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Gel Liner in Black ($24 USD)
Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Gel Liner in Black ($24 USD)

I picked up Tarte‘s Amazonian Clay Gel Liner in Black because they claim this is waterproof. MAC‘s Blacktrack is definitely not waterproof, and I wanted to give another gel liner a shot since I can’t seem to find a matte black pen style liner. I dare say this is darker than MAC‘s Blacktrack, but it is definitely not waterproof. At least not to the extent that MUFE‘s Aqualiner is (although that’s shiney and so disappointing in that area). I’m pretty pleased that the liner actually comes with a double ended brush that’s actually completely serviceable. Love that little extra.

Formula X for Sephora nail polish – Lightning & Turbulent ($12.50 USD each)
Formula X for Sephora nail polish – Lightning & Turbulent ($12.50 USD each)

I’d heard amazing things about Formula X for Sephora but since I’m not a massive nail polish junkie (I wear it frequently enough, but it doesn’t get me excited like face makeup does) I hadn’t ever really considered picking it up. And at $15 CAD a pop, you had better damn well LIKE it for it to be worth it. Well, I was finishing up my rounds at Sephora and just happened to spot these.

I knew the green (Lightning) was a winner as soon as I saw it, and bought it with St. Patrick’s Day specifically in mind. It’s chockful of glitter in a green jelly base – it. is. STUNNING. The black and blue one (Turbulent) is supposed to be a top coat, but I wear it as is and it’s also amazing. I’m so stunned by how awesome these polishes are that I really, *really* want more. The price tag is a bit over the top, but the ones that I picked out are totally unique to anything I own.

Real Techniques – Silicone Eye Liner and Miracle Complexion Sponge ($5.00 USD each – BOGO 50% off)
Real Techniques – Silicone Eye Liner and Miracle Complexion Sponge ($5.00 USD each – BOGO 50% off)

Next up, Ulta! They were having several deals so I made sure to take advantage. Real Techniques were buy one, get one half off. I really wanted the dual fiber brushes but couldn’t seem to find them (or they’d been totally wiped out by the sale). Instead I picked up the silicone liner brush (first impression… not great, although it’s a very unique idea) and the miracle complexion sponge (first impression… this is AWESOME).

Revlon Colorstay foundation in 200 Nude and 220 Natural Beige ($11.99 USD each – BOGO 50% off)
Revlon Colorstay foundation in 200 Nude and 220 Natural Beige ($11.99 USD each – BOGO 50% off)

I need to stop buying other brands of foundation because Revlon‘s Colorstay is by far my favourite. So for that reason, I picked up two shades for when I fluctuate skin colour throughout the spring. I snagged 200 Nude (Combination/Oily) and 220 Natural Beige (Dry Skin, because they were out of the Combination one). I’m curious to see what the actual difference is between the two types.

Maybelline lipsticks in Maple Kiss & Stormy Sahara ($7.49 each)
Maybelline lipsticks in Maple Kiss & Stormy Sahara ($7.49 each)

Maybelline‘s The Buffs have been out for a while now buttttttt since Ulta was also having BOGO 50% off at Ulta I waited to pick them up there. Unfortunately, all of the paler shades were sold out, so I only snatched up Maple Kiss and Stormy SaharaMaple Kiss is really brown. Browner than I had expected. But Stormy Sahara seems to be a good neutral on me, although I’ve only swatched it on my lips once.

Rimmel Apocalips in Nude Eclipse and Luna ($5.89 each)
Rimmel Apocalips in Nude Eclipse and Luna ($5.89 each)

Next up are two Rimmel Apocalips (called Show Offs in the U.S.) shades that weren’t released in Canada – Nude Eclipse and Luna. I already love the formula of the three other shades I have, so I’m happy to add to my collection.

NYX Butter Lipstick in Fizzies ($5.99 USD)
NYX Butter Lipstick in Fizzies ($5.99 USD)

NYX‘s Fizzies was the one Butter Lipstick I knew I wanted for sure from that line. Fizzies is gorgeous, although the texture is a lot less buttery and creamy than I had expected. It actually slides on a bit stiff! That being said, the lasting power is longer than I had anticipated and this particular shade is really, really pretty. I wish I had bought more shades but I tragically opted for more Milani lipsticks instead (further below).

Tree Hut – Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Brazilian Nut ($7.49 USD)
Tree Hut – Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Brazilian Nut ($7.49 USD)

I’ve heard of this brand, but never been able to find it in Canada. Tree Hut‘s Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Brazilian Nut smells so bloody good that I actually want to eat it (funnily enough, it does say “DO NOT EAT” on the tub).

Anastasia’s Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde ($18 USD)
Anastasia’s Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde ($18 USD)

Anastasia‘s Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde was a challenge and a half to find. Sephora didn’t have it. Two Ultas didn’t have it (and one Ulta actually had a note on their Dipbrow display saying they were out of stock indefinitely because the product was in way too high of a demand!). As a last ditch effort, we stopped in yet another Ulta and I managed to get my greedy paws on the last Blonde Dipbrow sitting on the shelf. I’m not much of a brow person – the only brow product I have ever used is MAC‘s Omega eyeshadow to fill them in, so I’m excited to try something new out. I’ve used it once and the colour match seemed quite good.

Milani lipsticks – Sweet Nectar, Flamingo Pose, Hot Pink Rage, Sangria, Naturally Chic, Nude Creme ($2.99 – $5.99 USD each – BOGO 50% off)
Milani lipsticks – Sweet Nectar, Flamingo Pose, Hot Pink Rage, Sangria, Naturally Chic, Nude Creme ($2.99 – $5.99 USD each – BOGO 50% off)

Well I bought into the hype of these Milani lipsticks – I just wish I hadn’t gotten so many of them.

Milani Lipstick Line-up
Milani Lipstick Line-up

They smell like fake watermelon and it doesn’t go away on the lips. The colours are beautiful, but they’re actually quite stiff to apply on the lips. They’re sealed in the store so I couldn’t even get a whiff of them before I bought all six of them. Kind of kicking myself now because I would’ve preferred more of the NYX Butter Lipsticks. Ah well.

Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks – Pink Velvet, Snow Peach and Black Cherry ($6.99 USD each)
Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks – Pink Velvet, Snow Peach and Black Cherry ($6.99 USD each)

Hands down my favourite brand/type of lipsticks. Revlon‘s Creme Super Lustrous lipsticks are better than anything I’ve ever tried, including MAC. I got the Black Cherry andPink Velvet at Ulta (again, BOGO 50%) and then had to HUNT for Snow Peach since it’s part of Revlon‘s re-released collection. (Honestly, took about 12 different drugstores before I finally found the display.)

JulieG nailpolish in My Private Palace & Golden Sunset ($3.99 USD each)
JulieG nailpolish in My Private Palace & Golden Sunset ($3.99 USD each)

I love Julie G‘s YouTube videos and wanted to support her nail polish at Rite Aid. I have another shade from a previous trip to the U.S. (Mermaid’s Tale) and the quality of the polish was excellent. The new shades I picked up are My Private Palace and Golden SunsetGolden Sunset is supposed to be textured but is definitely not (not a complaint really, I prefer smooth nail polish, but it struck me as odd that it would be advertised as textured when it’s decidedly not).

Wet n Wild Megalast Lipsticks in Just Peachy and Red Velvet ($1.99 & 0.99 USD – BOGO 50% off)
Wet n Wild Megalast Lipsticks in Just Peachy and Red Velvet ($1.99 & 0.99 USD – BOGO 50% off)

So you can actually get Wet n Wild products in Canada a lot more readily now, but I don’t tend to think about them when I’m in Rexall and I thought they’d be cheaper in the U.S.. They weren’t, but I picked some up anyway (because vacation money isn’t REAL money right?!). Just Peachy (903C) is much raved about by Tati of GlamLifeGuru so I thought I’d give it a shot, and Red Velvet (910D) is just a beautiful red all around. As a warning though, I wore the red while on my trip and it stained the everloving crap out of my lips. To the point where I woke up the next day and look like I’d been eating raspberries all night!

Wet n Wild Coloricon Blush in Mellow Wine and Pearlescent Pink ($2.99 and $1.49 USD – BOGO 50% off)
Wet n Wild Coloricon Blush in Mellow Wine and Pearlescent Pink ($2.99 and $1.49 USD – BOGO 50% off)

I own one of Wet n Wild‘s blushes, but wanted more, so I snatched up Mellow Wine and Pearlescent Pink. Out of all of Wet n Wild‘s products, these are the most awesome ones they have. Aside from the fact that they only have four blush colours, the pigmentation is wonderful. Highly recommended.

Wet n Wild eyeshadow in Brulee ($0.99 USD)
Wet n Wild eyeshadow in Brulee ($0.99 USD)

And lastly from Wet n Wild, I picked up single shadow in Brulee because I often just need a single eyeshadow to pack with me on vacations if the palette I’m bringing doesn’t have a matte brow highlight shade.

Milani blush in Luminoso ($8.49 USD)
Milani blush in Luminoso ($8.49 USD)

I felt like the last person alive to own this blush. Milani‘s Luminoso blush seems to be the love child of every beauty blogger and YouTuber alike. This was another item that was hard to find. It was either sold out or broken at almost every drugstore I went to. I did finally find one intact and snatched it up immediately.

Inglot – Mattes: 383, 370, 343, 317, 334 ($7 USD each, $12 for the palette)
Inglot – Mattes: 383, 370, 343, 317, 334 ($7 USD each, $12 for the palette)

We ended up at the Inglot in Chelsea Market in Manhattan, which meant it was completely empty and we had the run of the entire store. It was in a 5th floor loft area and it was wonderful! I put together a five pan palette of completely matte vibrant shades. With the neutral overdose of palettes lately, I needed a bright combination to make me feel alive again. I didn’t have a list of things I wanted, so I just went for colours I didn’t think I had. The one in the middle looks quite similar to MAC‘s Bitter which is the primary reason I wanted that one.

Inglot – Pearl: 393, 420 ($7 USD each, $7 for the palette)
Inglot – Pearl: 393, 420 ($7 USD each, $7 for the palette)

This Inglot duo isn’t for me, but for my mom. The left shade turned out way peachier than I thought it was in the store, but ah well. She’ll love the sponge tip brush that comes with it too.

Inglot – AMC Lip Gloss 541, 544 ($8 USD each)
Inglot – AMC Lip Gloss 541, 544 ($8 USD each)

And these. How could I pass these up? These Inglot AMC glosses reflect crazy, crazy colours and I had to have them. The pink one is completely wearable, it’ll catch some orange reflections, but mostly it just looks pinky-red. The white/blue/purple one… I have noooo idea what I’m going to do with that one, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out!

Inglot – Gel liner in 79 ($12 USD)
Inglot – Gel liner in 79 ($12 USD)

As the cashier was collecting all my items, I asked him what their best selling products were, or what Inglot was most known for. He took me straight to their gel liners which he said were so waterproof that he used them all the time for underwater photoshoots and they don’t come off the models’ eyes. I was pretty sure I’d heard mixed reviews, but thought I’d try one out anyway. Since I’d already picked up a black gel liner on this trip, I decided to go with the red so I could try out some new things. I’ve worn it once since then, and I have to say the gel texture is totally unlike any other gel liner I’ve ever used. It’s far more liquid in texture (not a problem, just odd) and if you don’t clean your brush off after you use it, all the hairs will fuse together. I love the colour and pigmentation, but I’m unclear on the waterproofness though.

e.l.f. Daily Moisture Stick ($3 USD)
e.l.f. Daily Moisture Stick ($3 USD)

e.l.f.’Daily Moisture Stick is a weird one. It looks like a glue stick, it applies like a glue stick, it smells vaguely like a glue stick, but… it’s a moisturizing balm. I picked it up on Emilynoel83′s recommendation and so far it has definitely helped me out with some nasty dry patches around my mouth.

e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator ($3 USD)
e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator ($3 USD)

My friend was picking up the e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator and I decided to be a copycat. It smells so good you’d want to eat it. The product was a bit rough on my lips as the sugar granules are quite large but I’m sure I’ll get used to it after a few uses.

MAC Prep + Prime for lips ($16 USD)
MAC Prep + Prime for lips ($16 USD)

My standard lip primer. I’m close to finished on my current MAC Prep + Prime for lips so I needed a backup.

Duo eyelash adhesive in Clear-White ($4.49 USD)
Duo eyelash adhesive in Clear-White ($4.49 USD)

Another replacement for a product I own. My current Duo eyelash glue is quite old and needed replacing. I prefer the white/clear version, so that’s what I bought.

Nivea – Berry Swirl, Olive Oil and Lemon & Caramel Kiss ($2.99 USD each)
Nivea – Berry Swirl, Olive Oil and Lemon & Caramel Kiss ($2.99 USD each)

More Nivea chapsticks! None of these flavours are available in Canada so in my basket they went!

Neutrogena makeup removing wipes (~$6 each)
Neutrogena makeup removing wipes (~$6 each)

More makeup wipes (they’re about half the cost in the U.S.) for my stockpile.

Makeup Geek eye shadows: White Lies, Vanilla Bean, Bleach Blonde, Preppy, Frappe, Goddess, Burlesque, Mango Tango, Simply Marlena, Lemon Drop, Sea Mist ($5.99 USD each)
Makeup Geek eye shadows: White Lies, Vanilla Bean, Bleach Blonde, Preppy, Frappe, Goddess, Burlesque, Mango Tango, Simply Marlena, Lemon Drop, Sea Mist ($5.99 USD each)

Makeup Geek shadows! Yay! I already own nine from my haul back in December and I had to have more. These are quickly replacing my MAC eyeshadows, and at the price point, you really can’t argue. These are softer, more pigmented and just work better than MAC. Highly, highly recommended – to the point where I don’t actually think I’ll be purchasing many more MAC shadows unless they’re a truly unique shade. Also grabbed a larger Z-palette to fit all my shades.

Makeup Geek pigment – Vegas Lights ($6.99 USD)
Makeup Geek pigment – Vegas Lights ($6.99 USD)

Along with the Makeup Geek eyeshadows, I ordered a pigment in Vegas Lights. On first glance, it looks very similar to MAC‘s Coppering which is a favourite shade of mine. Unfortunately I forgot to buy the new sifters for the pots, so this’ll be a bit messy whenever I use it.

Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser (x2), Olay Fresh Effects Bead Me Up! and Olay Fresh Effects Out of this Swirled (~$6 USD each)
Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser (x2), Olay Fresh Effects Bead Me Up! and Olay Fresh Effects Out of this Swirled (~$6 USD each)

Various facial cleansers that are (once again) cheaper in the U.S.. The Clean & Clear cleansers are ones I’ve used for many years. The Olay ones sold me with their pretty packaging.

Rumbles is very interested….
Rumbles is very interested….

Last up is a Fortune Cookie Soap order I put in to have shipped to my friend in Baltimore. As I’ve said before, the shipping cost to Canada for any kind of FCS order is so ridiculously high that there’s no way I’d place an order to myself in Toronto. So I took advantage of having a U.S. address for a short week and had a box full of items I wanted to try shipped to my friend.

Fortune Cookie Soap (prices vary between $2.99 – $3.99 USD each)
Fortune Cookie Soap (prices vary between $2.99 – $3.99 USD each)

Various Fortune Cookie Soaps I can’t wait to try out.

Fortune Cookie Soap – Tick Tock Whipped Cream, $10.99 USD
Fortune Cookie Soap – Tick Tock Whipped Cream, $10.99 USD

FCS’ Tick Tock Whipped Cream smells like clean laundry to me. I knew it was supposed to smell fresh, but other than that I didn’t really know how I’d like it. It’s okay, but not something I’d order again. I wish I had ordered the Make It Rain Whipped Cream (the one that came in the Spring Soap Box), but they were completely out of it when I placed my order.

201403_fortunecookiesoap_bathbomb

FCS also sent a sample of their Trendsetter Bath Bomb with my order.


HOLY MOLY. And that’s it. That was my ginormous March haul. I’m slightly ashamed about how much I bought, but the scary thing is that’s actually my tailored down list of items I wanted to pick up (!!!!). The next few months will likely not be that interesting in terms of hauling as I’ve certainly picked up enough items to play with for a very long time!