Tag Archives: Johnson’s

Skincare Saturday: What’s In My Bathrooms?

Guest bathroom
Guest bathroom

I think we’re all a little bit curious as to what products people keep – be it in their bags, showers, makeup collection, etc. – so I thought I’d take you on a quick tour of my two bathrooms and the products I keep on the counters and in the medicine cabinets.

Sidenote: There’s a lot of PR products in here and most of them I’ve reviewed in the past. I’ll put a star (*) beside each product that was sent to me so you’ll know!

The first bathroom is our guest bathroom and, out of the two we have, it’s the one we use the least (which means it stays clean the longest!).

Guest bathroom - sink area
Guest bathroom – sink area

I like the idea of keeping a fairly clean counter in the guest bathroom (our ensuite is much different) so I don’t have a ton of stuff on display. Tis the season for Live Clean holiday hand soaps, so I’ve got their Vanilla Peppermint hand soap* out for use. I also keep the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Lotion* out in case someone is feeling dehydrated and needs a skin boost.

In my opinion, no bathroom is complete without Q-tips and cotton rounds, so those are there as well!

Guest bathroom - medicine cabinet
Guest bathroom – medicine cabinet

It’s a little bit empty inside the mirrored medicine cabinet, but that’s fine by me! I’ve got a handy Febreze in there because no one likes to leave a bathroom feeling ashamed (more specifically… in someone else’s house!) and honestly that Febreze is about six years old at this point. Those things last forever!

I’ve also got some QUO nail polish remover – I always opt for the hydrating ones if I can find them. Some more lotion in there – Avon‘s Skin So Soft Aqua Express* (love the smell of this one!) and the Be Delectable Hand Cream. Since I also wash my makeup brushes in the guest bathroom, I’ve also got a huge bottle of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo which is my go-to for makeup brush cleaning.

Ensuite bathroom
Ensuite bathroom

Time to move on to our ensuite and this one is a lot more jam packed with products! Once again with the Q-tips and cotton rounds, but this time I’ve got a Bath & Body Works hand soap in Crisp Morning Air which is one of my favourite autumnal scents.

Ensuite bathroom - counter
Ensuite bathroom – counter

To the right of the sink is a lineup of products that I use daily… or that I try to use up (namely some of the hair stuff).

  • The Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads* are one of my favourite quick face washes. The pads come soaked with face wash and have a textured side so you can really scrub at your face.
  • Dermal Therapy Heel Care is VITAL to me. I get heel cracks and this is the only product that will heal them.
  • Bioderma Micelle Solution in Hydrabio* – an absolute daily necessity for me. Helps to clean up my makeup mistakes and great for removing any makeup or oil residue at the end of the day.
  • Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Soap – I usually wash my face in the shower (where I keep another face wash), but if I’m not showering that day I’ll reach for this face wash. It’s kinda neat – it foams up like shaving cream, and thankfully does not smell like eggs!
  • Infusium 23 Leave-in Conditioner*: LOVE this stuff. I was a huge fan of the shampoo and conditioner, but I used those up a while ago. So now I’m finishing up the leave-in conditioner which I spray on my hair when I’m out of the shower. Helps detangle my very-much-in-need-of-a-haircut, far-too-long-hair right now!
  • Sun Bum Sea Spray* – I love using this during the summer to give me some crunchy, salty beach waves!
  • Living Proof Instant Texture Mist – Not a huge fan of this one, so I’m trying to use it up. I much prefer the volumizing cream.
  • Sunsilk Thermashine leave in conditioner: This is actually a bottle of water that I use to wet my hair if I got a kink in it and need to re-style it. I miss Themasilk/Sunsilk though. They were my absolute favourite hair brand through the 90s and 00s.
  • Pantene hairspray – I’m not fussy when it comes to hairspray so I just buy the biggest can out there and it lasts me forever since I only use it when I curl my hair.
Ensuite bathroom - medicine cabinet
Ensuite bathroom – medicine cabinet

Straight into the medicine chests!  There’s a hell of a lot in here, so I’ll keep it brief. I’ll also only be mentioning the products that are mine (which uh…. is most of them).

  • Secret Deodorant: Spring Breeze is my favourite scent and I haven’t strayed from it in about a decade!
  • Sekkisei Enriched Lotion*: Using this as my daily toner. It seems fine, but I don’t notice much of a difference in my skin. I do like using toners for some reason though.
  • Lierac Hydragenist Spray*: I don’t use this super often, but it’s a great hydrating spray when you need an extra boost.
  • Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Oil: It works really well at breaking up makeup, but I do notttt like the smell of it.
  • Marcelle Gentle Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes: The BEST makeup remover in the world, hands down. Been using this for more than ten years and they had better continue to make this throughout my entire lifespan!
  • MAC Cleansing Oil: Tiny baby sample I got with one of my orders.
Ensuite bathroom - medicine cabinet
Ensuite bathroom – medicine cabinet

And the last two shelves… phew!

  • Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream*: I use it… but I have no idea if it’s doing anything like removing wrinkles. It does help to rehydrate my eyes if I’ve worn makeup too much that day though.
  • Bioderma Hydrabio Gel-Creme*: Super moisturizing. I tend to put this on on days where I don’t wear makeup.
  • The Body Shop Drops of Youth – Youth Concentrate Serum*: Just trying to use this serum up. It’s okay, but it tightens my pores and I’m not a huge fan of that sensation.
  • tarte Lip Facial* and Mary Kay Satin Lips*: Two lip scrubs I just pulled out but haven’t used yet (just finished my Lush one the night before).
  • Korres Wild Rose Face Oil*: Almost done with this one and I really like it! It’s lightweight so you can wear this one throughout the summer as well. I usually apply it a few times a week at night.
  • Maison Jacynthe Eau Florale de Lavande*: I’m not huge into lavender, but the scent of this is refreshing and soothing. I occasionally mist my face with it in the mornings for a boost.
  • Embryolisse Emulsion Hydra-Mat*: This stuff is WILD. Super moisturizing but also mattifying. I don’t know how that works, but it does!
  • Bioderma Hydrabio Creme*: Feeling seriously dehydrated? This is the moisturizer for you! I only apply this at night because it’s SO thick and does’t play well under makeup.
  • Philosophy Take A Deep Breath*: This is a lovely gel cream that is my current daily moisturizer. It works really well under makeup, smells nice and is hydrating.
  • Embryolisse Eclat du Regard*: Super buttery eye cream that I’ve used a handful to times, but will be in full rotation when I finish up the Clinique one

Phew! That’s it! When I thought of this idea for a post, I hadn’t really stopped to consider just how many products I have in my bathrooms! Hope you liked the quick tour of the products I’m currently using on the daily. 🙂

Post contains affiliate links.

Empties – February through September 2015

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These Empties posts fill me with dread. Made worse by the fact that I haven’t done an Empties post since January, so that means I’ve got 8-9 months of garbage to talk about. This type of post isn’t even something I enjoy reading on other peoples’ blogs because it’s soooo cluttered with deodorant, toothpaste and shampoo. (Sorry guys.) But let’s be real here… no one cares if you finished up your deodorant.

With all of that being said, I do get asked for Empties posts and I do see it come up in search terms for my blog, so I thought I’d keep going with them. I do approach my Empties posts with the mentality of “if I wouldn’t put it in a monthly haul post, I won’t include it in an Empties”. So this is primarily makeup with some skincare. Enjoy!

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Duralash by Ardell: These single lashes are great for fluffing up your lashes without adding too much “fakeness” to them. I finally ran through the whole package  and decided to chuck them. Repurchase? Yes

Ardell Demi Wispies: I got a lot of uses out of these (maybe 7-8?) and really loved wearing them. They recently started to not stick to my lash line, I think due to glue build up, so I had to chuck them. Repurchase? More than likely, but not anytime soon since I’ve got a bunch of House of Lashes waiting for me.

Femme Fatale lashes in Catwalk: I was sent these and absolutely loved them. They’re soft and gorgeous (full review here). However, I don’t know if I was too rough with them, but after the third time I wore them, while I was pulling the glue off the band, a chunk of the lashes just fell right off. So now they look patchy and I’d rather not deal with them. They were gorgeous when I used them though. Repurchase? Unlikely. At the elevated price point, I don’t think a section of lashes should be falling off the band.

J. Cat lashes in EL13: These came in an Ipsy bag and I really enjoyed them. Easy to wear and just the right amount of oomph. Repurchase? Maybe, but I don’t even know where you can get this brand.

Revecen lashes in 6: THESE ARE FUCKING GARBAGE. They’re super plastic (like, they even look shiny), the band doesn’t bend and the edges would ping off my lash line. Repurchase? NO. Get the hell out of here you garbage lashes. Ugh.

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Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original and NARS Smudeproof: The Urban Decay one used to be my holy grail primer. It would keep my shadows in place without creasing and I loved it. Then, oddly, about a year and a half ago, it just stopped working. It’s like my eyelids adapted to the formula and decided to overpower it. Now it’s crease city if I use this primer by itself. However, I have noticed that if I layer it with the NARS Smudgeproof base it works very well. The NARS one won’t work on its own for me either though which is kind of shocking since EVERYONE raves on about it. Repurchase? Possibly, but I’d have to buy them together, which is just kind of silly and expensive. Right now the Milani primer is working just fine for me.

Duo lash adhesive: I used to love Duo, but I’ve found lately that it’s just not sticking as well as it used to despite the tube being relatively fresh. I think I finished about half of this tube before I gave up on it. Repurchase? Nah, I’ve moved on to House of Lashes glue.

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Barry M Nail Paint in Diamond Glitter: All finished up! I use this kind of silver/disco glitter polish exclusively on my toes at all times (and have since my teens). I loved this brand so I’ve actually had three bottles of this. I will say though that it tends to peel off in rather large chunks so I’ll probably move on to a different brand soon. Repurchase? I already have another back up bottle I’m in the midst of using right now!

OPI Nail Lacquer in My Boyfriend Scales Walls: I got 75% of the way through this bottle before it got too goopy to use. So handy to have a white nail polish in your arsenal for french tips and gradients, or even just wearing it on its own. Repurchase? I can’t since this one was limited edition. The OPI formula was great though!

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Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper: This is the absolute best liquid liner on the market. The brush tip makes this so, SO easy to use and I love that the formula is water resistant (it may say waterproof, but I wouldn’t say it’s totally waterproof). My only beef is that it’s not truly matte since it has a bit of a sheen. If they could only just make it totally matte this thing would be utterly legendary. Repurchase? Yes, absolutely. I already have another one cracked open!

Benefit They’re Real Push Liner: BE GONE DEVIL. This thing is an effing disaster to use. Chunky, not smooth and hard to apply. I’m so glad I got a sample size as I would’ve hated to pay full price. Repurchase? BAHAHAHAHA. …No.

Tarte gel liner in Black: Loved this so much. It stayed soft and creamy for over a year and I actually ran through the entire pot of it. Super rich in pigmentation and so very easy to apply to the lid. Repurchase? Eventually, but I’m already working through MAC’s Blacktrack fluidline and I have an Inglot black gel liner waiting in the wings… so it could be years before I purchase this one again. I do really, really love it though!

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Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream Kiss: I loved the pants off this lip butter! I loved the scent and the texture of it so much that it became my nightly balm. It worked well to heal my lips overnight and kept them very supple. Repurchase? I’m working through the Macadamia one right now, but yes, eventually!

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Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara: This gave me soft and fluffy lashes. Great formula! The only downer for me is the damn brush – I hate the double bubble. 🙁 Repurchase? I wouldn’t buy full size just because I never have to with all of the minis going around. I’m currently using another mini of this right now.

pur minerals Big Look waterproof mascara: A waterproof mascara is always nice to have on hand, but this one wasn’t my favourite. It added enough volume, but it made my lashes feel crispy. Repurchase? Nah, pass.

essence Lash Princess mascara: This one gave me a ton of volume, which is not something I expected from such an inexpensive mascara. I even liked the shape of the cobra wand since it made it easy to apply. (Full review here.) Repurchase? I would, but not in the near future as I’ve got a backlog of mascaras at the moment.

CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara: This used to be the be all, end all mascara for me. I used it for a year straight and loved it. I found this tube wasn’t as great as I had remembered, which made me a little bit sad. Still, a great drugstore mascara. Repurchase? Yes, but not right now.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara: This is it folks. This is my holy grail. Smoky Stretch gives me the BEST LASHES. The formula stayed quite wet for months which is something I personally enjoy in a mascara. (Full review here.Repurchase? Yes, absolutely. I’ve got one in my Sephora cart right now just waiting for the November VIB sale!

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Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation in 52 Vanilla: I finished it and now I want more. This foundation is the absolute best. It smells amazing and provides just the right amount of coverage for my tastes (light-medium). The shade range isn’t extensive, but it works for me! (Full review here.Repurchase? YES! A wonderful blogging friend was in England recently and picked one up for me!

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer: This is an oddly pink toned primer that I got in an Ipsy bag a while back. I didn’t notice it doing anything amazing really. Repurchase? Nah.

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Lavanila Vanilla Grapefruit perfume: I freaking loved this scent so much. I remember using it a lot when I went on vacation to Prague last year, so whenever I wear it now (I got another one) it reminds me of that awesome vacation. It’s a very sweet, candy-like smell, so use it sparingly when you first start wearing it. Repurchase? Yep, I’ve already cracked open a new bottle.

Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black: I don’t typically include little samples in hauls/empties, but I loved this perfume so much that it actually lead me to purchase the full size bottle. It’s not a typical “me” scent, since I tend to prefer aquatic/water scents (not that the Lavanila one is anything like that either) but I still really, really enjoy it. Repurchase: Yes, I think I’m always going to have a bottle of this on hand now.

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Bioderma Crealine H2O: Always a winner. I keep a bottle in the bathroom and one by my makeup table because I love it so much. I use it to clean up makeup mistakes, remove makeup and to refresh my face if it’s feeling grungy. This stuff is fantastic. Repurchase? Yes, definitely!

L’Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Gel: I saw this at a drugstore in Prague last year and since it wasn’t available yet in Canada, I decided to purchase it. I really didn’t like it though – it’s awkward to use (since it’s a goopy gel) and it didn’t do a very good job of getting my makeup off. I was really happy when I finished the damn thing. Repurchase? Not a chance.

Marcelle Gentle Make-Up Remover for Sensitive Eyes: This is my favourite makeup remover ever. I’ve easily gone through over 30 bottles in the ten years I’ve been using this makeup remover. There is nothing better on the market that I’ve ever experienced. 100% worth it. (Full review here.) Repurchase? Absolutely. I have another bottle already open and three more (they were on sale) sitting in my closet ready to be used.

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Dermal Therapy Heel Cream: I have gross heels – they crack and get dry. Yum, right? This stuff is freaking magic on them and actually heals the deep cracks. Much love. Repurchase? Yes, I already have another tube open.

Nameless tub on the bottom left: My friend Alison made this awesome body butter for me and I finished it all up! Repurchase? It was a gift and only she makes them!

Miracle 10 Light Serum: This is a gel type facial moisturizer that I wasn’t in love with. The scent is overly medicinal and it wasn’t enough moisture for the winter months. Definitely more of a summer moisturizer. Repurchase? I wouldn’t buy it, but I do have another bottle because of a blogger swap. So I suppose I like it enough to use it again, but it wouldn’t be my first choice of moisturizers to spend my money on.

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre: When I first got this a few years back, I didn’t think much of it. It’s a simple moisturizer that doesn’t smell like much, what’s there to fall in love with? But I kept going back to it, and buying it times and time again. This is my fifth tube and I’m still using it just as much as ever. Repurchase? Yep! Already have another one waiting for me.

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Jealous Body Scrub: I was sent this, but there’s no denying the amazingess of this coffee and coconut scrub. It smells like a highly caffeinated dream and does wonders at restoring moisture to your skin. (Full review here and here.) Repurchase? Yes, definitely.

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The Body Shop Shower Gels in Pink Grapefruit and Fijian Water Lotus: The Body Shop can do absolutely no wrong with their shower gels. The Pink Grapefruit scent has been a favourite of mine for something ridiculous like 15 years and I still love it! The Fijian Water Lotus is a new one to me and my mom gave me some for last Christmas. I love the watery scent of it. Repurchase? Yes! And definitely yes to both scents. They’re wonderful.

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Johnson’s Baby Shampoo: Oh crap, I was totally bitching about shampoo empties was’t I?  Bahahah. WELL, I use this as a cleanser for my makeup brushes so I’m basically telling you how awesome the shampoo is for my brushes… that’s different right? 😉 Repurchase? Absolutely and I already have!

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Makeup Removing Wipes: My favourites are the two on the left – Neutrogena‘s Hydrating wipes, but I’ll use the Boots No7 ones as a stop gap if I need to. Repurchase? The Neutrogena ones for sure as they’re the most hydrating/wet ones I’ve found and work the best.

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Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser: I don’t have an acne problem, but I do use the Clean & Clear products because I love the scent, texture and feel. Plus this cream one has a nice icy feel to it so I find it highly enjoyable. Repurchase? Yep, already have a new one!

Miracle 10 Cleanser II: This was a nice cleanser. Nothing miraculous, but hey, it did the job of keeping my face clean! Repurchase? Unlikely – Miracle 10 products are very expensive and since I don’t have problems with my face I tend to just stick to the cheap stuff.

Olay Fresh Effects Out of this Swirled!:  Ugh, I hated the scent and that just ruined it for me. It’s a fine grit scrub that worked well enough, but I hated the artificial scent of it. Repurchase? Nope!

Annnnd DONE! Wow. Nine months of empties all wrapped up. And, tragically, my empties bin is already filling up again. Ughhhhh. I may stick to doing this twice a year because that was far too lengthy of a post for my tastes. If you made it this far though, kudos to you!

What I Bought This Month – September 2015 Haul

September… you were a painful month for my wallet. Not only did ALL of the makeup brands decide to launch ALL of their freaking holiday palettes (like actually – they totally all did), but it was also a month I traveled to New York City (so obviously I had to take advantage of brands that did free shipping within the USA) AND Toronto IMATS happened. I’m actually physically removing my credit card from my wallet as of today because that poor thing has been rung up so many times I’m worried it’s going to burst into flames shortly. So despite my money flying out the window, this haul is actually a lot of fun because there’s a LOT of fun things in here.

As always, the haul is in chronological order, so there’s a lot more interesting things halfway down the page!

Johnson's Baby Shampoo ($2.99 CAD)
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo ($2.99 CAD)

The least interesting thing I bought this month is Johnson’s Baby Shampoo so that I can finally clean my brushes again. I ran out at some point last month and waited till it was on sale to pick up the large bottle.

Jealous Body Scrub - Grapeseed + Macadamia (free - swap)
Jealous Body Scrub – Grapeseed + Macadamia (free – swap)

The next whack of items are marked as swap, which some of them are, and some are just overflows from other beauty bloggers who want to pass on some of the love (de-stashing, as it were). I really like the Jealous Body scrubs, so I snagged this Grapeseed and Macadamia one. I’ve reviewed their latest scents right over here.

L'Occitane - Verveine body cream and shampoo (free - swap)
L’Occitane – Verveine body cream and shampoo (free – swap)

I grabbed these two L’Occitane products simply because of the name. Verveine (French) is actually Verbena in English, and I’ve somehow found myself sucked into The Vampire Diaries recently and they use verveine to ward off vampires. It made me giggle, plus I liked the scent… soooo… mine!

Mark - Crazy for cranberry scrub, Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean, Live Clean Creamy Cleanser (free - swap)
Mark – Crazy for cranberry scrub, Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean, Live Clean Creamy Cleanser (free – swap)

I’ll never ever turn down free body care, so I looted the mark Crazy for Cranberry body scrub, the Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk and the Live Clean Hydrating Creamy Cleanser. Because I don’t have sensitive skin, I am afforded the luxury of trying whatever skincare products happen to cross my path. Lucky me when someone else doesn’t want them!

Rimmel Provocalips in Make a Move, Rimmel Stay Blush! in Pop of Pink, Maybelline Rebel Bloom in Coral Burst and a pressed pigment of Rustic Copper by NYX (free - swap)
Rimmel Provocalips in Make a Move, Rimmel Stay Blush! in Pop of Pink, Maybelline Rebel Bloom in Coral Burst and a pressed pigment of Rustic Copper by NYX (free – swap)

Random assortment of makeup in here:

  • Rimmel Provocalips in Make a Move: THIS IS INCREDIBLE! It has unbelievable staying power and it’s not super drying like most liquid lipsticks. The colour is “fall appropriate” and I absolutely MUST have more in my collection. LOVE.
  • Rimmel Stay Blushed in Pop of Pink: These cream blushes intrigued me but aside from the texture and tube, there’s nothing particularly unique about the shade. Quite pretty on the cheeks though.
  • Maybelline Rebel Bloom lipstick in Coral Burst: OH MAN. I wanted this shade so badly from the Rebel Bloom collection but told myself I didn’t need it because I’m sure I have a near dupe in my collection somewhere. So I was mighty happy that someone had a duplicate of the shade and was more than happy to toss it my way! (And yes, it’s fairly similar to a lot of other lipsticks I own.)
  • Shawna pressed me a pigment (using my own tutorial!) from NYX. I think the shade is Rustic Copper… and it’s GORGEOUS.
Soap Stories (free - swap)
Soap Stories (free – swap)

Soap Stories soap… because who doesn’t want free soap?

Sonia Kashuk - Jewel of an Eye and Lise Watier Expression palette (free - swap)
Sonia Kashuk – Jewel of an Eye and Lise Watier Expression palette (free – swap)

The Sonia Kashuk Jewel of an Eye palette. I wanted it for SO LONG, but Target Canada never had it as far as I ever saw and I kind of figured it just wasn’t meant to be. Until a blogger destashed it and I was like OH YESSSSSS!

The Lise Watier Expression palette is full of pastel shades that I probably won’t get around to playing with for a while, but they looked super pretty so I thought I’d give them a shot. Plus I don’t tend to have muted versions of my bright shadows, so this’ll help with blending.

Bite Beauty Lip Lab Colour ($36 USD)
Bite Beauty Lip Lab Colour ($36 USD)

And now we come to the New York City portion of this haul. While visiting some friends out in New York, we went over to the Bite Beauty Lip Lab to get some custom lipsticks made. (You can read about that experience here if you like!) In the week I’ve been back I’ve already worn this shade three times. I’m amazed with just how much I love it!

Colour Pop Ultra Mattes in Mars, Tulle, Bumble, Donut, Trap ($6 USD each), Lippie Stix in Toucan ($5 USD), Super Shock Shadow in Coconut ($5 USD)
Colour Pop Ultra Mattes in Mars, Tulle, Bumble, Donut, Trap ($6 USD each), Lippie Stix in Toucan ($5 USD), Super Shock Shadow in Coconut ($5 USD)

Of course, what’s a visit to the US without placing a Colour Pop order? I ordered several of the Ultra Matte liquid lipsticks because EVERYONE is raving about them. The colour range I ended up with is a little strange for me, but I did manage to cut it down from 10 shades….

I also grabbed one of the Lippie Stix (Toucan) because the smell of these is intoxicating and I didn’t own any. And, lastly, the Super Shock Shadow in Coconut because I’ve seen it on two bloggers in person now and it’s STUNNING.

Houses of Lashes Iconic ($12USD), and three sets of Bombshell ($18 USD)
Houses of Lashes Iconic ($12USD), and three sets of Bombshell ($18 USD)

I recently went through a false lash meltdown: I was going out one night and I was trying different lash brands on… and nothing was working. The bands were too inflexible, they looked too plastic, etc. etc. Seriously, I tried on four different brands and I got so annoyed I ended up throwing everything out that wasn’t House of Lashes (which have never failed me). So I had an order placed and shipped to my friend in New York where I picked it up. The Bombshell ones are my favourite so far so I got a three pack. I’m also eager to try out the Iconic lashes because a lot of people seem to like those.

Milani eyeshadow primer ($7.79 USD)
Milani eyeshadow primer ($7.79 USD)

I also picked up a Milani eyeshadow primer at a Duane Reed while on vacation because I just don’t have access to it in Canada and lately it’s the only primer that’s been working for me.

Sabon Body Scrub in Lemon Mint ($33 USD)
Sabon Body Scrub in Lemon Mint ($33 USD)

Sabon is a bodycare brand that I first fell in love with in New York about a decade or so ago. I was happy to stop in and pick up some stuff but I kept it to a single item because the USD to CAD version is absolute BALLS right now. This is my absolute favourite product by Sabon: their Body Scrub in Lemon Mint. Between the scent and the feel of the product, I’m in absolute heaven!

Too Faced Star Dust palette by Vegas Nay ($45 USD)
Too Faced Star Dust palette by Vegas Nay ($45 USD)

And the last item I had shipped to a friend was the Too Faced Star Dust palette by Vegas Nay. I wasn’t originally sure I wanted this palette, but the price tag along with the extras (primer,  glamour dust and mascara) were enough to win me over based on value.

Too Faced Star Dust palette by Vegas Nay ($45 USD)
Too Faced Star Dust palette by Vegas Nay ($45 USD)

And I am so very glad I picked it up. The Too Faced holiday palettes aren’t really doing it for me this year so I’m considering this my “Too Faced holiday palette”. It’s phenomenal. The pigmentation is incredible and the shades are wonderful. While it could be considered a neutral palette, there’s still a lot of fun ways to play with the colours. Oddly, the two warm brown shades (Millenial and Girl’s Night) are my absolute favourites – those colours work MAGIC in the crease!

Urban Decay - Urban Spectrum ($65 CAD)
Urban Decay – Urban Spectrum ($65 CAD)

And now we come to the holiday palette debacle. WHY MUST BRANDS RELEASE THEIR HOLIDAY PALETTES IN SEPTEMBER??!?!? This is Urban Decay‘s Urban Spectrum palette. It’s available on the brand’s web site or on Sephora’s site for VIB and VIB Rouge members.

Urban Decay - Urban Spectrum ($65 CAD)
Urban Decay – Urban Spectrum ($65 CAD)

Shade-wise, I prefer this a lot more than the Vice 4 palette (that’s coming below), but it’s definitely not a standalone palette. Every single shade in this palette has shimmer of some sort. They’re gorgeous, there’s no doubt about that, but you’re going to need some mattes if you don’t want to look all shiny all the time. I didn’t pick up the Anniversary palette a few years back, and this has the shades I wanted from that  so I’m really glad to own this one now.

Urban Decay Vice 4 ($70 CAD)
Urban Decay Vice 4 ($70 CAD)

I can admit it, it’s the packaging that sucked me into this one. Urban Decay‘s Vice series always has a wonderfully large mirror, a well layed out palette and gorgeous packaging. I love how all Vice 4s will have a slightly different colour pattern on the top too – feels very unique.

Urban Decay Vice 4 ($70 CAD)
Urban Decay Vice 4 ($70 CAD)

But the shades themselves… are weird. Last year, the Vice 3 felt very cohesive. The shades were layed out nicely, there were colour gradients and complimentary colours… but this year I can’t figure out what the hell I’m looking at. There’s no brow bone shade (not for me anyway – that top left shade is more of a grey-pink pearl colour) so that’s awkward. I love the two oranges in the bottom left hand corner but that’s kind of it… There’s three oddly similar greens/aquas/seafoams in the middle row that kind of make me feel like they could’ve aimed for a bit more variety. I don’t know man… it’s a WEIRD palette. And I really only got it for the outer packaging. What a doofus.

https://instagram.com/p/7qqhzsRayI/

Argh, I forgot to take a picture of the Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix palette ($71 CAD). This is the palette I was most excited about for Holiday 2015. The shades in this palette are to die for and I cannot wait to swatch them all and create a bunch of makeup looks. It’s a bit on backlog though as I work through the other palettes first! The only thing I’m not keen on is the packaging. It pulls out like a record, which sounded cool and all… until you tried to use it and then it was just annoying. Ah well, you can’t beat those shades!

Viseart Editorial Brights ($80 CAD)
Viseart Editorial Brights ($80 CAD)

The remainder of this haul are items I got from IMATS! When I found out that Viseart was going to be available via Frends, it became my number one place to stop. When I got there, they didn’t even have the palettes available to swatch yet (or even out of their crates), but I knew exactly which one I wanted – the Editorial Brights. It’s a spendy item, but it’s still cheaper than buying it at Sephora! Looking at this one just makes me so, so happy.

Lit Cosmetics glitter in ABBA, Peacock, Heartbreaker, Soul Sister, Disco Diva, Goth and Mary Jane ($50 USD)
Lit Cosmetics glitter in ABBA, Peacock, Heartbreaker, Soul Sister, Disco Diva, Goth and Mary Jane ($50 USD)

A bit of a random assortment of glitters from Lit Cosmetics. I originally bought three, but ended up going back later in the day for more. I’d like all their colours, frankly, but I’ll have to deal with building up my collection relatively slowly. In hind sight, I wish I’d gone for more of the neons, but hey, I gotta start building up this collection somewhere.

Zpalette - Large ($20 CAD)
Zpalette – Large ($20 CAD)

Grabbed a Z-palette because I’m running out of space for my Makeup Geek shadows!

Metal spatula ($4 CAD)
Metal spatula ($4 CAD)

And finally, a tiny metal spatula to help me get products out of containers when I’m getting down to the bottom.

/covers face with hands

That was… a lot. A LOT. I’m happy with what I bought and got, but damn son, I need to chill out cuz this kind of spending is not sustainable! How about you? Are you happy with all of the holiday releases? Or do you feel like they’re being released far too soon like I do? I feel like we kind of got dumped on this year and no one was prepared for it!