Tag Archives: Tree Hut

What I Bought This Month – January 2016 Haul

Monthly haul time! January’s haul is a bit of a mix of things – some items I received for Christmas from family members (but didn’t get a chance to photograph until January), as well as some birthday items (January baby here!). Enjoy!

Chemins de provence sels de bain - amande (free - gift)
Chemins de provence sels de bain – amande (free – gift)

I know little to nothing about this brand Chemins de Provence aside from the fact that my brother picked it up for me in France. These are bath salts and the scent is in Almond. I’ve used them once so far and loved the scent, although I definitely did not smell almonds. I’ve previously finished up lavender scented bath salts by the same brand, which you can see in my most recent Empties video.

Energie Fruit bain moussant en fraise l'exquise (free - gift)
Energie Fruit bain moussant en fraise l’exquise (free – gift)

Another present from my brother, and presumably from France as well since I’m totally unfamiliar with the brand. Fraise l’exquise de Energie Fruit is a shower gel that I’ve added to my collection but haven’t had the opportunity to use yet because I’m totally overwhelmed with all the shower gel I currently have in my linen closet, so this has essentially moved to the back of the lineup!

L'Occitane Pamplemousse + Rhubarbe shower gel (free - gift)
L’Occitane Pamplemousse + Rhubarbe shower gel (free – gift)

L’Occitane‘s Pamplemousse Rhubarbe (Grapefruit and Rhubarb) is a limited edition scent that my mom picked up for me in a shower gel (yep, into the closet it goes!) for Christmas. She knows I love anything grapefruit scented, and the rhubarb is a great addition to the scent!

Neutrogena Oil-Free Cleansing Wipes Pink Grapefruit (free - gift)
Neutrogena Oil-Free Cleansing Wipes Pink Grapefruit (free – gift)

Annnnd since she knows I love grapefruit so much, she also picked up a pack of Neutrogena grapefruit wipes for me. Made me laugh when I opened the package!

Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer (free - gift)
Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer (free – gift)

My mother in law gifted me this Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer. I had heard about in-shower moisturizers (like the one by Nivea), but I had never tried them out. This one is slightly different in the sense that you apply it just after you’ve gotten out of the shower, but before you towel off. While it feels like a normal moisturizer, what’s cool to me is that unlike a normal moisturizer, this works with the moisture on your skin in order to hydrate your limbs. Usually if I apply a typical moisturizer to wet skin it slides right off – this one doesn’t! So after I’ve applied to my wet skin, I towel/pat myself try and I’m good to go. Really, really handy for quick moisturizing without having to worry about it needing to sink in for a lengthy period of time!

Burt's Bees Mango lip balm and Lemon Butter cuticle cream (free - gift)
Burt’s Bees Mango lip balm and Lemon Butter cuticle cream (free – gift)

One of the cute things my mother in law put in my stocking (hi Ruth!) are these Burt’s Bees items; a lip balm and a cuticle cream. She had read in my stocking stuffer guide (prior to Christmas) that my grandmother would typically put a Burt’s Bees lipbalm in my stocking, so she decided to keep the tradition going since we were in Wisconsin this year and not in Ottawa! Very sweet touch. 🙂

Chap Stick lip balm in Pumpkin Pie and Candy Cane (think I paid $3 USD for both)
Chap Stick lip balm in Pumpkin Pie and Candy Cane (think I paid $3 USD for both)

Sooo here in Canada, I’ve never seen Chap Stick in these cool scents. I’d seen plenty of American bloggers and YouTubers mention them, but they never seemed to be available in Canada. I need lip balm like I need more shower gel (which is to say not at all!), but I wanted these because I just can’t find them here! The Pumpkin Pie one is incredible (so, so nice to wear that one) and the Candy Cane one is as to be expected – very candy cane-like. Currently wishing I’d also picked up the Cake Batter one as well, but I think it would’ve been a little too sweet for my tastes.

LORAC Mega Pro 2 ($55 USD)
LORAC Mega Pro 2 ($55 USD)

Alright, here’s a biggie! My mother in law gave me some cash for my birthday and encouraged me to hit up Ulta while we were visiting. I needed no convincing and I knew exactly what I was going to pick up – the Lorac Mega Pro 2.

LORAC Mega Pro 2 ($55 USD)
LORAC Mega Pro 2 ($55 USD)

I had died a small death by not getting the original Mega Pro (RIP) and have been wanting to try Lorac eyeshadows out since then. What better way to do that than with an ENORMOUS palette? (I’m seriously dreading Swatch Sunday for this sucker… that’s a LOT of photos to edit.) I’m so happy to have this palette in my collection now. 🙂

Tree Hut Shea Sugar in Brazilian Nut ($7.49 USD each, was BOGO 50% off)
Tree Hut Shea Sugar in Brazilian Nut ($7.49 USD each, was BOGO 50% off)

Another thing I picked up from Ulta is the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in the Brazilian Nut scent. I’ve actually already finished one of these before and I knew I wanted more of them. Out of all of their scrubs, this is definitely my favourite scent.

NYX Micro Brow in Taupe ($9.99 USD)
NYX Micro Brow in Taupe ($9.99 USD)

While we now have NYX stores in Toronto, I hadn’t been able to get out there yet, so I picked up the very last NYX Micro-Brow in Taupe at Ulta while I was there. Love, love, love this brow pencil – it’s so much easier to use when I’m in a rush than say a pomade or the like. (I still love those too, they’re just not a product I want to dip into when I need to do my makeup quickly.)

Bite Beauty Juniper (Frozen Berries exclusive) - $24 USD
Bite Beauty Juniper (Frozen Berries exclusive) – $24 USD

This was such an impulse purchase and I’m still a little dazed and confused by it. I was inside a Sephora at JC Penney (holy smokes they have a lot more amazing sets there!) and noticed they still had a few shades left from the US-exclusive Frozen Berries collection by Bite Beauty. I picked up the shade Juniper because it’s a stunning shade… but on further reflection I already have this shade in a few other lipsticks! It’s not dissimilar to Kir Royale (also by Bite) and Too Faced Melted Berry. Did I need another lipstick in the exact same shade? NO! But now I own it and I feel kind of silly about it.

MAC - Full Fuchsia (free - gift)
MAC – Full Fuchsia (free – gift)

A few products from a generous friend here. She was at the MAC Warehouse sale a few months back (I think) and picked up this Full Fuchsia pan blush for me because it was super bright and she figured I’d like it. And I do! Soo pretty!

Maybelline - Luminous Lilacs (free - gift)
Maybelline – Luminous Lilacs (free – gift)

A new Maybelline quad in Luminous Lilacs. This looks like new packaging for the quads (to me anyway, I’m not overly familiar with their eyeshadows except for the ones that used to come in a chevron pattern) and I have yet to bust open this one!

The Body Shop Body Butter Trio (free - gift0
The Body Shop Body Butter Trio (free – gift0

Next up is a trio of The Body Shop body butters in their tiny size. She gifted me this because it has a tiny Satsuma one in there (and she knew my husband wasn’t a fan – haha!). There’s also a Strawberry and Mango one in there as well.

The Body Shop Frosted Cranberry Shimmer Lotion (free - gift)
The Body Shop Frosted Cranberry Shimmer Lotion (free – gift)

The next two items are freaking AWESOME! She also gifted me The Body Shop‘s Frosted Cranberry Shimmer Lotion! I had a small bottle of it last year but had used the whole thing up. This stuff is MAGIC. I love the scent, and it actually deposits very fine silver shimmer onto your skin. It’s not for everyone, but I love glitter all day, every day, so this is so, so nice to wear because it makes my skin gleam.

The Body Shop Frost Cranberry Shimmer Mist (free - gift)
The Body Shop Frost Cranberry Shimmer Mist (free – gift)

In addition to the shimmer lotion, she also handed me the shimmer mist (also in Frosted Cranberry). This is more of a bodyspray with fine shimmer in it, but I find the shimmer particles are not as strong as the shimmer lotion. Love the packaging too – it’s like a snowglobe!

Laura Geller set (free - gift)
Laura Geller set (free – gift)

The next two items are from my lovely friend Kat (well… her real name is Sara, but I call her Kat). We do a gift exchange at Christmas and she freaking spoiled me this year! She knew I had been lusting over the Laura Geller baked sorbet blush in Guava (Laura Geller is impossible to find in Canada), and not only did she find it, but she also managed to score it in an amazing set that came with a face primer, lip gloss and mascara. Unfortunately, the sparkly clutch it came in started shedding glitter particles everywhere so it’s not especially usable. The blush though… incredible. I’m so, so in love with it.

Lorac Unzipped Gold (free - gift)
Lorac Unzipped Gold (free – gift)

The other thing she spoiled me on is the Lorac Unzipped Gold palette. Kat had asked me what brands we didn’t have access to in Canada and Lorac was my first response since I didn’t have any of their palettes at the time she asked (of course then I went and bought the Mega Pro 2 above when I was in Wisconsin…).

Lorac Unzipped Gold (free - gift)
Lorac Unzipped Gold (free – gift)

The shades in this palette speak to me and I’ve heard Samantha Jane going on about it a lot so I knew it had to be mine!

Phew! That’s it for January! I’m sticking to a very minimal buying pattern for the next few months since I’m saving up for IMATS New York (Sugarpill EVERYTHING) in April. Luckily, I’ve also received a few Sephora gift cards so if I feel the need to splurge, I’ve got those in my back pocket! 😉

Empties – May through July 2014

201408_empties

Garbage time!

My empties bag has clearly since better days. Poor guy.

As per usual, makeup items first.

Benefit They’re Real mascara
Benefit They’re Real mascara

It’s a mascara graveyard here today. I had so many bite-sized mascara samples to use up and they got completely mauled throughout the last few months.

Anyway, back to the actual product. Benefit’They’re Real is amazing. I’ve never given in to high end mascara hype because I don’t WANT to love the product. I really do not want to develop a habit of enjoying $30 mascara at all! However… My mom even thought I was wearing false lashes when I had this on. Having used this sample size, I have to say that there’s a high chance I’ll actually end up dishing out the money on this one in the future (once I run through all my deluxe mascara samples!).

Purchase? More than likely.

L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black waterproof mascara
L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black waterproof mascara

I used to love this mascara, but this time round the block L’Oreal‘s Voluminous Carbon Black mascara just didn’t cut it for me. I’ll leave it for a while and then revisit it in a year or so. Maybe.

Repurchase? Eventually.

Make Up For Ever’s Smoky Lash Extravagant
Make Up For Ever’s Smoky Lash Extravagant

A surprising favourite out of the bunch. MUFE’Smoky Lash Extravagant builds up quite well and doesn’t clump. It dried up after a month or two though. I didn’t love it more than the Benefit one though.

Purchase? Unlikely.

Pop Beauty mascara
Pop Beauty mascara

No. Just no. Useless and dry.

Purchase? Hah. NO.

NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base

Love this. I’m one of the unfortunate people that NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base doesn’t actually work on its own to prevent creasing, but it does work in conjunction with Urban Decay‘s primer potion to kill all creasing so I love it for that reason. Word to the wise though, even when the wand pulls out nothing from the tube, cut that baby open and get out the remainder. There is MONTHS more product in there even after it feels empty.

Repurchase: Definitely.

Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee
Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee

Absolute favourite. Revlon’Creme Brulee lip butter is my favourite nude lip. This is my second tube of the stuff and it’s one of the easiest lip shades to wear on my complexion.

Repurchase? More than likely.

MAC Omega eyeshadow
MAC Omega eyeshadow

*The* eyebrow shade for blondes. MAC‘s Omega has the right kind of grey tint to the powder that makes my eyebrows not look overly ridiculously blonde (not that I have much in the way of eyebrows to begin with). I loved this eyeshadow, but I’m currently plugging through my Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade to try something new because this eyeshadow lasted me longer than a year even with daily use!

Repurchase? Maybe eventually, but for now I’m having fun exploring other options.

MAC Prep + Prime for lips
MAC Prep + Prime for lips

Second… third maybe? tube of MAC’Prep + Prime for lips. Fantastic for preventing lipsticks from bleeding outside my lipline.

Repurchase? Already have!

Murad – Oil-Control Mattifier
Murad – Oil-Control Mattifier

I didn’t notice Murad’s mattifier working especially well, but then I also noticed the expiry date was roughly four months prior to when I used it. Whoops. It also smelled like glue. Ew.

Purchase? No thanks.

Barry M – Diamond Glitter
Barry M – Diamond Glitter

 

Ohhhh yes. Barry M‘s Diamond Glitter nail polish had a lovely home on my toenails for about six months this past year. The bottle is dead empty now which is a shame since you can’t buy Barry M in Canada!

Repurchase? If I find myself in the UK again, I will *definitely* pick this one up!

Quo – Nail Polish Remover
Quo – Nail Polish Remover

I swear Quo is the only brand of nail polish remover I can ever find at the drugstore. I default to this because it’s there, it’s functional and it’s relatively cheap.

Repurchase? Yes, because I don’t know of anything better out there!

Neutrogena Wipes
Neutrogena Wipes

No shocker here. Neutrogena‘s makeup removing wipes are the only ones I use now. Definite preference to the hydrating ones.

Repurchase? For sho.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-Up Remover
Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-Up Remover

 

I’ve used several bottles of Neutrogena‘s makeup remover now and have another one cracked open. It doesn’t work as well on waterproof makeup as my Marcelle stuff did so I think I’ll be reverting back to the Marcelle one.

Repurchase? I have an open bottle, but aside from that I think I’m going to try something else out next time.

MOR Hand Cream – Kale and Watercress and Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer
MOR Hand Cream – Kale and Watercress and Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer

The foil packets of the lot.

MOR Hand Cream in Kale and Watercress smelled nice, but it’s a hand cream… Nothing amazing here.

Purchase? Pass.

Urban Decay‘s Anti-Aging Primer Potion is basically the same as the Original really. I didn’t notice it really having any anti-aging properties (I basically think that anything that claims that is utter hogwash really) so meh.

Purchase? I’ll just stick to the Original one I normally use.

Fortune Cookie Soap – Captain’s Berried Booty Whipped Cream
Fortune Cookie Soap – Captain’s Berried Booty Whipped Cream

FCS‘s whipped cream body butter is an awesome formula, however, their Captain’s Berried Booty scent was totally nauseating to me. It’s fruitloops and cardboard, basically.

Repurchase? Not in this scent!

Fortune Cookie Soap – Tick Tock Whipped Cream
Fortune Cookie Soap – Tick Tock Whipped Cream

Another FCS whipped cream. I liked their Tick Tock scent quite a bit. I have no idea how the scent relates to the Hunger Games, but anyway… it basically smells like clean laundry to me. Very detergent-y, but it doesn’t bother me.

Repurchase? I liked it, but not enough to repurchase it. There are other things I like more.

Tree Hut Coconut Lime Shea Body Butter
Tree Hut Coconut Lime Shea Body Butter

Sample size of Tree Hut‘s Coconut Lime Shea Body Butter. This was okay, but not amazing. The smell wasn’t really my cup of tea either.

Purchase? Nope.

Dermal Therapy – Hand, Elbow & Knee Moisturizer
Dermal Therapy – Hand, Elbow & Knee Moisturizer

This stuff isn’t fancy, or pretty, but oh man does it ever work. Dermal Therapy products are a godsend for anyone with incredibly dry skin. I get pretty scratchy elbows and ankles and this works miracles on them.

Repurchase? Definitely.

Dermal Therapy – Heel Care Moisturizer
Dermal Therapy – Heel Care Moisturizer

And this ganked up nasty jar is Dermal Therapy‘s Heel Care. The best thing EVER for heel cracks. This can repair the Grand-freaking-Canyon of heel cracks and make your heels look baby-butt smooth in the span of a week. I’m not kidding because I’ve seen it happen on me. (You’re welcome for that visual.)

Repurchase? Forever and a day.

Burt’s Bees – Almond & Milk Hand Cream
Burt’s Bees – Almond & Milk Hand Cream

Burt’s Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream smells nice, but it’s super thick and super greasy.

Repurchase? Nah.

Clean & Clear – Deep Action Cream Cleanser
Clean & Clear – Deep Action Cream Cleanser

One of my usual cleansers. I like how this one has a cool tingle on the skin. I do find your skin gets used to that tingly feeling though, so I tend to swap out my cleansers pretty frequently.

Repurchase? Definitely.

Boots No7 – Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser
Boots No7 – Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser

Snagged this from a friend who didn’t want to finish it up. Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser is good but the scent is a little bizarre to me. This may be completely offputting to some, but it smelled faintly like cigarettes. Or like the afterburn of a cigarette. It truly wasn’t as gross as I’m making it sound, but there was that scent to it that was really hard to place.

Purchase? Maybe, if on sale.

Fortune Cookie Soap – Lemon Drop It Like It’s Hot Microdermabrasion Scrub
Fortune Cookie Soap – Lemon Drop It Like It’s Hot Microdermabrasion Scrub

FCS‘ first skincare item. I liked it at first, but the scent started to bother me over time. Nicely abrasive though.

Repurchase? Nah.

Philosophy – The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash
Philosophy – The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash

Another product I swiped from that same friend as before. Philosophy‘s Exfoliating wash smells terrible to me. Did not enjoy it at all.

Purchase? Nope.

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant
Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant

Dr. Brandt‘s Microdermabrasion skin exfoliant was AMAZING. It completely cured me of a milium spot I had on my lower left eyelid. This stuff packs a hefty price tag, but I fortunately received this sample size in an Ipsy bag. If I had milia again in the future though, I would absolutely pick this up even at the full price.

Repurchase? If necessary due to skin problems, then absolutely yes!

Aveeno – Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer
Aveeno – Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer

A staple daily moisturizer for me. The packaging’s all messed up though. I normally get the Radiant one, but this one says Clear Complexion in English… but Radiant in French! What the hell? They’re normally two different types!

Repurchase? Definitely. I’m almost done another bottle in the bathroom already.

Eva NYC – Therapy Session Hair Mask
Eva NYC – Therapy Session Hair Mask

I wouldn’t normally post hair stuff, but this came in an Ipsy bag so I thought I’d mention it. This is nothing more than a hair conditioner. I don’t feel it did anything extra special to my hair, even when I left it on for a good ten minutes in the shower.

Repurchase? Nope.


PHEW! That’s a lot of garbage to get through. Looking at some of these products, I kind of wish I’d saved them for Kalyn’s Sample Killah month. Darn!

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!