Haul Winter 2015

          This is a collective haul I have been sitting on for a while and naturally I have lost the paper I have all my notes on, including the prices. We have some new loves and some items I have already passed on. Let's go:

Mally Beauty Lip Gloss

          I got these off Hautlook and while they are not a bad product I just have others I prefer and I will be passing them on to my cousin without really using them.

Nars Lip Crayons

         I got these as a birthday gift from Sephora as a beauty insider perk. Nars is just one of those cult beauty brands and I was thrilled to receive these. The red is a matte finish and it is beautiful, non-drying and long lasting. The pink is a satin finish and not as long lasting but a beautiful, subtle colour. 

Julep Lipgloss

         I have had a couple Julep lip glosses and am a big fan, I can not find this gloss to save my life and it breaks my heart. It is pretty close to being the perfect red gloss, it has enough colour without being so pigmented that if it gets messed up you look like a crazy person.

Julep Break the Ice Full Coverage Creme Lipstick Mini Trio 

          I really enjoy Julep lip products and I truly believe all lip colours should come in mini sizes. How often do you really use a whole lipstick? Plus it fits on your purse or pockets so much better.  The shades are mingle, primp and charm, all perfect for the season. The little box they came in is also super handy as it is magnetic so it stays shut in your purse or travel bag. 

Kat Von D Lock-it Featherweight Primer + Base

           I had such high hopes for this primer but I was pretty underwhelmed, I have not completely given up on it but I was not immediately wowed. I also suspect that it made my foundation oxidize but more research is required for that one. The packaging is on point though. 

Hard Candy Sheer Glow Illuminator

          I really do not know why I bought this, seriously. Not a clue. My only guess is that I was looking at it and Beast hurried me along so I tossed it in my basket instead of putting it back. I have used it a couple time as a liquid highlighter as well as on my arms and chest for Christmas parties. 

Mally Beauty Liquid Face Defender

From the Mally Beauty website- Shaded Liquid Face Defender is a new art technology and formula that takes your makeup routine to the next level. It mattifies the skin on contact, and can be worn under or over your regular foundation. This innovative formula not only blends beautifully to match your skin tone, but it protects your makeup from fading, creasing, and settling into those pesky lines and wrinkles that seem to love to absorb all that gorgeous makeup you put on!

           Well with a description like that how can you go wrong? I do find this helps my makeup blend very easily. I will also wear it under powder on errand days.I don't know that I would purchase it again, maybe if it was on Hautelook again.

Hard Candy 1000 Lashes Fiberized Lash Weave Mascara

          I am all about mascara and have been trying to find one to replace my love, the Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I did really like this mascara but I have to wear my make up for up to 16 hours and this mascara started to bother me around hour 8, not a bad product but I would only use it on days that I wont have to wear my makeup for such a long period of time.

Marcelle XTRENSION PLUS + PROLASH Growlash Complex

           This mascara, however, I do really like; mostly because of the brush. One set of bristles are longer than the rest so they are perfect for separating and defining lashes. I have not noticed much in terms of growth but I am not losing many eyelashes so maybe it is working.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara
           I have a problem, I know this. I do not think I have ever been disappointed with a Rimmel mascara, this one gives great volume and curl. I am not sure what about it makes me think this but I feel it gives a great retro vibe.

Redken Diamond Oil Bulletproof shine, Intense

           Normally I do not use hair oil but I wanted something I could put in my hair as an overnight treatment or the occasional hot oil treatment. This is a lovely product, it has helped repair my damaged ends and smells amazing. I have also used on persistent dry skin patches. In 17 years when I use this up I will repurchase the light version so I could use it during the day as well without it being too heavy.

Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer

          Love. Love. Love. This product smoothes my hair, helps it dry faster and protects from heat damage. I will repurchase this as long as they make it.

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy in Ace of Spades, Checkmate, and Hold 'em
          I occasionally have to work in a restaurant setting and I think there are not many things that look worse than someone serving your food with chipped nail polish. When I was in the restaurant on a regular basis I discovered gel polish and all other nail polish was ruined for me. It was just so durable and did not chip. Unfortunately I have an awful habit of peeling off my gel manicure rather than soaking it off so my nails got pretty haggard. I decided to give Revlon a shot, not expecting much. Then I fell in love. This product was a life changer, it is the ease of regular nail polish with the look of gel and is quite durable.

Thanks for reading!

A

Check out my last haul

@dirty_cupcake

Haul August 2015

           This haul is another collective haul since I am on a low buy there are items I have picked up here and there over the last few months. Since it is so spread out I don't have prices for everything. There are something's that have become favourites and others that have been complete flops. Go get some coffee this is going to take a while. 

Bath and Body Works Three Wick Candles in Fresh Water and Sea Salt, Coastal Sun, and Summer Boardwalk 

          These were picked up during the semi annual sale and were clearly some sort of three for whatever deal. I have burnt the Fresh Water and Boadwalk candles so far and love both of them. I would only fail miserably in describing the scent of Fresh Water and Sea Salt so I will just say it is like a perfumed twist on a fresh cotton type of scent. The Summer Boardwalk smells like caramel corn and vanilla and fills my whole apartment with scent. It is not for someone who is scent sensitive but I like my candles to offend as many people's allergies as possible so it is perfect for me. I have not lit the Costal Sun candle but I have high hopes for it. I imagine the orange citrus scent will be equally powerful. I have so many summery candles to use up that I might not get to this one until next year. 

Bath and Body Works Eucalyptus and Spearmint shower gel and fragrance mist $5ish each

         I have been in love with the Stress Relief collection for some time, less in love with the price of some of the items. These smell exactly the same and were in a discount bin for like $5 during the semi annual sale. Of course I picked them up.

Healthy Sexy Hair Soya Want it All 22 in 1 Leave in Treatment Original Price: $20 Winners Price: $12.99 

         I have tried a few different products from this line, mostly through Ipsy, and have loved all of them. I do not usually use leave in treatments like this since my hair is so easily weighed down but this one isn't too bad for those days your hair is just dull, dry and frizzy. I do not know what all of the 22 things it apparently does since they do not show their math, Mrs. Neil would be pissed. 

Pecksniff's England Candles in Grapefruit & Citron and Gardenia & White Peach Original Price: $14 Winners Price: $6.99

          These smell more natural than the BBW candles and less perfumed. I can't stop smelling the Gardania & White Peach one, it's just so fresh and feminine. I hope I get to these before the Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin season is upon us, otherwise known as Fall. 

5th Ave Fashionista Cleansing & Makeup Remover Towelettes with Ylang Ylang Oil Original Price: $8.99 Winners Price: $6.99

          I was out of makeup wipes and these were by the cash so they came home with me. These are really gentle yet effective and allegedly ylang ylang helps balance dry and oily skin by regulating sebum production. They take off my makeup without over drying and smell nice. I'd buy them again if I found them but I wouldn't go online to find them. 

La Chatelaine Shea Butter Hand Cream $20ish

          This was a Costco find, I had walked past it twice but was powerless to resist the third time.  I prefer to have all my lotion in small tubes like this and there are so many scents! Each of these are made in France with 20% Shea Butter. They all smell amazing and have a lingering scent that just seems so sophisticated to me. They all also came in this giant tin that I sure to re-purpose. I also love the packaging, it looks so vintage and it's just so cute. All the scents are:

Lemon Verbena

Gardenia

Pear 

Coconut Milk 

Shea

Sweet Almond

Rose Acacia - the only one I don't like and won't use 

Orange Blossum -currently in use 

Lavender

Passion Fruit

Lychee Bilberry 

Citrus 

BH Cosmetics BH Studio Pro HD Foundation in Shade 103 and Anti-Shine Primer 

          I got this for a really good deal online and was so excited because the description and reviews made it seem like this was a great combo to help fight oily skin. I am so glad they were on sale because they were a huge disappointment. The days I wore both of these to work, because I really gave them a fair shot both together and separately, I just took a makeup wipe and removed all my foundation. It felt like it made my skin more oily and then sat on top of the oil and sliding around as it pleased. The foundation is a little better than the primer but not much, I do like how it goes on and is a good match in terms of colour. I will give the foundation another try in the winter with some different primers when my skin isn't so oily. Overall each of these were a huge disappointment. 

Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector $18 and a couple free samples from Sephora

           I have been trying to find a drug store primer to control my oily skin but finally broke down after hearing Ashley Elisabeth on YouTube rave about it I broke down and bought the small size. This is without a doubt the best primer I have used to date. It instantly mattifies and does control oil quite well. I only use it on my T-zone and on my chin since it's a little pricey and while it does let a little oil show throughout the day it still keeps my makeup from separating or sliding off. It did take a couple applications to learn how to best apply this and foundation over it. I would repurchase but am not ready to declare it the end all be all of primers. 

          The samples pictured are a Bobby Brown Hydrating Face Cream which I haven't tried and the Lancôme Super-Enhancing Mascara Base. I have never used a mascara base, my lashes are quite long with a decent mascara so I figured it wouldn't do much for me. So very wrong, this with any mascara makes my lashes look like fake lashes, I've received compliments from the most random, non makeup loving people each time I have used this. I'm afraid to look up how much it would cost for a full size because I am fairly certain I would no be willing to purchase it. 

Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Fresh Complexion Oil Free Foundation $7.99

          This is something else recommended by Ashley Elizabeth and it is lovely. At first. I find it oxidizes after a few hours and turns a little orange. I picked this up at Walmart on sale for like $5. My only other complaint is that even though I got it in the lightest shade it is still a tad too dark for me. 

Flower by Drew Barrymore Powder Up in L01 Light $9.98

           When I saw that Drew Berrymore had started a cosmetics line I really wanted to try it but couldn't decide which product. I honestly bought this one because I thought the packaging would look cute on my desk and I did not have any loose powders. I ended up throwing out the little poof that came with it and apply it with a big fluffy brush. The powder is triple milled so it is so fine and soft. I have always preferred pressed powder to set my makeup even after trying other loose powders but I find myself reaching for this over my usual pressed powder because it does such a great job setting my makeup and absorbing oil. The next item I want to try is the foundation from Flower but I have so many other foundations that I need to go through some of them first.

Redken Stay High 18 High Hold Gel to Mousse 

          I finally got my hair cut and I asked my stylist to recommended some styling product to help me style for volume and she bee lined for this product. It comes out like a mousse but it's gel, you just rub it between your hands and I just run them through my hair to add some volume and hold all over before I blow dry. Nothing complicated here. 

Redken Styling Mini Trial Kit in Make Waves $19.99

          At the same time I picked this up to try some new hair products. Included are mini versions of Pillow Proof Blow Dry Two Day Extender, Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer and Rough Paste 12 Working Material. I really like the primer and use that before the gel/mousse witchcraft and it really seems to speed up the drying process and keep it from getting stringy throughout the day. I haven't used the paste much but will occasionally use it to keep my side bangs situation under control but it smells awful. I haven't used the dry shampoo simply because I don't use dry shampoo much but I want to try it out and if it works well it's perfect for keeping at my desk at work or for travel. The only item from the trial I would repurchase is the primer, the paste will likely last for the rest of my life. 


           Holy that took forever. If you stuck it through to the end I commend you. Or pity you because clearly you have nothing else to do or are on a bus trying to look busy while that creepy guy stares at you. Best of luck with Creeps Magee.

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake  

Check out some other hauls

Haul - Hautelook, drugstore, and Winners June 2015

          I am trying to curb my spending on beauty products with mild success at best, here are a few things I have picked up here and there.

Walmart

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Hydrating Sulfate Free Body Wash  $4.98

          To say I like the Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco line would be a huge understatement. Every time I wash  my hair I wish I had a body wash in the same scent. I was walking through Wal-mart when I saw this and it literally stopped me in my tracks. Besides argan oil it has a lot of moisturizing and soothing ingredients like shea butter, aloe vera, and vitamin E. You can also add it to running water for "an invigorating spa bath soak". I am way too excited over the body wash; unfortunately I have so many body washes that I am forcing myself to put it away until I use up some of my stash. I will be attempting my very first project pan and this will be my motivation and reward.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in Classic Ivory  $16.96

          I am still on a mission to try every foundation there is, starting at the drugstore brands and working my way up, until I find my perfect match. This is a demi-matte, 24 hour, medium coverage foundation and my oily skin defeated it within six hours. Based on the description online "The micro-sponge technology absorbs excess oil and shine to create a dimensional matte finish without the need for a heavy or caked-on look" I thought this would be a good place to continue my quest but no such luck. It does go on very nicely for a smooth and natural skin finish but it did nothing to absorb oil or shine. I will continue to use this but only on days that are not very hot, with a setting spray and keep powder close. I will not repurchase.

L'Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray $14.96

          I had been walking past this in Wal-mart for some time and finally caved. I normally use Model in a Bottle from Made You Blush which may be a local company but I am not sure. Model in a Bottle works wonderfully,I could go to war and emerge from my hiding spot with minimal makeup damage, my only complaint is that it has a very strong smell somewhere between perfume and medical alcohol. The L'Oreal spray is much lighter, without much of a scent and just feels like you are spraying a fine mist of water on your face. Unfortunately it is so much less effective than Model in a Bottle. It is like Model in a Bottle is for special events while L'Oreal is more of an everyday setting spray. I will use it up but I likely will not be repurchasing it. 

Hautelook

Skyn Iceland White Cloud Spot Corrector with Pigment Lightening Complex 

Regular Price: $45.00

Hautelook Price: $19.00

           First of all what a deal! I love Hautelook, if you don't know it is a flash sale website and you can get amazing discounts on everything from home items, makeup, or men's and women's clothing. I got a $600 watch set for Beast and paid about $60 for it. I had been looking into products to reduce redness and acne scars, I have not had a lot of issues with acne but since I am so fair skinned I mark up easily and they do not go away for some time. This comes out as a medium thickness white lotion that is supposed to fight dark patches, age spots, acne scares and uneaven skin tone in about six weeks. You are meant to use this morning and night after cleansing and before moisturizing.  I was noticing some slight differences but not going to lie I sort of forgot to use it for a couple days/weeks so I will not swear by the results I may have seen but I will get back into the habit of using it. I would pick it up if I saw it on Hautelook again but I would not pay full price for it. 

Skyn Iceland Anti-Blemish Gel with Willow Bark

Regular Price: $15.00

Hautelook Price: $7.00

          Another good deal from Hautelook. There is not a lot to say about zit cream but this stuff does seem to work. I have a hard time judging if this type of product is working on myself but Beast had a beast sized blemish and after the first application it was reduced to half its size, after three it was all but gone. I will repurchase this again when it runs out and I would pay full price for it. Luckily Ipsy frequently send out Skyn Iceland products and that usually means a discount code of some sort.

Hautelook

BH Cosmetics 11 Pcs Pink-A-Dot Brush Set

Regular Price: $28.95

Hautelook Price: $19.00

Sale on BH Cosmetics as of June 4th 2015: $14

          How cute are these brushes? I am not even mad that I just found them for a better price. I have been looking at buying a couple brushes but it is just so expensive to buy even just the specific brushes not to mention a decent set. I have tried makeup from BH cosmetics before and liked it so I decided to add these to my Hautelook order. If nothing else they are super cute, happily I have ended up really liking these brushes. The brushes are extremely soft and have not shed a single bristle since I opened them. The set includes a deluxe fan brush, powder brush, angled blush brush, classic foundation brush, tapered shadow blending brush, classic shadow brush, angled shadow brush, small smudge brush, tapered eye liner brush, and a lip brush all in a snap closure hard shell travel case. I use both the top and bottom of the case to store brushes on my desk.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer in Ivory to Fair $17.99

          I picked this up at the Superstore only because it was 50% off and ended up really liking it. This is 100% free of harsh chemicals, parabens and preservatives and 100% natural origin. Being a tinted moisturizer there is not much in the way of coverage but combined with my usual powder, Maybelline Dream Wonder, it gives enough coverage for a casual day. I would consider purchasing this again. It does smell kind of like celery which is a little strange but the smell does not stay long after application.

Winners

Ever notice that you can only ever find anything at Winners if you either have no money or at least should not be spending money? Every time.

Marcelle Soothing Cleansing Water

Regular Price: $17.95

Winners Price: $7.99

          Now, I had convinced myself that I did not need fancy water to cleanse my face but as I was setting it back down Princess said that she has it and loves it. I will admit here on the internet for everyone to read that my sister was right. This is so gentle but removes makeup better than any other makeup remover I have tried. Even after a face oil and cleanser it still picked up foundation when I thought my face was perfectly clean. This product is paraben, oil, alcohol and perfume free. It also works to tone your skin and removes even my strongest waterproof makeup but afterwards there is no irritation or residue. I think this will become my new makeup remover.

Lise Watier Lip Kiss Crayon Gloss in Pink Jelly

Regular Price: $18.00

Winners Price: $7.99

          I need another lip product like I need a hole in my head but there was no passing this up. I have wanted to try Lise Watier products for sometime but was avoiding splurging, I was missing out. This goes on as almost a light dusty rose but as it fades it leaves behind a bright pink stain. It it truly a moisturizing gloss and I am in love, it is not sticky, does not feather and has serious lasting power. My only complaint is that it has to be sharpened. I have not yet had to do so but hopefully it sharpens without any trouble.

Lise Watier Lip Kiss Crayon Gloss in Pink Jelly

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake.

Looking to go down the rabbit hole? Here is another haul post.

HUGE Drugstore Haul April 2015

          I did way too much shopping, some from Target and some from Shoppers and I am super excited about every item. You may want go grab a coffee or a beer because this is going to be a long one. 

Swatches are below the descriptions in the same order pictured. 

          With the exception of the first lipstick all this is from Target. This would cost over seventy dollars and I paid fifteen dollars! How could I possibly pass that up?! 

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Wear Berries    $3.49

          This is a brand I never really looked at, it seemed cheap so beyond clear brow gel I never tried anything from Essence. This lipstick is so creamy, has great coverage and just sits so well on my lips, with out any goopyness. I have used much more expensive lipsticks that I have liked less, eventually I will pick up some other colours, I think I have enough for now. 

L'Oreal 6h Infallible Lipliner in Pink and Coral  $8.99 regular price

          These do not go on as smoothly as I would like but they look lovely on. I do not have many lipliners and I want to start using them under my more sheer lipglosses to give them a bit more colour and staying power. If this lasts anywhere near as long as the Infallible lipstick it is going to be my new favorite thing. The Coral one is more of a brown tinted pink than what I would consider to be coral. 

Annabelle Metalic Lipliner in Sparkle   $3.69 regular price 

          I would not normally pick up a metalic lipliner but at 80% off of that price why not. I'm glad I did because it looks perfect under the Julep gloss I included in my project pan. It doesn't go on very creamy but once the gloss goes on top it feels very moisturizing. 

Annabelle Twist Up Retractable Lipstick Crayon in Mimosa and Bubble  $8.59 regular price 

          I love these, very creamy and smooth. They both look great alone and with gloss over top. I feel like they would have pretty decent staying power. 

Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Coraly Nude    $7.59 regular price 

          I also love this, velvety matte crayons do not usually look right on me but this is beautiful! It also makes a great base for the Julep gloss. 

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Frosted Beige   $7.99 regular price 

          I would not use this by itself, I have a hard time finding nude lipcolors that work for me. At first I was disappointed by this but when I layered it over the next product I fell in love. I think this gloss would work over the L'Oreal lipliner in coral. 

NYX Lipstick in Honey   $5.99 regular price 

          I have two other lipsticks in this line and love both of them. This one I would not be able to pull it off by itself but paired with the NYX gloss it looks beautiful. I am more hesitant to wear a nude lip than a bright red or pink, I am excited to give this look a try. 

Maybelline Super Stay 14 hour lipstick in Fushia    $2.69 is the price on the receipt but I thought they were more expensive than that. 

          If I remember correctly my cousin (that is you Em) loves this brand of lipstick so I picked it up for her. She can not say enough good things about it. It has amazing staying power, rich colour and all without drying your lips. It also smells nice which is strange. 

NYX Studio Liquid Liner in Plum Purple   $6.99 regular price 

          I have said it before and will say it again: I am hopeless at liquid eyeliner. I am so very willing to give it a shot for this beautiful colour. 

Aren't they all beautiful?! 

         Ok. Break time, go pee and get a snack. I will wait. 

Smashbox Try it Kit   $22 

          Happy Easter to me! I have never heard anything bad about Smashbox, other than the prices are too high. Included in this kit are sample sizes of:

Photo OP Eye Shadow Trio in Filter 

           It's is such a cute little eyeshadow! I like the packaging, it just swings out of the cover. This would be perfect for tossing in a purse or traveling. The shadows go on smooth and blend well together. I love the darkest colour, it is perfect for the crease or blending out for a smokey eye

Vanilla, Sable and Sumatra 

24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer 

          "A shadow primer that locks on more vibrant colour for a full 24 hours with no fading, creasing, or smudging." I have slightly greasy eyelids so creasing is sometimes a problem for me. The sample should last a long time since you only need such a small amount and it is  so creamy. I am pretty excited about this product. 

Full Exposure Mascara

          I would not say this is the most volumizing formula but it goes on very easily, lengthens and with no clumping or flaking whatsoever. Very pretty but I have mascaras I prefer over this. I think I am going to only use sample size mascaras from now on, that way I can have all different kinds and still use them up before they go bad.

Photo Finish Foundation Primer 

          I have heard so many good things about this primer. I did not want to drop $40 on it without trying it first. I just want to find a primer that can fight my oily skin. 

          This is the last bunch I swear. Stay with me. 

KT Elastic Sports Tape   $12.99

          I have a busted shoulder that didn't get treated or taken care of in time to heal properly so sometimes I need to be taped together. This stuff is a life saver. I have never tried this brand but have read some good reviews and I sincerely hope it lives up to them. 

Quo Make-Up Removing Wipes    $12 

           These are certainly in the top five of all the makeup wipes I have tried. They took off waterproof eye makeup like nothing. Shoppers had the regular wipes packaged with the little pink pack of eye makeup remover wipes. These are perfect for my gym bag, purse or the days of heavy eye makeup. 

Maybiline Fit Me Concealer in Light   $9.99 on sale 

          I realized I have no concealer, too bad I couldn't get some before my skin cleared up. This is the perfect colour for me. I have a hard time finding concelers that are are the right colour and still have full coverage, I am too pale apparently. 

Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer    $23 

           I am hoping I like this better than the Smashbox primer since it is nearly half the price. The lady in the Beauty Boutique reccomended it for oily skin. It really does feel like velvet when I swatch it on my hand. 

Maybiline Dream Wonder Powder in Porcelain Ivory    $15.49

           I love this powder, this is the second or third time I have repurchased this. It just sets my makeup so perfectly without looking cakey, on a low key day I skip the foundation and just go for the powder. 

          Ok I lied to you. I have one more product but it is a quick one. 

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Daily Cleanser    

           I bought this after I tried another Neutrogena cleanser that Momma has. It removes makeup easily, cleans away oil and does not leave my skin dry. I love the cleanser I have (Bioré Charcole Cleanser) but it was drying out my skin. I think I will make this cleanser my daily and use the Bioré one once or twice a week. 

        That is it for real this time. I am so excited to try these products out, if they work out they may make it to a favourites/top 5 post. Either way they will be in the empties eventually. 

Thanks for reading!

A.

Follow me on Twitter to keep up to date: 

@dirty_cupcake

          

Product Raider  - Check out the products I helped myself to while I was creature sitting for my family

Haul - Target, Black Friday, Cyber Monday.

Target

I bought this just because I do not have any gel eyeliners, I've never even tried any gel eyeliner. It goes on so smoothly and is just really easy to apply. It does rub off on my upper lid over the course of the day which is disappointing. I will keep using it but I will put some powder over it to set it and make sure to check my makeup, throughout the day. This isn't something that would survive summer heat. Will not repurchase.

I just needed new makeup remover and this was the first one I saw, it really worked out. I hate when makeup remover leaves an oily residue on your face and this one leaves very little behind. It is gentle, I got it right in my eye and it did not sting, yet it had no trouble removing all my heavy duty waterproof makeup. This will likely become my regular makeup remover.

Sonia Kashuk brush cleaner, it works well. It does not have much of a smell and I like that. I will repurchase this once I run out.

Sonia Kashuk No. 4 Brush. I love this brush, I have had a hard time finding a brush that I could use with my Tarte foundation because it is so thick. This brush is what I have been searching for, it works with thick or liquidy foundation perfectly. I hesitated to buy it because it was around $15 but it was well worth it and I will be taking a second look at other brushes from this line. Tasha, go to Target and buy this!

The e.l.f brushes are also amazing, the angled blush brush is my favorite beauty tool. 

I like trying masks in little packets, you get to try something new for a couple bucks but are not stuck with a big tube of something that turned your face tomato red. This mask is one of those paper masks that you just kind of unfold and hope the eye holes line up. I loved this. It fit well enough and just had a really natural, relaxing smell. My skin felt like it had all the yuckies sucked out of it but left with a light moisturizer. My face actually looked better for a couple days after this mask, less redness and a more even tone. I will be picking up some more of this on my next visit to Target.

I was quite excited about these little metal organizers, I have an unnatural obsession with organizing small areas. If I could apply that to my apartment on the whole maybe it would not look like I live in a sty. They were inexpensive and Target has all different types. They are perfect considering my desk and vanity are the same entity. It makes it easier to keep one passion from claiming the territory for itself.

I only picked up this soy candle because it was on sale for like $3.50 and who can't use a vintage linen scented candle? Really though. Then it was like mini Christmas when it rang up as $1.50. 

I would like to take a moment to share that while Target is my happy place, the ends of the isles on the wall side where they put all the clearance items is my happy area in my happy place. There is always some type of makeup or beauty product marked ridiculously down and I just can not pass that up.

I am not thrilled by this but it is not a bad product, I will use it but I think I just prefer pressed power with a bit of colour/coverage over loose white powder. I will use it but I won't likely repurchase. I have been trying a lot of e.l.f products lately and I have found some I really like, its great to be able to try a bunch of new things without breaking the bank. Everything I buy seems to be either $4 or $8.

I LOVE this. It is the Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer and it gives full coverage but still feels exactly like the original lip balm. I was so impressed that I went out and bought another one the next day. I only have Fig and Plum so I do not know how the lighter shades wear but I am sure come spring time I will be picking some of those up. It gives you the colour of lipstick but wears like lip balm and wears for a fair amount of time before it sort if just fades gradually without leaving weird lines on your lips. It is around $5 bucks and so worth it, perfect lip colour for winter.

Black Friday

Target

I was not exactly rolling in money for Black Friday so I had only planned on buying some gifts to finish up my Christmas shopping but when I saw that all the Pixi Cosmetics were 50% off I could not leave the store without this. I had looked at it a few times but just did not want to spend the money on it before. Super cute packaging and with 3 blushes, 2 bronzers, 1 highlighter, 4 eye shadow bases, and 16 eye shadows it is really just an all in one makeup palette. Going on a trip? Grab this, foundation, eyeliner and mascara and you are set. I will likely get more use out of this in the spring and summer but I have used it a few times and love it. Everything blends out quite well and the eye shadows are very buildable which is how I prefer them.

Cyber Monday

I had zero intention of doing any Cyber Monday shopping at all but since I am awake at 4am or so every Monday I got all the emails about the crazy sales. Coastal Scents had 50% off everything and I had been considering buying a full sized blush I had sampled through Ipsy, so with impaired judgement I shopped at 5am. 

I also got an email from Too Faced. I bought the Mystery Tin for $35, it says it contained $165 worth of product. I have yet to receive it because I had to send it to Mrs. G's P.O. Box because they do not ship to Canada (Jerks) so it has to go there and the next time the future Saint comes my way she will bring it, after going through it of course. Seriously though, may Baby Jesus, Budda and all other divine beings smile upon this woman for letting me ship things to her. Bless you.

Coastal Scents

This is my all time favorite blush and at $3.98 how could I not buy it? We got a sample of this and another beautiful colour in an Ipsy bag a few months back and I fell in love. It is from the Forever Blush collection in the colour Fresh. Just a nice nude blush that blends into foundation well, stays on all day and lives up to its name. Great for a simple, clean and fresh look or if you are wearing heavy eye makeup and do not want to look like a streetwalker or circus clown.

This 10 Blush Palette was $7.98. What a deal! Snatched that right up. I now have all the blush I will ever need, I am confident in saying the Coastal Scents has the best blush out there. It goes on really pigmented and blends out flawlessly. 

                         

I picked up a Brow Set, and I am quite excited about it. I hate my eyebrows, I struggle to shape them, I dye my hair so they never look right compared to my hair and this palette has made me happier with them. Still not loving my eyebrows but this is something I am really looking forward to playing with. The dark brown in the bottom left looks really nice with the red tint I have in my hair right now as well so super pumped about that. I never wanted to try anything product like this because I am so self conscious about my eyebrows I did not want to bring any attention to them but this makes me feel like they blend in better and work with my hair and face. For $4.48 why not try it out?

 The last things I bought from Coastal Scents are some brushes, all three came to $3.44. There are two small synthetic liner brushes and one classic precision synthetic brush. I have not actually used them yet but I am sure they will be good brushes just based on the feel. 

                                   

 Honestly my favorite part of ordering makeup online is probably the little samples they throw in with your order. I got a little sample quad of the Revealed palette which I assume is to compete with the Urban Decay Naked line. When I first saw this I figured I would use the bottom two and not bother with the blue shades but they all swatched out so beautifully. The white has a great little bit of sparkle. There is also a $5 off coupon code on the back, I would consider purchasing this if I had not just bought so much makeup and another palette. At $39.95 regular price I would buy this over the Urban Decay Naked Palette. 

I will post about the Too Faced Mystery Tin as soon as I get it, I can not wait. I am just too excited! 

Thanks for reading! Comment, share and spread the word. 

A.

To check out the products mentioned:

Pixi

Coastal Scents 

Too Faced

Target (US because the Canadian website sucks)