Friday, December 20, 2013

Ipsy December 2013

My December Ipsy bag arrived Wednesday ^^ and I finally got time to upload the picture. I do have to admit, I spoiled my surprise this month because I checked My Glam
  • Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio in Naturally Bare: I was surprised to get a trio with such lovely colours, I have not yet swatch, but I hope it won't disappoint. 
  • Be a Bombshell The One Stick (to rule them all... hehe...) in Flustered 
  • Mirabella Eye Blender Brush: I really like the feel of this brush, the metal is heavy but feels nice when holding it. The bristle is also soft, will be looking forward to using it to blend my eyeshadows.
  • Nicka K New York Nail Colour in Classic Taupe: yay! happy to get a taupe nail polish, although I've
  • NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Hermes: not really my kind of lip colours, and I can't use it because it contains beeswax :(

Monday, December 2, 2013

VIB Rouge, now what?

It's official, I'm a beauty addict... At least that's what Sephora seems to have diagnosed me with. Since the VIB 20% off sale, I knew I was a couple dollars short of becoming VIB Rouge, so basically one small purchase boosted my 'status' up. I received this welcome package which included the welcome card, a new Sephora VIB card as well as the Bite Beauty crème lipstick in VIB rouge. 
Such a big box with so little inside!
I looked on the Sephora website and it seems this colour is exclusively to VIB Rouge members. Such a shame, since it is a quite lovely red. 

Are you certified beauty addict? What was the purchase that put you over? Mine was the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder palette. 

Friday, November 22, 2013

First impression: Em Cosmetics shadows and blush

I received this sample in my September ipsy bag and finally got around to swatching it, so I thought I'd share some pictures and my 2 cents~ 
Em cosmetics shadows:
  • good pigmentation (2 swipes each swatch)
  • no fall out
  • the colours were nothing 'special'
Em cosmetics blush:
  • good pigmentation
  • not fond of the colour for cheeks, but it made an excellent all over the lid colour
I thought it was a nice idea to include this sample in the ipsy bag so that the subbies can test out the shadows for themselves, though, I wished that the colour varied a little bit more. When the three shadows were used together, the makeup was way too dark for my taste and you couldn't really tell that there were three different colour used. I guess they blended together well? I probably won't be picking up any shadows from the Em Cosmetics line, but I am very curious about their eyeliners. I wonder when will they be available in Canada. 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Naked 3 available on Urban Decay website!

Naked3 palette has launched on the Urban Decay website today, are you picking up one?

Unfortunately, they don't ship to Canada and to get our hands on one from the website requires jumping through loops!Anyways, does anyone know when it will launch on the Sephora website?

Haul from Shiseido/Nars Fall Warehouse Sale 2013

In dire need of damage control~ I went into this sale without a 'to-get' list and it turned out much more detrimental for the health of my wallet. 
As you can see from the picture, I picked up more than enough Shiseido products as well as some Nars and Joico. My hauling didn't end there since I've also picked up some Clé de Peau products... But being the smrty pants that I am, this was the only picture I took of the CdP products...
At least I know the prices... I was surprised to that the Palette de Voyage actually retailed at $180USD at Neiman Marcus when it was launched... Even though this is part of last year's holiday collection, I thought the deal was too amazing to pass.

I've been to different warehouse sales and I find that one great thing about the Shiseido / Nars sale, is that the price for products is almost the same every year. Off the top of my head I only remember that lippies go for $10, single shadows for $8 and quads for $10. Shiseido cotton pads are $8, Shiseido skincare ranges from 30ish unless it's the more expensive line, those you pick up while waiting in line to pay.

Overall, the sale had been amazing, but the lineups (to get in and to pay) had gotten a lot more crazy, including the rest of the shoppers. I was talking to the CdP rep about a product, she went to grab it and by the time she returned I was shuffled all the way to the end of the line... I had to yell to get her attention and give the okay. *sigh* Makeup drives a woman out of her mind! Next year, I will learn to ground myself better. :)

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Love it or Leave it

Lip combo: Bobbi Brown Lip in Papaya and Lip gloss in Bright Pink. I've been loving this colour combination together. Even though Papaya looks scary on the tube, it is actually a quite everyday appropriate colour.  Papaya leaves a nice stain hours after application, so the colour is never 'gone, gone'. All I have to do is reapply the gloss and I get this lovely neutral pink colour on my lips. Love it! 
Papaya looked scary in the tube, but is so lovely and so is Bright Pink~

I've tried two BB creams lately and one of them was the Etude House Precious Mineral BB cream. I liked the scent and the coverage of this product but I don't love what it did to my skin. It broke me out like crazy. Like most BB cream, it made me look way too pale. Leave it!

When I saw this in other people's Fall luxebox last year I lusted after it... and when I bought it, I was so excited to try it out, only to be disappointed. The Eyeko Liquid eyeliner did not love me. Smudged like crazy and I turned raccoon within the hour. Even though, I've only heard good reviews about this it is most definitely a fail for people with oily lids. To make matters worst, it applied unevenly and therefore made a 2 minutes application take twice as long. Perhaps I got a dud, but I won't be repurchasing another one just to verify if that was the case. Leave it!

When I initially purchased this, I wasn't too fond of using it, but I've since changed my mind. The Guerlain Meteorites Light-Diffusing Perfecting Primer is a lightweight base that 'illuminates and conceals' while keeping the face matte. It is lightly perfumed, a fact that I wasn't so crazy about, but like all scent goes away after a while. For me this product was a good makeup base and I was glad it did not make my face greasy. This is a great way for me to 'finish' off the skincare routine and a great 'start' for the makeup to follow. On days I use this primer, my pores are less apparent throughout the day. My skin has just been loving it, drinking it up almost as soon as I apply it over my face :) With the price tag of $78 for 30ml... it better deliver! JK... but seriously... it's expensive and I'd have to think long and hard about getting it when I'm done with this bottle... Love it! 

An accessory I've been loving is the Ipsy January bag. I like this simple looking bag with the detail on the inside. The bag looks small but can fit a surprisingly large amount of things in. Since it is fall, I keep a scarf in the there as well as  Love it! 
Nexus 7, utterly addicted to this device. It's perfect for watching Youtube video, reading books/comics, playing games, surfing and just basically anything you need to do... Think netbook but even more compact and portable. :) It is similar to the iPad mini but for a fraction of the price. Love it! 

One thing I have been LOVING is my purse organizer. In fact, every person I've shown it to, purchased one after. It is just super handy if you switch bags often. I love being able to find my keys or phone when I need it. Without a doubt, Love it! 
That's it for now, until next time!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Goodies from Lush's Christmas collection

Recently received some lovely scented treats from Shiny~ Sneaky girl knew my weakness for penguins and melty snowman, and of course, who can resist pink coloured stars ;)
the list:
  • The Christmas Penguin - this cutie is a holiday limited edition, with each peng being 'unique' or as my hub and I like to call it 'special.' :) This guys is just too perfect to be used!
  • Melting Snowman - I see this guy and it made me think about this book. I'm not sure why I keep thinking that the snowman's name is Frigo. I actually own a copy of this book in French... so I wonder... Anyways, I'm sure I will spoil myself with this spicy bath melt and I'm looking forward to it!
  • Magic Wand - this cute bubble bar can be use to make several baths 'magical.' I don't know why, all I could think of was how will I store it when I break off pieces of it~ :) Shopping for new jars? :) :)
Two of these goodies is in a jar that is at this moment sitting on my vanity. Some of you may wonder, why? Well, I found another purpose for these lovely bath/bubble bars, whenever I feel a tad stressed, I just leave the lid open for a while and let the relaxing kick in. Worked twice so far, no lies ;)

I think these bath sweets make excellent treats for anyone looking for something cute, smells great and is useful. Indulge a little!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Dior Addict Gift Set Sephora 500 VIB points perk

I was deeply sadden when I missed this perk last year, so I was extremely happy to see it reappear right around Sephora's VIB 20% sale. I finally got my hands on this with just enough points! I think I have officially been spending too much money at Sephora :| Onto the Dior Addict Gift Set!
This pretty white box was in a clear plastic bag sealed with a label that had the product name and ingredient listing.
Here's the list of products in case the picture is hard to read:
  • Dior Addict Eau Sensuelle Eau de Toilette (5ml)
  • Dior Addict Lipstick in Dior Kiss 578 (1.4g)
  • Dior Addict Bracelet
The bracelet this year is actually different from the pink ribbon one from last year. It is a silvertoned bracelet with lots of different charms attached to it. 
I was surprised at how much I liked this bracelet. At first I wasn't sure if it was going to fit me since most bracelet goes on too big. But wrapping this around my wrist three times and hooking it onto the smallest setting made it work~ Such a delicate, yet playful accessory~

If you are collector and have enough points, you should really check this one out!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Rose Rose Shop Haul

I've been looking forward to receiving this package these past few weeks and was not disappointed when it finally arrived!
Look at all the packaging! I was happy that nothing broke!
So here is a list of products sorted by the brands. I would do swatches of all of them in a separate post, but I included some simply because I just couldn't wait. Enjoy!

The Face Shop:
Mini Pet Perfume Hand Cream in 03 White Floral - too cute for words, still in their original packaging!
Mini Pet Perfume Hand Cream in 04 Fruity Floral - this one too ^^
Face Blusher in 05 Pink Affair
Face Blusher in 06 Fuzzy Peach
Face Blusher in 07 Pink Peach
Face Blusher in 02 Gold Glow Highlighter
Eyes Shadow in 01 Purple Fog
Eyes Shadow in 02 Retro Blue
Eyes Shadow in 03 Peach Kissed
Eyes Shadow in 04 Brownie
Eyes Shadow in 12 Baby Pink
Eyes Shadow in 16 Beautiful Orange
Eyes Shadow in 18 Purple Dance
Eyes Shadow in 22 Cocoa Powder
Nail Polish Remover in 01 Rose - It is slightly rose scented and did its job well. For 80 cents, I can't really complain anything about it.

Etude House:
Drawing Eye Brow in 03 Brown
Drawing Eye Brow in 05 Gray - Very light packaging compared to my current HG Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting pencil (at a fraction of the cost!!), the grey is decently pigmented for brows, the brush on the end has hard bristles, which I'm not fond of.

Tony Moly:
Delight Mono Shadow Matte in 05 Brown Cookie - barely visible when swatched, but makes a great all-over eyelid colour.
Delight Mono Shadow Shimmer in 09 Browston - Lovely pigmentation, easy to blend, very wearable neutral
Browston and Brown Cookie
I've been wearing these two colours every day as it is perfect for work. I did not realize that they came without a case, but since there is a magnet on the back I just popped these two pans in an old mint container. The edge of the pans are also slightly higher than the typical pans and are hard to fit into a regular palette.
 no flash
with flash
Cat Chu Wink Gloss in 09 Fanta Orange - Big disappointment, I expected it to have great colour payoff, but was left rather underwhelmed. There is no colour, just a gloss with glitter. Booh!

It's SKIN Model Project Cake Eyebrow in 02 Mocha Brown and Natural Gray

Innisfree Eco Beauty Tool Natural Eyelashes

RoseRoseShop was also super generous and included 7 samples in my package :)

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Ipsy November 2013

Is it just me, or do beauty boxes no longer have the same appeal? I've lost interest... Anyways, here's what gloomy received for the month of November. I actually received the package last week but haven't gotten to uploading till now... Enjoy~
I feel that this tube looks so cheap, but it could be because I feel that the logo was just so poorly designed and fails to look luxurious. Anyways, this dramatic volume mascara retails for $20 USD, a single coat is suppose to amp up your lashes and gives an instant dramatic effect. I'm sitting on the fence with either giving this a try (despite it being not waterproof) or just give it out someone who has a higher chance of success with it. 
I really appreciate that Ipsy tries to please everyone and included an Em Cosmetic product... but I can't help but being disappointed in receiving the mascara... Anyhoot, did you receive something different this month?

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Sephora VIB birthday gift 2013

I picked up a week before my birthday the Sephora's VIB birthday gift, which consist of two Benefit Cosmetic products: 
  • They're Real! mascara - Benefit's 'breakthrough bestseller' 
  • Watt's Up - a champagne coloured highlighter with a cream to powder finish that is suppose to give you that extra 'wow' factor
Like previous year's Fresh Sugar minis, this year's gift came in a pretty box with brief descriptions about each product.
Mini rant: I'm not extremely crazy about getting samples of mascara because I'm very overstocked of them. Also, this has to be my third sample of They're Real! mascara that I've accumulated in my stash... I know this seems to be a very coveted items, but do they have to include it in every sample box? /endrant

With all the ranting, I have to say that I am quite excited about the Watt's Up since it is small, portable and well cute. I was almost going to use it this morning, but I realized I haven't taken a picture of it before I use it... so yeah... I'll get there ^_^

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in 54 Boy

This was the third Chanel product that I've ever purchased and it is one that I'd definitely consider repurchasing when I'm done the tube (maybe even before that!)
Top: 1 Swipe, Bottom: 3 swipes

 Chanel's 54 Boy, on lips no flash
Chanel's 54 Boy, on lips with flash

Boy is a My-Lip-But-Better colour because of this fact, it is very wearable and suitable for work. This is also the reason why, I've worn it almost everyday during the month of September and early October. I still enjoying wearing it late October, but I've started on my deeper fall shades :)

Overall Rating ***** / 5 (1 = worst 5 = best) Boy is just awesome. I don't know what else to say.
Price *****/5 (1 = soooo cheap! 5 = pricey!) At a whooping $39CAD, easily one of the most expensive lippy I currently own.
Packaging Quality *****/5 (1 = worst 5 = best) Very sleek black tube with the Chanel symbol on the lid. It has the lovely gold accent making it look that much more luxe.
Scent? Sweet floral... I love it...
Would you buy this product again? * dreamy eyes* of course... are there any other colours you'd recommend me from this line?!

Bobbi-to-Go Sephora 500 VIB points perk

Good things come in small packages :) I could barely contain my excitement when I found out that Sephora had this awesome little Bobbi Brown to go kit for grabs! I checked my points twice to make sure I qualified and was ecstatic when I got my hands on it.  
It contains almost everything you need on the go:
  • 4 lovely neutral eyeshadows (Bone, Heather Mauve, Saddle, Mahogany) first impressions: Bone was a colour that blended into my lid colour, Heather Mauve is as gorgeous in the pan as it is on the lid and Mahogany was an nice warm brown. Did not get to try Saddle yet. All the eyeshadows were very buttery!
  • blush (Pale Pink) - first impression: for such a bright colour in the pan, this blush was surprisingly wearable, and I was able to apply it with my fingers, though would prefer using a brush.
  • Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara - first impression: what a tiny brush! However, it is able to getevery single lash from root to the very ends. Does not clump and separates lashes very well, but see minimal lengthening or volumizing. Lashes still feel soft with mascara on.
  • eye cream, lovely addition to any eye cream addict's collection - first impression: performance of product was neutral, did not find it exceptionally hydrating.
 Ingredient listings for those who are curious:
So overall, I'm super happy with this, and am looking forward to carrying this around with me.