• Revisiting My 2018 Favourites | Part 2

    May 17, 2019

    Hi Everyone!
    It’s been almost six months since Part 1 of Revisiting My 2018 Favourites. So, here’s Part 2! This post is for July to December’s beauty faves.

    Click here if you missed Part 1!

    JULY

    BCL Spa Sugar Scrub Lavender + Mint – I absolutely loved this. It smelled amazing and the scrub made my skin feel so soft and smell good.

    Repurchase? If I could find it for cheaper than $40 somewhere, I would! I’ll have to check salons in Toronto to see if they sell in-store. I’ve only found the brand on Amazon for $50+ or on wholesale sites.

    BCL Spa Dead Sea Salt Soak Lavender + Mint – As much as I loved this, I probably wouldn’t buy it again since it’s so expensive. I would rather buy the sugar scrub.

    Repurchase? No.

    Sonia Roselli Water Balm – Loved this!! It was a great moisturizer and primer, I will definitely get this again!

    Repurchase? Yes!

    Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit – I liked this, but I need to find a shade that’s more my style.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Colors by Llarowe Nail Polish in The Deep End – This is a pretty mermaid-y shade.

    Repurchase? I would repurchase from the brand, but I probably wouldn’t buy a similar shade. I want to streamline my nail polishes and purchase shades that don’t have shimmer (neutrals, reds, wines, etc.)

    AUGUST

    Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge -I love the flat side of this sponge.

    Repurchase? Yes! It would be great if I can find a 4-pack for $20 again!

    Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil – I enjoyed the little deluxe sample I had!

    Repurchase? YES!

    Soo’Ae Juice Mango Glow Mask – No offense to face masks, but I feel like (for the most part), they all feel the same. Unless one is specifically meant for something like drawing out impurities, the hydrating, brightening, plumping sheet masks all make my face feel the same.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    elf Studio Matte Lip Color in Tea Rose -This lipstick felt nice for a matte lip colour. This specific shade did not look good on me. It looked okay once I topped it with gloss though.

    Repurchase? No, I prefer satin finish lipsticks.

    Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radiance SPF50 – As someone who deals with acne, I can’t just use this product. I need something with a bit more coverage. This is a very nice and affordable product, but I need something with a bit more coverage than what this offers.

    Repurchase? Possibly (when my skin is clear and when they have a better shade range). Although the scent is quite strong.

    SEPTEMBER

    Benefit Precisely, My Brow Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6 – LOVE THIS!

    Repurchase? Absolutely!

    Diorshow Bold Brow in 002 Dark – I love this, but won’t repurchase until they expand the shades (if that ever happens). The shade 002 Dark is the darkest and it leans gray.

    Repurchase? I would if they had a darker shade.

    OPI Nail Lacquer in Step Right Up! – I love this shade! It’s a beautiful sheer pink.

    Repurchase? If It’s still available when I finish my current bottle, I would definitely repurchase.

    Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel – This gel works well, but since it has salicylic acid, it can make my face a bit itchy and/or red.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Pixi Aspyn Ovard Glow-y Powder in Santorini Sunset – This is a beautiful champagne highlighter.

    Repurchase? No longer available.

    OCTOBER

    Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation in Light-Neutral – Loooove this powder! I think I need a lighter shade though.

    Repurchase? Yes!!

    Thayers Witch Hazel Alcohol-Free Cucumber Toner – I think I’m allergic to witch hazel (or at least, I can’t tolerate a heavy concentration of it).

    Repurchase? No.

    The Face Shop Multi-Layer Cotton Pads – I love these! They are much stronger than the Muji Peelable Cotton Pads.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Unknown Brand of Cotton Swabs (flat end and pointy end) – These are really useful! I like that it has a pointy end.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer – I love this primer.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    NOVEMBER

    Kopari Coconut Deodorant – It’s aluminum-free! It also smells really nice when you sniff it from the tube, but it can sometimes be too much for me (especially since I don’t looooove coconut). Also, since it’s got a strong scent, I feel like I shouldn’t wear my perfume when I do wear it because it will clash.

    Repurchase? Yes, I would try one of the other scents (or even unscented).

    Etude House Lip & Eye Remover – This is great for removing my makeup.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in Light – Really love this concealer.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    TULA Acne Clearing + Tone Correcting Gel – When I first got this, I was using it twice a day and then I stopped for a bit and realized that while it does work, my face was so dry because of the salicylic acid. I’ve cut down to using it only when I feel a pimple coming (like a spot treatment) instead of using it all over.

    Repurchase? I would.

    DECEMBER

    NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer – This concealer is awesome for spot concealing and I would definitely purchase in a lighter shade as an under eye concealer.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    The Body Shop Aloe Calming Foaming Wash – This was very gentle and I love foaming cleansers.

    Repurchase? Yes, but on sale.

    EcoTools Shading Brush – Love this brush. It’s so soft!!

    Repurchase? I would definitely buy more EcoTools brushes.

    Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette – I really just wanted to try this once to see why everyone loved it so much. I’m glad that they offer a duo now instead of having to get all six shades.

    Repurchase? I love the sombre shade for contouring, but I would rather buy another brand for obvious reasons.

    Do you still love your favourites from last year?

    Love,

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  • Haul | August 2018 Sephora VIB Rouge Sale

    August 30, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    I picked up some things from the Sephora Beauty Insider Appreciation Sale, mostly skincare because I’m working on finishing products I have in my current collection. I have so many products in my LOVES list that it was hard to refrain from buying more things. I only bought products I need to replace other things I’ve finished. Although, I did make an order from Tarte as well (first time ordering from them).

    If you haven’t bought anything yet, you still have time! It ends September 3rd!

    What do you guys think of the new updates to their Beauty Insider program? It’s awesome if you’re a VIB or ROUGE, but it’s still kind of the same for Beauty Insiders. I guess it makes sense since they want to reward the people who are spending more money. Somehow, last year, I got to ROUGE status and I’m a a bit mortified at how easy it was to do that. I did buy products for my mom, but the majority was for me…Skincare and makeup tools are expensive. As a ROUGE, I plan to take advantage of it while I still can. I will hopefully only make it to VIB in the following years.

    I bought two things for my grandma too. She loves scented hand creams and a Bobbi Brown lipstick.

    Bobbi Brown Luxe Lipstick in Brocade

    The gold tube is so pretty and you can tell it’s a luxury item. This is a beautiful “bright purple plum” shade and my grandma can really pull off purple lipsticks. It’s definitely very pigmented and has a satin finish.

    A full-coverage, vitamin C and E-infused lipstick that plumps lips, supports natural collagen, and smooths the look of lines and wrinkles.

    L’Occitane Hand Cream in Cherry Blossom

    I almost wrote “Cheryl Blossom” there lol (character from Riverdale). Anyone else ready for shows to start up again? I thought this one smelled nice. I don’t personally like hand creams that are scented, but I don’t mind sniffing them. My grandma loves the L’Occitane Hand Creams. For Christmas one time, we bought her the Roses et Reines (roses), Pivoine Flora (peonies) and Arlésienne Velvet (rose, violet & saffron).

    A collection of luxurious hand creams to help nourish and protect hands. 

    For the things I got for myself, it’s the first time buying all four products. I’ve tried other Clinique Acne Solutions products, but not this one. I was going to pick up the Benefit Gimme Brow, but I realized that the Dior brow gel is actually cheaper (it’s $2 more, but there’s just a little bit more in the tube) and I mean, it’s Dior. Who doesn’t want to own a Dior product and have that signature CD emblem?

    Waso Quick Matte Oil-Free Moisturizer

    Waso is a new brand by Shiseido that’s geared towards Millennials. Similar to the Dior Backstage line, it’s a ‘more affordable’ line from Shiseido. I originally bought this for my mom because she’s looking for a new moisturizer. She decided to go with the Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Emulsion Broad Spectrum SPF18 which we will pick up on Sept 5th at Hudson’s Bay when they have the Shiseido gift with purchase. I decided to keep the Waso moisturizer for myself.

    An oil-free, oil-balancing gel emulsion to mattify and balance skin with 24-hour hydration. This formula smooths and hydrates skin with a shine-reducing, sebum-absorbing powder to maintain a matte look. The dewy texture feels refreshing and leaves skin feeling smooth, hydrated, and less shiny. 

    Tarte Maracuja Oil

    I’ve tested the Maracuja Oil on my hand and I was amazed at how smooth my hand felt.

    A vegan face oil for a healthy-looking, radiant complexion with no greasy feel.

    Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel

    I’ve used the Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam and Cleansing Gel and both worked well for me, but they are kind of pricey. Right now, I’m using a Neutrogena one since it’s a lot cheaper. I prefer to splurge on spot treatments and buy drugstore acne cleansers.

    A daily treatment gel for acne-clearing results equal to a leading topical prescription.

    Diorshow Bold Brow in 002 Dark

    It’d be nice if they had more shades. They only have 3: Light, Medium or Dark. Luckily, I can use dark, but I wouldn’t mind if it was a little darker.

    A brow mascara to achieve lush, full, and groomed brows immediately.

    That’s all I got in the Sephora Haul. I’ll write a post for my Tarte Haul once my order comes in and write reviews on these products once I’ve tested them out.

    Have you tried any of these products? What did you pick up from the Sephora Sale?

    Love,

    jen

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