Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Medium to Full Coverage Radiant Concealer with Hyaluronic Acid in 4.5 – I ended up returning this because it was too light
bareMinerals BAREPRO 16-HR Skin-Perfecting Powder Foundation in Light 25 Neutral – I returned this one as well because it was too dark lol
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil: Eye, Lip & Brow Pencil in 612 Dimension Dark Brown
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Joy
Urban Decay Mini Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Waterproof Eyebrow Definer in Shade 6
Shu Uemura Hard Formula Eyebrow Pencil in Stone Gray 05
Did you pick anything up from the friends and family sale
I’m sharing my Sephora sale haul today! I bought a few things for my mom and then I finally purchased some products that have been on my wishlist for a few years.
Currently, I have Sephora VIB Rouge status, but I haven’t bought much makeup or skincare in the past two years, so my Rouge status will be downgraded next year. I decided to make some purchases with the 20% off while I still have it.
Charlotte Tilbury Darling Eyeshadow Palette | $72
I have been looking at eyeshadows for a while, this one was a bit of an impulse purchase, but the shades are so pretty. lately, I’ve been leaning toward warmer colours.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter in 2 – Fair | $53
I’ve had this on my wishlist for a long time. I hope it lives up to my expectations.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Nude Bronze Light | $69
The bronzer came broken :/ I contacted customer service to get a re-shipment, so just waiting for the new one to come in. This has also been on my wishlist for a long time. It was sad to open it and see some powder on the outside of the packaging. I knew right away that it was probably broken.
MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Blush in Sweet Enough | $35
I bought this for my mom. She previously really loved the powder blush in Mocha, which I also bought. I thought she might like a baked blush more since she got hard pan quite often with the powder blush.
MAC Cosmetics Powder Blush in Mocha | $32
Sephora Collection PRO Powder Brush #50 | $45
I got this brush for my mom. She mentioned that her powder foundation was providing more coverage than she wanted. She prefers a more sheer coverage. Right now, she’s using a denser brush, so I thought a slightly fluffier one might do the trick.
Sephora Collection PRO Highlight Brush #98 | $40
I have a Sephora PRO powder brush and it’s one of the softest brushes I own. I currently have a highlight fan brush from Winners. I thought it was time to get one that had a name brand.
I am revisiting last year’s favourites. There were some products I really enjoyed, but I don’t love them enough to repurchase. Others are favourites and I will repurchase again in the future. Keep reading to find out which products from my 2019 favourites made the list!
Check out my other posts revisiting my old favourites!
This year, I’ve taken a look at those “Revisiting” posts and reviewed them again. I’ve decided that every year, I will take a look at all of my favourites to see how my tastes change as I get older.
I haven’t tried many new products since my last favourites post. I have a few products that I’m enjoying at the moment, but need to test them out more before I add them to a favourites post.
Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer* (read my review) – While there are adjustments I’d make to the design (making the handle a bit smaller), this is a great brush to dry hair and get some volume.
Wet Detangling Brushes – It doesn’t have to be a specific brand. I have a Tangle Teezer and another brand that’s not as well known. Wet detangling brushes with handles are awesome.
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Concealer in 202 Light – This is a beautiful, medium coverage concealer that looks natural.
Blume Meltdown Acne & Blemish Oil* – This has been great for those breakouts that hurt during that time of the month. I use it as a spot treatment and the next day, the pimple doesn’t hurt (or it’s not as bad as the day before). It does have a strong (natural) scent to it.
I thought I would do a post revisiting last year’s favourites to see if they were still my favourites. I’ve already done a post for my September to December 2017 favourites.
I’m going to split the posts into 2 parts so it’s not too long. Part 1 for January to June and I’ll post the Part 2 in six months’ time for July to December since they’re still fairly recent. These posts are only going to include my beauty favourites.
JANUARY
Maybelline FaceStudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in 100 Molten Gold – LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
Repurchase? Yes! I want to get one of the lighter shades (since they’ve expanded their shade range) because this one can be a bit too dark on me.
Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm – Love this balm!
Repurchase? Yes.
Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector – I enjoyed the metal applicator and it kept my under eyes soft and hydrated.
Repurchase? I would buy it again, but I want to try other products. I’ve only tried a couple eye creams and it’s the best one I’ve tried so far, but I know there are ones that people rave about even more.
Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Hairbrush – I haven’t used this in a while, but I still love it. I think I’m just worried the bristles will come off and I’ll have to get a new one.
Repurchase? Yes, but I would get one with a handle. (UPDATE: I won a giveaway and now I have one with a handle!)
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo – I love the smell of this. I was surprised to read reviews about it smelling too much.
Repurchase? I’ve already repurchased it.
MAC Vamplify Gloss in What’s Going On – I loved the applicator of this lip gloss, but I didn’t like this particular shade. The only shades available are bright colours.
Repurchase? No. If MAC made a lip gloss with this applicator in a shade I liked, I would definitely get it though.
FEBRUARY
MAC Strobe Cream – I love the Pinklite!
Repurchase? Probably.
Pixi Glow Tonic – LOVE THIS!
Repurchase? I already have. (UPDATE: I have since realized that I may be allergic to witch hazel which is in the glow tonic).
Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder – The powder itself is great and I love the puff. I don’t love the smell of the powder though.
Repurchase? Probably not.
MARCH
Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette – I enjoyed this, but I feel like I only used a handful of shades. Even at $5, it felt like a waste. Plus, you could tell the quality of the packaging was not great because it was basically just foam that had a piece of plastic material glued onto it. It started to peel.
Repurchase? No. Shipping to Canada is an extra charge. I’d rather spend the money on the product instead of shipping. I’ve been using a Hard Candy palette that has a fraction of the colours, but I will be able to use all of them.
LOVE OPI XOXO Mini Nail Lacquer 10 Pack – This pack had 4 colours that I wasn’t a fan of, but it was a good price at Winners.
Repurchase? I wouldn’t have bought the pack at full price, but I would buy individual shades at full price.
Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil – It made my hair super smooth, but I think I’d rather use a hair mask.
Repurchase? Probably not.
APRIL
Physician’s Formula Murumuru Butter Butter Bronzer – Great bronzer.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Physician’s Formula Butter Highlighter in Pink – Pretty cream highlighter.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Soo’Ae Caada Purifying Brightening Peeling Gel – LOVE!
Repurchase? Yes!
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in Ivory 0.75 – This is a beautiful foundation!
Repurchase? Undecided. I want to try other stick foundations to see how they compare. If I do end up buying this again, I need the right shade.
MAC Pigment in Stardream – It’s a beautiful shade!
Repurchase? No. Pigments are too messy for me.
Miniso Flawless Baked Blusher in Rosy Pink – I decided to declutter this. This was a pretty shade, but I didn’t love that it was made in China. If you’re on a budget and you don’t mind where your products are made, this was a really pretty blush.
Repurchase? No.
MAY
Bobbi Brown Instant Long-Wear Makeup Remover – This easily removes eye makeup.
Repurchase? No. Too expensive for a product that will be on your face for seconds. I’d rather spend money on a moisturizer.
INGLOT x Jennifer Lopez LipGlossy Lip Gloss in J225 Pinky – I liked the colour of this lip gloss, but I don’t think it’s worth $28. Plus, the smell reminded me of drugstore lip glosses.
Repurchase? No.
Cake Beauty (Delectable) The Everything Powder – I used this to set my makeup and it works beautifully. It doesn’t have talc…it’s basically just corn starch! But, it had a smell that was quite powerful (like the Baby All Gone dolls where you feed the baby cherries from a spoon – anyone old enough to know what those are?) This was annoying to use as a setting powder because I had to use an old setting powder container to use it (since this is shaped like a baby powder bottle).
Repurchase? No.
Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner – This made my hair look shinier and smoother. Although, I’m not a huge fan of the scent of Argan Oil, I didn’t mind this.
Repurchase? Possibly.
JUNE
Clinique Sonic Systems Purifying Brush– I enjoy this brush and the charge lasts a really long time! I got this at the MAC Warehouse Sale for $40 and the brush heads were $10.
Repurchase? Although I like the brush, I wouldn’t pay full price for the brush heads. If I ever go back to the MAC Warehouse sale, I will pick some up.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (read my review) – I gave it a 5/5, but I’m not sure if it actually helped to clarify and exfoliate my skin. When I wake up the next morning though, my skin does look quite refreshed and hydrated.
Repurchase? Yes.
Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser – If I wanted to replace the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, I could buy this to use as a makeup remover. I love that they changed the packaging from a tube to a bottle!
Repurchase? Possibly.
Clionadh Cosmetics Mother of Pearl Highlighter – This is so pretty!
Repurchase? Yes, but without the scent.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Targeted Gel Blemish Stick – I’m so torn. This blemish stick worked well, but it felt unsanitary to stick the wand back in after using it on a pimple. Plus, it’s expensive for a small stick.
Repurchase? Undecided. But if I do, it has to be on sale.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution – I believe this is no longer available, but it felt like it was the same product as the tea tree oil from The Body Shop.
Repurchase? Unavailable.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Body Wash – This worked okay, I would still get a pimple here and there on my back.
Repurchase? Probably not.
Burt’s Bees Blush in Shy Pink– This is a pretty matte shade, but sometimes I go too heavy-handed and have to really blend it out.
Repurchase? Probably not. The shade is a bit too pink and I’m not a huge fan of the packaging. Since blush lasts so long, I’d rather pay for a high-end one with nicer packaging.
I made an order from Tarte because I wanted to finally try the Amazonian Clay Foundation (the powder one). I’ve been eyeing it for a long time now and I finished up enough of my foundations that I allowed myself to buy a new one (read my makeup goals post). I wanted to get a powder foundation for lighter days where my skin is good and I don’t want to put on liquid or stick foundation. I had it narrowed down to a few different powders, but I decided to go with this one because I love Tarte.
I got two other products I’ve never tried before and a fave of mine: Shape Tape (a cult fave), the Timeless Smoothing Primer (a fave of Tati, Beauty YouTuber) and the Frxxxtion Stick.
After making the order, I now have 9 products from Tarte which makes it the brand I own the most products from; at most, I think I only own 1-4 things from a single brand.
Rainforest of the Sea Frxxxtion Stick 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser (read my review) – My friend told me about this and I got a deluxe sample of it. I loved it. Originally, I thought it was too expensive, but the deluxe sample lasted a while, so I was able to justify the price.
With a clarifying cleansing gel powered by the Rainforest of the Sea™ complex & suspended diatomaceous earth microexfoliants, the vegan friendly formula draws out surface oil & reduces shine, while purifying pores for the deepest clean possible.
The hypoallergenic gel stick gently sloughs away dead surface cells & polishes skin as it cleanses to fight dullness & pump up the radiance. Great for all skin types, it can be used on a regular basis without stripping skin’s moisture or left on as a treatment mask to absorb toxins & reveal smooth, sexy, glowing skin.
Shape Tape Contour Concealer in 12N Fair-Neutral – I chose the shade Fair-Neutral because it’s the next neutral shade down from the foundation I chose (Light Neutral). I swatched it on my hand and I think it will be good for the under eyes. I’ve seen/read so many reviews on it, but no one ever mentioned that it has a scent to it. I thought it would smell like other concealers, but it has a slight perfume-y/cologne-y scent. I also didn’t realize how much fatter it was from other concealers. I knew the doefoot applicator was bigger, but I guess I never looked that closely when other ladies have posted pics of their concealers. The tube is almost as big as my Bobbi Brown stick foundation.
Full coverage with flawless matte finish
Conceals all imperfections & doubles as a contour/highlight product
Creamy, easy-to-blend formula won’t flake or crease
Nourishes with mango seed & shea butters
Helps illuminate skin for a lifted effect
Timeless Smoothing Primer – I picked up the limited edition one because it was $8-9 cheaper than the regular one. I assume it’s the same product with a different coloured lid to match one of their themes. I used it yesterday and it really smoothed out my pores. I will do a proper wear test and post a review later this month. Be careful with this product, I was tilting it to smell it and it must’ve melted off of the jar because the product fell out in one clump. Luckily, I was able to pick it up from my chair and press it back into the jar.
Formulated to fade out your biggest beauty boundaries such as large pores, fine lines and wrinkles
Antioxidant-rich formula gently melts into the skin delivering a surge of moisture, peptides and other naturally-derived elixirs for a firmer, smoother appearance
Has a lightweight texture and fresh powder scent as it provides the perfect blank canvas to enhance the look and wear time of makeup
Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation in Light Neutral – I’ve swatched this at Sephora, but I haven’t used it yet. I think this is the closest match based on the description.
Powered by Amazonian clay & light-reflecting gemstones, this hypoallergenic foundation gives you natural radiance & matte coverage in a weightless, flake-free powder. The full coverage formula is all you need to cover redness, unevenness & pores, with Amazonian clay to help control oil & make your makeup last. Precious gemstone tourmaline works to energize skin & diffuse light for natural dimension, & the custom mesh applicator offers buildable & breathable coverage without settling into fine lines.
Other products from Tarte that I’ve used are the Amazonian Blushes (love these), the Maracuja Oil (I’m still testing it, but really like it so far), Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint and the Tarteist Sculpt & Slim Contour Brush.
Today I’m doing a 3-way This or That because I had three different brands of foundation brushes. Each of the brushes I bought as part of a set:
Sephora- to be honest, I can’t remember what this brush came with and it’s not in my order history. I think it was a travel brush kit. This brush from the PRO collection looks the most similar out of the brushes they currently offer.
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation + Smoothing Skin Equalizer Customizable Set | $83 CAD
Step 1 Skin Equalizer smoothing primer
Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation (your choice)
Artisan Brush 106S (the brush is a short version of the 106)
The only reason I have a MUFE foundation brush is because it came in the set. I prefer applying my liquid foundation with sponges, so I probably wouldn’t buy a liquid foundation brush on its own.
Sephora liquid foundation brush
I do have another Sephora foundation brush, but it’s a little worse for wear. It is softer than this travel-sized brush, but performs about the same.
Arbonne
100% vegan and cruelty-free
Liquid Foundation / Flat Brush: Great for liquid foundations and concealer for proper blending; features a rounded head to match the natural contours of the face such as the corners under the eyes.
Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush
This is a larger variation of a foundation brush for applying and blending ultra fast for an even result with fuller coverage. It can be used with all types of foundations and features straight fibers.
I used the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Foundation for the swatches (the swatches are aligned with the picture of the brushes- top swatch is Sephora, middle is Arbonne and bottom is MUFE). I pumped once directly onto the brush just to see how much product it absorbed. The swatches are after two swipes of the brush. As you can see, the Sephora swatch on the top is shiny which means the foundation was still wet. When I did the second swipe, I did my best to go directly on top of the previous swatches. The Sephora brush fanned out a bit when it touched my skin. The Arbonne brush is denser/thicker (the other two are flatter). The Make Up For Ever brush is the widest and the swatch above shows that. The Sephora brush’s bristles aren’t as soft as the other two. Out of the three, the MUFE one is the softest, but it absorbs the most product.
I wanted to do swatches on a flat surface that wouldn’t absorb product, so I used a foundation palette. I pumped three equal-sized dots of Maybelline’s Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation and I swiped the brushes twice to see how much product absorbs into the brush. Again, the swatches are in the same order: Sephora (top), Arbonne and MUFE. The Sephora one is the darkest and MUFE is the lightest swatch because the Sephora brush barely absorbs any foundation and the MUFE one absorbs the most. The Sephora brush has the stiffest bristles which reminds me of a paintbrush. The Arbonne brush is okay, but it’s not as wide as the other two, but it’s denser which means a lot of product gets lost in the brush. The MUFE brush is wide and flat and the bristles are soft. That’s why I have to give the win to the MUFE brush.
WINNER: Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush
Do you prefer sponges or brushes to apply liquid foundation? What’s your favourite brand for brushes/sponges?
I bought the Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush for $40 CAD at the MAC Warehouse Sale in September. It normally retails for $111 CAD and the replacement heads are $54 CAD for a set of 2 of the purifying ones. Last week, I went to the December MAC Sale and I found the replacement heads for $10, so I got 2 purifying cleanser ones and the Airbrushed Finish Liquid Foundation Applicator brush head (which normally retails for $34 CAD).
In the box, there is the brush, a charging dock and two replacement heads. It’s a nice cleansing brush, it fits in your hand easily and doesn’t slip. I like how it’s not battery operated so there’s not backing that water can accidentally get into. Once I brought it home, I started to charge it. It takes a while to charge, but once it’s charged, it lasts for a while. I admit that I hadn’t used it a lot because I didn’t want to pay $54 for the replacement heads and it says to replace after a few months. After 30 seconds of use, it will automatically shut off. This is useful because you’re not supposed to use it longer than a minute or so, so two cycles is the ideal length of time to keep it running. The brush heads snap onto the brush, and the purifying brush heads are oval-shaped and stick out from the top of the brush so you can grip the top and take it off easily.
The cleansing brush is good, the sonic vibrations deeply cleanse the skin. It’s best to use a more liquid cleanser, I used one that was a bit too thick and it took a bit of rinsing to get it out of the brush. Obviously, the best cleanser to use is probably one of Clinique’s. The white bristles are softer than the green ones. The green ones are meant for areas like your T-Zone and nose, while the white bristles are gentler for your cheeks.
The brush is great to use when I take a shower after wearing makeup. I use makeup wipes, micellar water or makeup remover to remove my makeup, but my brush still gets dirty from the leftover foundation that I missed or that got into my pores.
I saw the foundation brush head and knew it retailed for $30 or more, so I thought I’d try it for $10. I dabbed some liquid foundation on my face and turned the brush on. It was going on really smoothly and looked really good. It still looked like I was wearing foundation, but it looked as if I used a damp beauty sponge. I’m not sure how much of the foam sponge absorbed my foundation, but I think it was about the same amount as a normal beauty sponge. If you’re not careful, the foam sticks out a bit from the plastic on the head and it caught on my cheek as I was moving the brush. After using it, I realized the foam brush had ripped. It broke after one use! Also, the brush head is round, and unlike the purifying brush head, it was hard to grip and pull off. Also, since the brush head is just foam, you have to be careful or you might rip the foam. I had to use a letter opener to get it off. It definitely wouldn’t be worth $34, I’m upset that I even paid $10 for it.
RATING: 4/5
The brush is great, but I take off a point because the replacements are so expensive and also the foundation applicator was terrible. I’ve heard the Clarisonic foundation head is good (theirs is similar to a brush, not made of foam like Clinique’s) and hope that Clinique comes out with something comparable.
Have you tried a sonic cleansing brush? Which do you prefer?
I just received my little haul from Sephora. I went crazy buying things at the MAC/Estée Lauder Warehouse Sale in September, I didn’t buy too many things from the sale. I just couldn’t resist buying something…20% off was too good to pass up. I bought the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, the Sephora Mighty Minis Brush & Sponge set, and the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer for my mom.
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler (comes with a replacement pad)
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer in Warm Light Medium
Sephora Mighty Minis Brush & Sponge set
Total Coverage Sponge
Classic Mini Multitasker Brush #45.5
Solid Clean: Solid Brush Cleaner
I chose foundation and concealer samples for my three free ones:
Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer in 9 Neutral
Hourglass Immaculate® Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil Free in Shell (light, neutral undertone)
Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer in No.2 (light medium)
I also received the Sephora PRO Flawless Airbrush #56 (mini) as a VIB Rouge Welcome Gift.
I’ve previously posted about a detangling brush that I got from Claire’s which I accidentally got too close to a hair dryer and melted…and I also had a brush from Forever21, but hadn’t tried it yet. Since that post, I tried the one from Forever21 and it was so hard that it hurt to comb my hair with it. The one from Claire’s wasn’t as hard and didn’t hurt when I combed my hair. However, the Claire’s detangler was quite small and didn’t have any grip to it, so I dropped it a few times.
I got a Tangle Teezer brush for my birthday. It’s the original detangling hair brush for $20. I asked for the black one since I didn’t like the colour combos of the other brushes. Originally, I thought these were too expensive, but I have to confess that I like it.
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The Original can be used on wet or dry hair and is suitable for all hair types and textures. It banishes tangles, knots and helps prevent breakage and damage thanks to its unique two-tiered system technology – the long teeth detangle and the short teeth smooth the hair cuticle for healthier-looking, glossy hair.
It’s a lot bigger than I thought it’d be, but that’s a good thing because it is ergonomically shaped to fit in the palm of your hand. I like to use it to detangle my hair after a shower to get out the knots and then I use a regular paddle brush to dry my hair (don’t want another melted detangler on my hands…especially at these prices). I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is willing to splurge a bit. Just remember not to get it too close to the heat!
RATING: 4.5/5
I give it a 4.5 because even though it’s shaped to fit your hand, it’d be better with a handle (they now have combs with handles too).
UPDATE: They come with handles now and I won two in a giveaway! I am absolutely loving it and would rate them 5/5!
Sephora liquid foundation brush
Arbonne
Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush
