• L’Oréal Paris | My Hits & Misses

    Hi Everyone!

    It’s been a while since I’ve posted on the blog. It’s also been a while since I’ve done a Hits & Misses post. So here are my thoughts on L’Oréal products. Some of the products I was gifted and marked with a *.

    Check out my other Hits & Misses posts!

    MAKEUP || Primers | Foundations | Powders | Concealers | Brows | Mascara

    SKINCARE || Eye Creams

    BRANDS || Bobbi Brown | Burt’s Bees | Maybelline | Nude by Nature | NYX | TULA | Volition Beauty

    Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.


    HITS

    Voluminous Original Mascara – This is one of my favourite drugstore mascaras. I like the wand and it’s a good price. 

    Rouge Signature Liquid Lip Colour in I Create 416 – I love this shade and it’s a pretty comfortable matte liquid lipstick. Sometimes I’ll put a bit of gloss on in the middle.

    Colour Riche Shine Lipstick in Varnished Rosewood 904 (read my review) – I bought this one for my mom, it’s a really pretty shade and has a nice shine.

    LIKES

    Bambi Eye Mascara* – I liked this mascara, the shape of the tube made it a bit difficult to open. I don’t have dexterity issues, but someone who does might have trouble opening it.

    Telescopic Intense Lash Length Original Mascara – This is the gold tube one. It works well for bottom lashes.

    Brow Stylist Boost & Set Volumizing Brow Mascara (read my review) – This brow mascara was okay. I liked the small brush, but it made my brows feel crunchy.

    Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream Anti-Redness (read my review) – My mom uses this anti-redness bb cream and it works well. I wish it came in different shades because it’s too brown for me. It also doesn’t smell that great.

    Color Riche Collection Exclusive Lipstick in J Lo’s Nude 370 – I used to looooove this lipstick. I didn’t really love the scent of the lipstick (I think it was the same as the regular Colour Riche lipsticks – either a baby powder scent or a bit floral). I went through 3 tubes of this until I decided to try other products. I prefer lip tints and balms or liquid lipsticks these days.

    Color Riche Oil-Infused Nail Lacquer in 554 Carmin Parisien* – Gorgeous shade and the brush works well. I could do without the rose scent of the polish though. I prefer the regular Color Riche Nail Lacquer (if they still sell that).

    Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Day Moisturizer Fragrance-Free* – This is the only skincare product I’ve liked from L’Oreal because it’s fragrance-free. It did a good job as a moisturizer too, but it’s almost the same price as a non-drugstore brand. So I’d rather use a serum or moisturizer from another brand. 

    Revitalift Triple Power LZR 7-day Treatment Replumping Ampoules* – These were interesting. I would prefer if they sold it in a bottle because it’s expensive for these 7 capsules.

    Le Colour Clear Toning Gloss* – I haven’t coloured my hair in years, so I can only judge the claims to make your hair shine. It did make my hair look very shiny and healthy.

    Dream Lengths 8-second(es) Wonder Water Lamellar Rinse-Out* (read my review) – It detangled hair well, but it didn’t last very long and it was expensive.

    MISSES

    Unfortunately, a lot of the skincare products has a heavy fragrance that gives me a headache, so I was unable to test how well the product actually worked. The serums were all quite tacky which I didn’t love. Here are 3 of their Revitalift serums that were too scented to try: 

    • Revitalift Derm Intensives 12% Pure Vitaminc C, E + Salicylic Acid Face Serum* – smells like that solution to clean the hair tools at a salon
    • Revitalift Hydrating Smoothing Serum* – smells like hairspray from what I remember
    • Revitalift Triple Power LZR 0.3% Pure Retinol Night Serum* – I may be mistaken, but I could’ve sworn that all of the serums had fragrance in them. Maybe there was another reason I didn’t like this one because it claims to be fragrance-free on the website

    Pure-Sugar Scrub for Oily Skin (Kiwi) – When I first tried this, I liked it, but I don’t really use scrubs on my face anymore because of my sensitive skin.

    Pure Clay Masks (Charcoal Brightening Mask for Dull Skin, Red Pore Minimizing 7 Exfoliating for Rough Skin, Green Mattifying Face Mask for Oily Skin)* – As I’ve gotten older, I’ve stopped using face masks as often out of laziness. I prefer to use a mask that I don’t have to clean off. Also, clay masks can make my skin feel dry and tight and I don’t need my skin to be drier (especially in the colder months).

    Concealer Infallible Full Wear, One-Swipe Complete Coverage Matte Finish – This one is too thick for my liking and just made my under eyes look cakey.

    Colour Riche Ultra Matte Lipstick* (read my review) – These were a bit too matte for my liking. I probably could’ve added a gloss or balm on top, but the shades I tried weren’t ones I would’ve personally chosen. So maybe if I had tried a shade that I like, I would like them better.

    Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara – This is going to be a surprise for some people, but I do not like this mascara’s wand shape. I need a more cone-shaped wand or one that’s wider in the middle, not thinner. 


    I have an Excel sheet of products I’ve tried and whether I would repurchase them or not. I have a few L’Oreal products that I said I wouldn’t repurchase, but unfortunately, I didn’t write why lol, so these fall into that category:

    • Voluminous Original Primer – I could’ve sworn I tried this, but I can’t find it in my records anywhere. I know I tried a mascara primer, but I didn’t want to splurge on one, so I got this one. I remember not liking it because it made my lashes feel so heavy once I put mascara on. It was either this or the Tarte Opening Act Lash Primer.
    • Excellence Crème – I’m pretty sure I’ve used one of their hair colours. I don’t dye my hair often, but I tried a few box dyes a few years ago. So I don’t really have a reference for which ones are good
    • Dream Lengths Shampoo with Keratin and Castor Oil & Dream Lengths Conditioner* – All I wrote in my Excel sheet was “scent was too sweet”
    • Extraordinary Oil Shampoo Fine Coconut Oil – I’m guessing that I didn’t like the oil in it or I didn’t like the coconut scent.
    • EverPure Sulfate-Free Bond Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner* – I usually stick to regular drugstore shampoo brands in bottles (sometimes I will occasionally buy an expensive one and use it for special occasions). I think I didn’t love the scent of this and it was expensive
    • Stylista #BeachWaves Texturizing Mist – I don’t like the feeling of a hair texturizer
    • Stylista #Curls Defining Spray – I remember this being quite fragranced

    I’ve tried a few discontinued products as well:

    • Sublime Soft Micellar Gelee Eye Makeup Remover (read my review)
    • Infallible Pro Contour Palette – This was the first contour palette I tried. I didn’t know what I was doing back then lol. I do remember the contour shade being a good ‘shadow’ shade though
    • Infallible Le Rouge Lipstick in 337 Refined Ruby – This was a pretty red (blue-red, not an orange-red), very shiny too

    While I’ve tried quite a bit from the brand, it also doesn’t seem like a lot once I’ve written it all down. I haven’t tried much of their face makeup, but I don’t feel tempted to try much from the brand. I have considered trying their foundations, but then I just end up trying other brands. Especially since drugstore prices have gone up and they’re comparable to brands at retail stores.

    Love,

  • Update (1 Year Later) | September 2017 MAC Warehouse Sale

    Hi Everyone!

    If you’re planning to go to the MAC Warehouse Sale, check out my Tips/Tricks post. This is an update post to my September 2017 Haul from the MAC Warehouse Sale. It’s been a year since I went to the sale and I’m telling you which products I’ve finished or decluttered and whether I’d purchase them again. If you want to see how much I bought the products for, click the link above to see my haul.

    I’m only going to mention products that are still available for purchase. Some shades may not be available any more, but the product, i.e. lipglass is still sold in stores.


    Smashbox Photo Filter Powder Foundation in Shade 1I made the mistake of buying Shade 1. It’s way too light and I was going to do a review on the powder itself (trying not to judge the shade), but it just looked powdery on my skin because it was so pale. I decided to declutter. It felt very velvety and maybe if I had the right shade, I would’ve loved it.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Mac ZOOM Mascara – I bought one that was green (by accident) and a gray one that I put in a giveaway. I liked the brush of the mascara, but since mine was green, I didn’t do a proper wear test to see how well it kept a curl or if it added any length or volume to my lashes.

    Bobbi Brown Crystal Lip Gloss – This was sticky and I didn’t like it that much. I put one in a giveaway and finished the other.

    Repurchase? No. Even if I got it at the MAC sale for a cheaper price, I still wouldn’t buy it again. It was so sticky.

    Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Hi-Lustre Light Sculpting Lipstick in 210 Bold Innocent – This was also too pink for me.

    Repurchase? I would buy another shade in the lipstick.

    MAC Lipglass in C-Thru – I saw a video where Tati was wearing this and I thought it was so pretty. Obviously, since Tati is white and I’m Asian, it looked different on me. If I put too much, it would make my lipstick or lips look milky (because it’s a light pink shade).

    Repurchase? No.

    MAC Mineralize Glass in Lap Dog – I love the applicator on this lip glass. It’s a flat one that bends easily.

    Repurchase? I would buy again (in a different shade because I think this one is discontinued).

    MAC Cremesheen Glass in It’s a Strike – I love the shade of this one. It’s a mauve-pink.

    Repurchase? Yes, but I will have to find a different shade because I think this is also discontinued.

    MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Kittenish – I really like this chubby lip pencil and I love the shade. I’ve barely used it because I want to use other ones first.

    Repurchase? This is probably one of the few ones that I like that’s still available.

    MAC Ultimate Lipstick in Marque – This lipstick was discontinued. I’m still working on it.

    Repurchase? Unavailable.

    Estée Lauder x Victoria Beckham in Moroccan Heat (Limited Edition) – I used this a few times and it’s quite sticky. It’s not the best formula to put in a click pen (like the YSL Touche Éclat) because it’s hard to clean the brush after. I hadn’t used it in a while and used it again and when I was wiping it, I saw some gray on my cotton pad. I don’t know if it was from the brush itself or if it was mold. So, I decided to click out the rest of the lip gloss so I can keep the empty gold pen.

    Repurchase? No longer available.

    Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in Ivory 0.75 – I’m still working on this stick foundation and I really love it. I just need to find the right shade because Ivory is too light.

    Repurchase? I would even purchase this at full price, but if I ever go to another MAC warehouse sale and see a better shade match, I would definitely get it.

    Estée Lauder Double Wear Makeup To Go Liquid Compact in 1N2 Ecru – I decluttered this because it was way too light and for some reason, the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation makes my eyes water every time. Maybe because of alcohol content (if there is any).

    Repurchase? No.

    Tory Burch Signature Deluxe Gift Set – I gave the cream to my grandma who loved it. I’m still working on both of these perfumes (it’s the exact same perfume, the small one just doesn’t have a spritzer).

    Repurchase? Yes!

    Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleanser Brush (read my review) – I didn’t start using this brush right away, so I’ve only had to replace the brush head once so far. It’s recommended to replace it after 3 months.

    MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite (Original) – I love the strobe cream.

    Repurchase? Yes. I’d repurchase at full price because it lasts so long.


    I originally said that my fave purchases were: the Estée Lauder Pink Perfection Kit, Tory Burch Perfume kit and Victoria Beckham’s lipgloss.

    After trying out the products, I still agree with the Tory Burch perfume. I don’t love the Estée Lauder kit as much as I originally did and the Victoria Beckham gloss was just too sticky; I think it was just because I love Posh Spice. Instead, I would add these to my faves: the MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil, Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipsticks and the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick.

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  • Haul | September 2017 MAC Warehouse Sale

    Hi Everyone!

    If you’re planning to go to the MAC Warehouse Sale, check out my Tips/Tricks post. This is my personal haul of what I got at the MAC/Estée Lauder Warehouse Sale. This haul doesn’t include products my sister got or products I got for my mom, friends and family. Before I begin, I wanted to say that I swatched the lipsticks and the stick concealer before taking pictures, so if you notice any imperfections, it was me. All products were brand new and unopened. A lot of products have been discontinued or were limited edition, so unfortunately they are no longer available in stores (maybe they’re available on Amazon or eBay. I will provide any links to products that are still available and retail prices so you can see how much I saved. For products no longer available, I tried looking them up, but the listings are no longer available so I will provide an estimate based on products that are similar.

    I am going to sort this by the types of products, i.e. eye makeup, powder and blush, skincare, lips, fragrances, kits and palettes. All prices are Canadian unless otherwise noted.

    Face Powders & Blushes | $15 each

    smashbox.PNGSmashbox Photo Filter Powder Foundation in Shade 1

    Paid $15 | Retail Value $49

    Shade 1 is natural vanilla for fair complexions. It looked pretty close when I swatched it, but obviously the lighting is terrible to get a good idea of your shade. It’s quite light though, I think I’d be Shade 2 or 3. It comes with a double-sided sponge, one is a regular sponge you get with powders and the other side is softer. They’re meant for different coverages. According to the Sephora website, you use the velvety side for a natural, sheer-to-medium finish, or the smooth side for full coverage. I have yet to try the sponge, but I used a brush and despite the fact that it was too pale for me, it looked pretty flawless.

    luna lusterMac x Star Trek Luna Luster Trip the Light Fantastic Powder (Limited Edition)

    Paid $15 | Retail Value: estimated at $30-40 USD

    I didn’t realize this was part of the Star Trek collection until I bought it since the container was open and I was just looking at the shade of the highlight. I thought it would feel more velvety smooth, but when I swatch with my finger, you can hear my finger move around (almost like a sandpaper sound). It’s super nice though and hopefully I find a MAC highlighter I like that’s part of the permanent collection.

    $4 Deal Bins

    I got two MAC Zoom mascaras (accidentally grabbed a green one…oops! maybe I can do something for Hallowe’en), two clear Bobbi Brown lip glosses, and two Estée Edit Stress Relief Eye Masks. I realized after getting home that the eye masks were just the Estée Lauder ones in Estée Edit packaging. I assume since they were Estée Edit, they’d be cheaper. This wasn’t a very good deal considering you can buy a pack of 10 for $46 ($46/10= $4.60, I paid $4 for one package of two).

    zoom lashMac ZOOM Mascara in High Esteem

    Paid $2×4=8 | Retail Value: 2x$12= $24

    estee editEstée Edit Stress Relief Eye Masks

    Paid 2x$4= $8 | Retail Value: 2x$4.6= $9.20 ($46 for pack of 10, $4.6 each)

    20170911_031513Bobbi Brown Crystal Lip Gloss

    Paid 2x$4= $8 (for 2x7mL=14mL) | Retail Value: $23 (for 15mL)

    Mascara- Buy One Get 1 Free ($6 each)- not pictured

    Paid $12 | Retail Value: 2x$29= $58

    I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have way too much mascara already (and I didn’t want to purchase any more because they’d probably dry out by the time I got to them), so I only purchased two for my friend. I got two of the MAC In Extreme Dimension Lash Mascara in Black Extreme.

    Smaller Palettes and Kits ($25)

    I got 4 kits/palettes:

    • one is a MAC quad eyeshadow palette (which is really frustrating that I paid $25 because my sister and I got two each in our charity bags…more on that later!)
    • two MAC Nutcracker holiday sets (pigments and a lip set)
    • Estée Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Kit (they don’t have shade names for each eyeshadow, but rather, they are numbered to tell you which shades they are from the 5-shadow palettes available). The blush is still available for purchase, and I actually got one for my mom at the sale ($15).

    20170911_030754

    MAC x Helmut Newton Point ‘n’ Shoot | Clockwise from left: Real Fantasy, Hard Currency, Influential, Point ‘n’ Shoot

    Paid $25 | Retail Value: estimated at $30-40 USD

    estee lauder breast cancerEstée Lauder Pink Perfection Kit for Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

    Pure Color Envy Lipstick in 220 Powerful

    Pure Color Envy Blush Sculpting Blush in Pink Ingenue

    Pure Color Envy Sculpting Eyeshadow

    Paid $25 | Retail Value: estimated at $35 USD

    mac pigmentMac Nutcracker Sweet Bronze Pigments & Glitter | from left: Sugar Rush, Stardream, Handsome Prince & Reigning Riches

    Paid $25 | Retail Value: unknown (estimated at $35 USD)

    nut cracker lipsMac Nutcracker Sweet Nude Lipstick Kit | from left: Crème Cup (cremesheen, permament collection),  Nouvelle Vogue (satin, limited edition), Kinda Sexy (matte, permanent collection) & Whirl (matte, permanent collection)

    Paid $25 | Retail Value: estimated at $35 USD

    Eyeshadows ($12)

    I didn’t purchase any individual eyeshadows because I thought the kits were a better deal.

    Eyeliners ($15)

    My mind is blanking…I think the eyeliner was $15, it may have been $10/12.

    mac fluidlineMAC Fluidline Pen in Retro Black

    Paid $15 | Retail Value: $24

    Lipstick and Lip Gloss (2 for $15)

    We bought 16 lipsticks altogether (for me, my sister, mom and friends).

    huggable lipMAC Huggable Lipcolour | from left: Touché, Goodluck Mochi & Cantonese Carnation (discontinued)

    Paid 3x$7.50= $22.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $24

    estee lauder lipEstée Lauder Pure Color Envy Hi-Lustre Light Sculpting Lipstick in 210 Bold Innocent

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: $36

    20170911_030512

    MAC Lipglass in C-Thru

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: $21

    20170911_031245

    MAC Mineralize Glass in Lap Dog

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $20-24

    20170911_031300

    MAC Cremesheen Glass in It’s a Strike

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $24

    patentpolishMAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Kittenish

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: $24

    ultimate lipstickMAC Ultimate Lipstick in Marque

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $23 USD

    20170911_030943

    Estée Lauder x Victoria Beckham in Moroccan Heat (Limited Edition)

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $45-55

    Liquid & Stick Foundations

    The shades I got are quite light, but I can always warm them up with some bronzer or use as highlight. I believe the Estée Lauder liquid foundation I got is a refill for a cushion foundation. It doesn’t say how much is in the container, but it’s huge and a way better deal than the retail price.

    bobbi brown stickBobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in Ivory 0.75

    Paid $21.20 | Retail Value: $55

    Read my This or That post featuring the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick and Maybelline’s Fit Me Shine-Free + Balance Foundation Stick

    20170911_025920Estée Lauder Double Wear Makeup To Go Liquid Compact in 1N2 Ecru

    Paid $20 | Retail Value: $50 for a cushion compact (12mL)

    Skincare & Nails

    The top of the line skincare and fragrances are in the last building and you pay for them right after you get them. The cost of these products are not included in the $800 limit (before taxes). They had Estée Lauder products that retailed for $300+ and were about $150.

    tory 2tory burchTory Burch Signature Deluxe Gift Set

    Paid $80 | Retail Value: $146 ($221 value)

    clinique brushClinique Sonic System Purifying Cleanser Brush

    Paid $40 | Retail Value: $111

    Read my First Impressions review on this cleansing brush

    glamglow

    GLAMGLOW THIRSTYCLEANSE Daily Hydrating Cleanser

    Paid 2x$17.20= $34.40 | Retail Value: $43 (original price, $34 on sale)

    Read my review on this cleanser

    mac strobe

    MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite (Original)

    Paid $24 | Retail Value: $40

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    Clinique Pep Start Quick Cleansing Swipes

    Paid $9 | Retail Value: $10 USD

    mac nailMAC Nail Lacquer in Midnight Sky & Vintage Vamp (discontinued)

    Paid 2x$10= $20 | Retail Value: unknown

    Once you’ve checked out, there’s a corner where you can purchase a charity bag, 100% of the proceeds go to whichever charity they have chosen, this year was the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation. You can give increments of $5 ($5, 10, 15 or 20), and they will give you a bag of MAC products depending on how much you donate. My sister and I both paid $20 and we got seven products each.

    After you get your charity bag, you hand in your ticket (it must have the stamp from when you came in, you’re not allowed to hand in multiple tickets). You get a free gift just for giving your ticket. They gave us two nail polishes each.

    Freebies

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    3x MAC matte lipsticks in Leap of Delight

    2x MAC Extreme Dimension Work It Out Mascara in Abs of Steel & No Pain, No Gain

    2x MAC x Helmut Newton Point ‘n’ Shoot Eyeshadow Quad

    2x MAC Nail Lacquer in Soiree & Midnight Sky

    FREE | Retail Value: $48 for the mascaras, other products unknown

    I think my favourite purchases were the Estée Lauder Pink Perfection Kit, Tory Burch Perfume kit and Victoria Beckham’s lipgloss, just because I love her and the packaging is gorgeous…I wish I bought another now.

    If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! I know it was a long post, but I wanted to share with you what you can get from the sale. I bought so many products that I want to share the wealth and I have decided to do a giveaway of some of the products I got (plus two Simple Glam Girls Rose Gold Lush Oval Brushes- H & I).

    GIVEAWAY CLOSED

    mac giveaway

    Canadian and US entrants only. Contest ends Sat, Sept 30th 11:59pm EST. Winner will be randomly selected and announced on this IG page and my blog. Winner will be DM’ed on IG or emailed (If they do not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected at random).

    This giveaway is not sponsored or associated with Instagram, MAC Cosmetics, Simple Glam Girls or Bobbi Brown.

    Products included:

    • MAC ZOOM Mascara in High Esteem
    • MAC x Helmut Newton Point ‘n’ Shoot Eyeshadow Quad (shades: Real Fantasy, Hard Currency, Influential and Point ‘n’ Shoot)
    • MAC Nail Lacquer in Midnight Sky
    • MAC matte lipstick in Leap of Delight
    • 2x Simple Glam Girls Lush Rose Gold Oval Brushes (H & I)
    • Bobbi Brown Crystal Lip Gloss (Travel Size)

    Have you been to the MAC Warehouse Sale?

    Love,

    jen

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