eyeshadow base Archives

Haul | October 2018 Sephora VIB Rouge Sale

November 2, 2018
Hi Everyone!

I went a little crazy during the Sephora Sale! This is the most I’ve spent at Sephora in one go. I always saw these massive Sephora Hauls and thought, “Wow! This person bought so much!” But, those people are smart because there are usually 3 or more sales each year. So, if you buy everything you’ll need/want during a sale, you’ll be good for the next six months until the next sale. Over the years, I’ve been buying things during the sales AND also buying things throughout the year at full price! WHAT A DUMMY! From now on, I am only going to make purchases during the sales. This will also help me cut down on impulse buying because if I have to wait for the next sale, I can properly test things out and research reviews.

If you read my wishlist, you’ll know that I didn’t pick up some things and I bought some things that weren’t on the wishlist.

I didn’t pick up the MAC Fix+, Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector or the Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion, but I bought a Saturday Skin facial spray and eye cream, and I picked up the NARS Eyeshadow Base. I still have half a bottle of the Mac Fix+ and I’ve been using my Thayers Witch Hazel Toner as a spray as well, so I can probably replenish during the next Sephora sale.

I didn’t get a chance to go in store to get a sample of the Waso Fresh Jelly Lotion, so I decided to pass on it this time. I still have my Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel, so I didn’t get the Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel. I think I will skip on getting those types of spot treatments from now on because they have alcohol in them and tea tree oil has been working so far. I still have a concealer and colour corrector for under eyes, so I skipped the Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector. I have two brow pencils at the moment, so I didn’t get the Lancome Brow Pencil.

All of my purchases were skincare, hair or makeup bases. I didn’t buy any eye, cheek or lip products because I’m trying to finish some of the products I already own before purchasing more. Everything is new to me; I haven’t previously purchased anything on the list. So, here’s what I purchased online during last week’s ROUGE sale.

Saturday Skin No Bad Days Set
- Daily Dew Hydrating Essence Mist
- Rub-A-Dub Refining Peel Gel
- Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream
- Featherweight Daily Moisturizing Cream
I’ve heard of Saturday Skin, but never tried anything. The brand is only available online for Sephora Canada. Although, sometimes I see things that are ‘online only’ in store, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Saturday Skin in store. If I end up liking the products, I will pick up the full size bottles in the next sale.

Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner

I bought this years ago and it worked well, so I thought I would get it again. Although, it smells different than it used to (it used to be more perfume-y).

KOPARI Coconut Deodorant

I want to start using deodorant that doesn’t have aluminum in it and I’ve see good reviews on this and it smells really good.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation Stick SPF21 in 260 Bisque N

I know a lot of people love the Hourglass stick, but I wanted to try this one and review it first. I will eventually get my hands on the Hourglass stick. I’m planning to test this one out and see if I like it enough to keep it.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer in 260 Bisque N

I bought this concealer to match the foundation since they have the same shade names and I swatched them and it matches. Although, I think the foundation blends out a little better, so we’ll see if this is too dark for me.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

The larger size wasn’t available, so I went with the travel size one.

NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Medium

I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews on their old eyeshadow base and a lot of people commented saying it should be tinted and now they’ve come out with a tinted one. I wanted to get an eyeshadow base that’s not as thick as others I’ve tried.

Sephora Favorites Party Hair Kit
- IGK Beach Club Texture Spray
- Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast
- Amika Un.Done Volume & Texture Spray
- Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1
- Ouai Texturizing Hair Spray
- Verb Sea Spray
I wanted to try out some texturizing sprays, so I thought a Sephora Favorites Kit would be the best way to sample different brands since you get 6 travel-sized bottles.

So, that’s all I bought online for this sale. Once I’ve properly tested out the products, I will review them on the blog and on Instagram.

Spot any favourites from my haul? What did you purchase during the sale? If you wrote a post on your haul, link it down below!

Love,
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YouTubers Made Me Buy It

July 27, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Have you ever watched a beauty YouTuber review a product and they rave about it so you have to go buy it too? Or read a beauty blogger and saw swatches of the prettiest highlighter that you had to get? Well, there have been quite a lot of products that I’ve purchased over the past two years because I saw a cool video or I watched/read reviews. I’ll let you know if I liked the product and if I’d repurchase.

Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) – I love these, but I kind of wish they had different packages for different sizes. Sometimes I have a ton of the smallest size left over until I get a teeny, tiny whitehead.

Repurchase? Absolutely!!

Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid – I bought this last year and don’t know if it was working that well. I had to stop because my skin was reacting to something I was using.

Repurchase? Probably not.

Cosrx Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser – I quite liked this cleanser and it didn’t dry out my skin too much from the salicylic acid.

Repurchase? Yes.

CUCNZN Blackhead Remover Suction Black Peeling Mask – This is kind of messy. If you put too much on, it can drip. It’s very hard to wash off your hands and clothes. The best way is to let it dry and then peel it.

Repurchase? No, I’d rather try a Biore Pore strip for the face.

Essence I Love Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base – I haven’t put this through testing yet, but I like the formula and I have noticed that it does intensify eyeshadows.

Repurchase? Yes.

Essence Volume Stylist 18h Lash Extension Mascara – This mascara is like $5 and it’s great! It does dry out fairly quickly, but it’s not as painful as buying a $30 tube and having it dry out on you.

Repurchase? Probably. I just bought two other Essence mascaras to see how they compare.

Finishing Touch Flawless Facial Hair Remover (read my review) – It removes hair pretty well and I like the light it has attached when you turn it on.

Repurchase? I’d get the rechargeable one if I get another one.

Garnier All-in-One Cleansing Micellar Water – Originally, I was like, “why does everyone love this water? Isn’t it just water?” Oh, how wrong I was to think that. I love this stuff!

Repurchase? Already have!

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (read my review)- I love the smell of this. It smells so fresh and feel so nice on the skin.

Repurchase? Yes.

Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder – This powder is very finely milled and comes with a cute little puff. I’m not a huge fan of the mint smell, but it sets and mattifies my makeup nicely.

Repurchase? Possibly.

L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise (read my review) – I compared this to the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and I’m sad to say that I’m not a fan of either one.

Repurchase? No.

Makeup Eraser The Original Makeup Eraser (read my review) – I saw this in a BuzzFeed video, I believe and had to see if it really worked. I really like it because it’s so soft.

Repurchase? I bought a dupe that was a 4-pack, so it’ll take me a while, but I’d repurchase when I need to.

Maybelline FaceStudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter (read my review) – This is a beautiful highlighter that gives that wet, metallic look.

Repurchase? Yes, I really want some of the other shades.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation – I’ve tried the Matte + Poreless and the Hydrate + Smooth, I preferred the Hydrate + Smooth because it gave a dewy finish.

Repurchase? No. No more drugstore foundations for me.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara – I read that the Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, uses this (don’t know if she still does) and I had to try it for myself.

Repurchase? I bought this, but haven’t tried it yet.

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Concealer + Corrector – This smells like chemicals to me.

Repurchase? No, I’d rather get the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer.

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Skin-Transforming Foundation – This was the first drugstore foundation I got. I bought the wrong shade and back then, I didn’t know what primer was or that you had to wet the sponge. Knowing what I know now, I could probably get a better match and get a more beautiful application, but no more drugstore foundations for me.

Repurchase? No. I didn’t love the smell of this.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation – If you read my Mid-Year Inventory on Foundations (click here), you’ll know that I’m looking to find high-end foundations with different finishes and coverage. I didn’t love this one and I’d rather get the Lancome Miracle Cushion Foundation as my sheer foundation.

Repurchase? No.

NYX Setting Spray (Matte) – I think I’d rather pay a little more for a better quality setting spray. I don’t know if this helped a whole lot, but it made my eyes water.

Repurchase? No.

Physician’s Formula Butter Highlighter – Why pay $50 when you can pay a fraction of that for a gorgeous, butter highlighter?

Repurchase? Absolutely!! I need more shades!!!

Physician’s Formula Murumuru Butter Butter Bronzer – Blends like a dream and smells so good (which is surprising because I’m not a huge fan of scented things!!)

Repurchase? Definitely!!

Pixi Glow Tonic – I got a pack that had a travel-size bottle of this and I will definitely be picking up a bigger size when I’m done my current toner.

Repurchase? Definitely!! (UPDATE: I think I’m allergic to witch hazel which means I can no longer use this).

Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist (read my review) – I love Pixi and it smells so good and keeps the face hydrated.

Repurchase? YES!

Pixi Peel & Polish (read my review) – I liked this, but it smells like paint to me and I’ve found other brands I like better.

Repurchase? Probably not.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (read my review) – This sponge gets huge when it’s damp and I love that it has a flat side. I bought this at Winners (4 pack for $20) which was cheaper than at the drugstore.

Repurchase? Absolutely! At Winners though.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler – I didn’t know what I was missing until I bought this eyelash curler. Previously, I’ve used a Tweezerman, Revlon and Sephora lash curler, but this one beats all of those.

Repurchase? When I need to buy a new one, yes!! Although I hear that the Shiseido one is good too and you can buy just the refills for that.

Wet N Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder – So pretty!! I wish I could get more shades, but Wet N Wild is hard to find in Canada and Rexall only has a selection of Wet N Wild products.

Repurchase? If I can get my hands on it, yes!!

A lot of the products on this list, I would repurchase. For most of these, I heard more than a few good reviews, which made me buy them. So, it’s no surprise that I love them too.

What products have you bought because of a YouTuber’s recommendations?

Love,

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Review | Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette

February 10, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Back when I bought the Winterberry Palette from Coastal Scents (read my full review), I also bought the Eclipse Palette (a cream concealer palette). It comes with fifteen shades: white/silver, mint green, pale yellow, lavender, and 11 skin-coloured shades (pale to dark).

Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette

We’ve got you covered—literally. Neutralize under eye halos, conceal blemishes, banish breakouts, and reduce redness with fifteen cream-based shades. Designed to conceal, highlight, and custom blend to your skin tone, watch your flaws disappear.

The mint green shade counteracts redness or pinkness caused from rosacea, blemishes, or capillaries around the nose and cheek areas.

The pale yellow shade conceals black, blue, or purple imperfections such as bruises or unsightly under eye halos.

The lavender shade neutralizes areas with excessive yellow pigmentation and corrects olive skin tones.

The white/silver shade can be used as a highlighter to add sheen to cheekbones, nose and eyes.

I’ve tried applying these concealers with a brush and with my fingers. I find the best way is to use my fingers or apply with the brush, but then blend out with fingers. Using a brush requires a little more effort to blend in, and this isn’t exactly ideal for your under eyes. With the warmth of my finger, the cream blends out smoothly. I’ve been using either the hydrating or smoothing primer from Make Up For Ever under these concealers. To apply, I use my ring finger and swirl it in the concealer, then lightly dab it onto my face.

How I Use the Shades

I got the palette mostly to try the green and lavender shades. I’ve tried the green corrector from NYX, but the green is a bit too pale (I’ve swatched it next to the Urban Decay one- see here). I haven’t used the pale yellow too much. The green has been covering up redness really well. I’ve been using the lavender for under eyes to cover up dark circles, although I should test out the yellow for under eyes too.

For any colour-correcting concealer, you don’t blend it in all the way. You blend it just enough so that the colour is spread evenly, but you still want to see the purple, yellow or green. If you blend it all the way, then whatever you’re trying to cover up won’t be covered!

I was testing out the shades to see which would match my face and Shade 11 is pretty close. I could probably mix it with one of the others.

I’ve tried Shades 6 and 7 under my eyes, but I prefer using a more fluid concealer instead of a cream-based concealer to avoid cakey under eyes (especially when I might already be using the lavender one).

I’ve been using Shade 14 and 15 for contour. A small amount goes a long way, so I do a very thin line. I like to use my finger. When I contour my nose, I use a concealer brush to apply so it’s more precise, but then use my ring finger to blend out.

I don’t really use the other skin-coloured shades since they’re not a good match, but I could probably use them as cream eyeshadows or something.

At first, I didn’t really know what to do with the white/silver shade. I tried it as a highlight, but since it’s cream, it’s hard to blend out nicely without accidentally taking off your other makeup. Since the lavender, green and yellow shades are used for underneath your makeup, I thought I would try the white/silver one UNDER my foundation. I applied it to my cheeks where I would apply highlighter and blended it in. I didn’t blend it in all the way- similar to the colour-correcting shades, I blended just enough so that I looked like I was going to put on some galactic makeup. I applied my foundation on top of it and it leaves you with glowy, but natural look. It’s perfect for the day time when you don’t want to apply the most poppin’ highlighter you have, but just want a subtle glow and dewiness.

Another way to use the white/silver shade is to apply it under eyeshadow. It made my metallic eyeshadows go from beautiful to gorgeous! It’s like a primer that makes your shadow so metallic that it gives it that wet look.

RATING: 4/5

I really like this palette. I wish I could pick and choose the shades I wanted, but for less than $10, you can’t go wrong. I read reviews on the Eclipse Palette and a lot of people had problems with it blending well or looking cakey. I think you need a really good base (I always use a moisturizing or smoothing primer) and the best way to apply is with your fingers. Also, since this is a cream concealer, if you have any dry patches, they will show. So, unfortunately, your skin can’t be too dry or the concealer will emphasize the dryness.

I definitely want to try higher end cream concealer palettes or even drugstore ones because I don’t love that this palette was Made in China (which I didn’t know when purchasing). Check out my blog post- Where Were Your Beauty Products Made?

Also, since I’m Canadian, ordering from Coastal Scents costs a lot of money because they charge shipping, so I’d prefer something where I don’t pay more for shipping than the product.

Have you tried cream concealers/colour correcting concealers? What are your faves?

Love,

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November/December 2017 Faves

January 19, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Here are November & December’s faves:

Clean and Clear Morning Burst Fruit Infusions Purifying Cleanser is my fave to use in the morning. There are strawberry seeds in it that gently exfoliate. It may not give me that squeaky clean feel like cleansers from The Face Shop, but the refreshing citrus scent helps me wake up in the morning.

I love the Dove Nutritive Solutions Coconut and Hydration Shampoo. It smells good and makes my hair feel smooth and moisturized. It’s scented with coconut water and sweet lime. I’ve used a few other Dove shampoos, but I think this one smells the best so far out of the ones I’ve tried: Energize, Daily Moisture and Cool Moisture.

I bought the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler during the Sephora sale (check out my haul here!) and I must say that I am loving it! I got it for $25 CAD. It just works so much better than the other ones I’ve used and I don’t have to worry about it pinching my eyelid by accident. I’ve used several other curlers, I still have a Tweezerman and a Sephora one. The Tweezerman is a pretty good dupe in terms of how the curler looks, but you can feel the difference when you squeeze the curler to curl your lashes. The shu is almost springy whereas the Tweezerman opens really wide. It’s hard to describe unless you have both and you’re trying them out. I have a purple Sephora one and it’s definitely not suited for Asian/hooded eyes (especially if your lashes are short). I don’t think any of the Sephora ones would be good for Asians (even though they might be $5 cheaper or around the same price, I’d rather spend $25 on the shu. For the Sephora one, I have to hold it at an angle just to get the curler to line up with my lashes.

I only wish they sold replacement pads separately (it comes with one replacement in the box), but then you need to buy a new curler. I’ve heard the Shiseido ones fit in the curler, but they’re just a tad shorter than the shu ones and Sephora sells replacements for $8 CAD. It’s a bit ridiculous because on the box it says that a rubber pad will last about 3 months and you should replace the whole curler once the refill pad has worn down. I don’t use my eyelash curler daily, but my other eyelash curlers’ pads have lasted longer than 3 months. I wish they sold replacement pads separately. I think it’s too expensive to have to shell out another $25 every six months according to the box.

Smashbox’s Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer and Essence’s I 🖤 Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base. The Smashbox helps brighten my under eyes and the Essence eyeshadow base makes my shadow colours even more vibrant and it’s less than $6!

I love both of these powder bronzers that I got as deluxe samples from Sephora. I would definitely buy the full-sized versions. I have loved everything I’ve tried that’s from Tarte (except for the Opening Act Lash Primer), so it’s no surprise I love this bronzer. I have Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess and Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer in Medium/Deep Matte. Both blend well and are great for contouring.

I am loving this original Tory Burch perfume…it’s a mix of citrus and floral and great for winter and fall. I use Giorgio Armani’s Acqua Di Gioia in the spring and summer because it’s got that acquatic, fresh smell. I love the bottle of the Tory Burch perfume and it makes me feel more grown up. It has neroli, grapefruit and peony to name a few notes.

I’m loving the GummiBand hair cords. They don’t make my hair crease after wearing my hair up for hours and they don’t tug on my hair like regular hair bands. I love the colour variety and they’re a Canadian brand!

Read my review and get a coupon code for the GummiBand hair cords!

Everyone loves a red lip for the holidays. This L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge lipstick in 337 Refined Ruby is a beautiful satiny blue-red. I don’t wear red that often so finding a beautiful red at a drugstore price was my goal.

What were your faves from November and December?

Check out my other monthly favourites:

2017

Sept/Oct

Love,

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Check out my other monthly favourites:

2017

Sept/Oct