I’m on a no buy/low buy this year, but it doesn’t mean I can’t window shop and get a bunch of samples to test out until I find my HG (holy grail) products.
I have quite a few primer/foundation/concealer products on my wishlist since I want to have a selection of different things, i.e. different formulations (liquid, powder, cream), different coverages (sheer, medium), mattifying vs. smoothing vs. hydrating…the list goes on!
Also, as a beauty blogger, I want to keep trying new things (even if I’ve found something I love). Maybe I will find something else even better!
I have some new products on the list and I have some cult faves that I want to try (I’m slow to the game, I know!):
Winky Lux Whipped Cream Primer
RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up Concealer/Foundation
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
Milk Makeup Flex Concealer
Becca Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder
Laura Mercier Blush Colour Infusion
Marc Jacobs Enamored Hydrating Lip Gloss Stick
Here are some products that I’m planning to get samples of:
Dior Forever Skin Glow 24h Wear Radiant Perfection Skin-Caring Foundation
Laura Mercier Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation
This month I went through a lot of products! So, let’s get started!
Bioré Blemish Fighting Astringent – This would sometimes sting my skin (even if I didn’t have a pimple. The alcohol content was very high and would make my eyes water.
Repurchase? No.
belif bergamot Toner – This was a very nice, gentle toner.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Spectro AcneCare Wash – This was a great acne wash that wasn’t too strong.
Repurchase? Yes.
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) – Cannot get enough of these patches, they’re amazing!
Repurchase? Yes.
Clinique Pep-Start Quick Cleansing Swipes – These were gentle and removed makeup okay.
Repurchase? No longer available, I believe.
The Face Shop Clean Face Clear Away Spot Treatment (read my review) – This wasn’t very strong, I would rather buy the Kate Somerville eradiKate or Mario Badescu Drying Lotion.
Repurchase? Probably not.
The Face Shop Jeju Volcanic Lava Self-Heating Clay Mask (read my review) – This was interesting. The self-heating factor might be good for body aches (although it would be a bit messy).
Repurchase? Probably not.
Live Clean Baby Colloidal Oatmeal Eczema Cream – This cream definitely smelled like oatmeal. I don’t know if it did anything to help. I was using it when I didn’t have any eczema flare ups.
Repurchase? Probably not, I would rather get a Cetaphil cream bottle.
got2be Guardian Angel Gloss Finish Flat Iron Balm – I have only ever tried 2 heat protectant sprays, but this did the job and made my hair look glossy.
Repurchase? I have.
Remay Shave Gel Bar – I received this for free and while it smelled nice and was very nice to shave with, I probably wouldn’t purchase it.
Repurchase? Probably not.
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo – I got this in a Topbox and I knew it was expensive so I kept not using this little bottle. I love the smell of this dry shampoo and I got compliments twice when using it that I smelled nice.
Repurchase? I finally splurged and bought a new one. I got a mini because the big size was out of stock.
Live Clean Mineral Clay Rebalancing Shampoo + Conditioner – I liked this shampoo and conditioner.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette (read my review) – This is a good concealer palette if you’re just starting out and don’t want to splurge. You can use it to colour correct, conceal and contour.
Repurchase? No, because Coastal Scents charges shipping to Canada.
Colourpop No Filter Concealer in Light 20 – This concealer was bought before they added more shades, so there’s no longer a shade called Light 20. This concealer was okay for me. It oxidized really quickly. I would rather get Maybelline Fit Me Concealer since that’s easier for me to pick up.
Repurchase? No.
Milani Retouch + Erase Light-Lifting Concealer in 02 Light – This is a thick concealer that blends out nicely. I wasn’t sure if I would like it because I thought it might cause creasing under my eyes, but I wore it for over 8 hours and it didn’t crease
Repurchase? Maybe.
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (Colour Correcting- Adjust) (read my review) – This did nothing to cover redness.
Repurchase? No.
Nude by Nature Perfecting Primer (read my review) – This was an okay primer, I didn’t love it and didn’t hate it.
Repurchase? No.
Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primer (Smoothing) – This is one of my fave smoothing primers.
Repurchase? Yes.
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y245 – This was a great foundation, but the shade was too yellow. I think I’d need to mix two shades with different undertones to get the right match.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation in 1025 Natural Beige (read my review) – Because this foundation is very natural, it washed away easily with water. I didn’t like the smell of it either and it lingered after applying it.
Repurchase? No.
Fenty Pro’Filtr Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 150 – This was too matte for me. While it was beautiful, I prefer something more luminous and natural.
Repurchase? No.
Coastal Scents Revealed3 Palette (read my review) – These had some great neutral colours if you’re starting out with eyeshadows.
Repurchase? No.
Urban Decay troublemaker Mascara – This deluxe sample was hard to judge the full-sized because it was such a short stick, I couldn’t apply the mascara very well to my lashes.
Repurchase? No.
Bella Pierre Cheek Stain in Coral – It was pretty, but I feel like I never gave it a fair shot. I think I’d prefer a cheek stain that twists up or in a pan instead of a pot.
Repurchase? No.
Burt’s Bees Nourishing Mascara – While this was easy to wash off, it didn’t do much for my lashes.
Repurchase? No.
bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in Tutu – It was a pretty pink shade, but a bit too pale pink on me. I might consider buying a different shade.
Repurchase? Probably not.
Dior Addict Lipstick in 983 Insoumise – My mom bought this for my sister’s wedding, but it was way too pink for her and had shimmer in it, so she gave it to me. It’s a beautiful pink shade, but it’s a bit too pink for me too. I would sort of do an ombré lip with this on top of a nude/pink lipstick and it added the perfect amount of shine and pink.
Repurchase? Not this shade, but I loved how hydrating this lipstick was, so I would definitely consider getting the Dior Addict Lip Glow or purchasing a different shade.
Whenever I’m scrolling through Instagram, I always see all these pretty flat lays with gold, black and silver packaging. High end products have such pretty packaging! A lot of drugstore brands’ packaging are getting prettier too, but there’s something about the look of a YSL or Dior lipstick tube that just makes you go “oooohhh!” As I became more obsessed with makeup, I bought more drugstore products to blog about because they’re more affordable. Ever since I wrote the post about streamlining my makeup, I’ve been decluttering makeup that I don’t use and doing my best not to buy new makeup. My plan is to find high-end favourites so that I have 1 or 2 holy grail items in each category (foundation, concealer, blush, etc.) and then, for the blog, I’ll buy drugstore products to review.
(items in bold have been purchased since this post was published)
There are so many brands out there that I want to try:
I haven’t been posting as regularly as I’d like because I’m trying out new products. I’m going to try my best to do more posts each week. I think I will try to post more frequently and write shorter posts rather than the long posts I’ve been doing.
Ever since I went to the MAC/Estée Lauder Warehouse Sale, I’ve put myself on a self-imposed makeup ban until the end of the year (maybe longer). I know, a girl can never have too much makeup, but I have more makeup and skincare products than I can store. Plus, I don’t want things to go bad because I’ve neglected them. The only products I’m allowed to buy are products I have finished and need to replace.
Since I’m still trying out some products, I thought I’d do a post about what products I hope to try and eventually buy in the future. These are a handful of products that I know are really popular and everyone loves. I know I’m behind on the times for some of these. They have been cult favourites for years.
MAC Prep and Prime Fix +
L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara
Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette
