Reviewing My 2022 Beauty Expenses

August 29, 2023

Hi Everyone!

Today, I’m reviewing my beauty expenses for 2022. I know we’re more than half way through 2023, but I realized that I forgot to do last year’s beauty expenses.

Check out my previous beauty expenses posts:

2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021

My 2019 Beauty Budget

Categories	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	TOTAL SPENT (from 2017-22)
Makeup	1300	1600	1100	70	250	650	4970
Miscellaneous	250	–	–	160	30	400	840
Skincare	450	500	700	230	90	550	2520
Total	2000	2100	1800	460	370	1600	8330
Planned Purchases	21%	50%	70%	85%	78%	40%	–
Impulse Purchases	79%	50%	30%	15%	22%	60%	–

As you can see from the graphs, I started spending money on beauty products again. There was a significant decrease in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID. The majority of the skincare purchases were the Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve and First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser. I’ve been lucky enough to receive skincare products to review. So I haven’t bought many skincare products for my face, but somehow I spent $550 on things like hand cream, body scrubs and pimple patches.

My 6 most expensive beauty purchases of 2022:

Sephora Collection PRO 8-piece Brush Set – $92.80
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Eyeshadow Trio – $70.20
Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (Value size) – $52
Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation – $50
Youth to the People Dream Eye Cream with Vitamin C and Ceramides – $49.60
Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Palette – $48.80

After seeing how much I spent last year on makeup and skincare, I’m actually quite surprised. It didn’t feel like I spent that much on beauty products. Since we’re in August 2023, I can say that I’ve actually tried my 6 most expensive purchases and I like all of them. I think I’m starting to prefer powder or cream foundations though, so I probably wouldn’t repurchase the Uoma foundation. I like all of the other products though. I haven’t opened the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, but I’ve used it in the past. I really like the Sephora Collection PRO brushes. They’re so soft and fluffy. The ABH eyeshadow palette is a classic, I still need to use it more. I haven’t used the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize shadows as much as I’d like. I chose more smokey shades and I’ve mostly been going out during the day and prefer to do a natural eye look in the morning.

I’m interested to see my beauty expenses for this year. I think I’ve bought more clothes than beauty products, but we’ll see what happens in the next few months when the Sephora sale and Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales come around lol.

Love,

How I Clean My Makeup Brushes

September 9, 2019

Hi Everyone!

Today, I’m sharing what I do to clean my makeup brushes! I use a few different products: I have brush cleaner for a quick clean and then I also use a solid brush cleaner and a mat to get a deeper clean.

For a quick clean, I’ve been using a brush cleaner. I have the Sephora one and the Cinema Secrets one. The Sephora one used to smell really nice, but it’s been a few years since I bought it and it just smells like cleaner now. The Cinema Secrets one has a vanilla scent which I like a lot more.

For a deeper clean, I’ve been using the Sephora mini solid brush cleaner. Since I have the mini one, it doesn’t come in a tin, so I keep it in a little soy sauce bowl. I wet the brush and lightly swirl the brushes on the ‘soap’ until there’s no longer any colour coming off of brush. In the past, I’ve used baby shampoo and a mat from Amazon to make sure the inside is nice and clean. The mat has ridges so it gets inside the bristles without ruining your brushes. Either I lightly swirl the brush or wipe it back and forth against the ridges.

To dry my brushes, I use a brush drying rack. I also like drying my brushes with my makeup drying tool (read my review) I got from Winners that spins the brushes to dry them faster and then I hang them on my drying rack until they’re fully dry. The drying tool sounds a bit gimmicky, but it does dry brushes really fast! The only problem with the drying tool – it doesn’t fit brush handles that aren’t tapered (like my Sephora or Sigma eye brushes). I have to stuff them into a smaller size or I just let those air dry.

How do you clean your brushes?

Love,

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Revisiting My 2017 Favourites | Part 1

November 12, 2018
Hi Everyone!

Last year, I was tagged in a Best of 2017 Challenge on Instagram. Today, I’m going to be revisiting my picks from last year. Since then, I’ve tested and reviewed a lot of makeup. Like I said last year, it’s hard to choose favourites from each category because different products do different things for you, i.e. a hydrating vs. a smoothing primer or a lengthening mascara vs. a mascara that can keep a curl. I’m still trying to find my holy grail products, but I have found some great products over the last year.

Primer
- Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Primers (hydrating primer and smoothing primer)
- Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer
- Essence’s I 🖤 Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base
The MUFE smoothing primer is still a fave of mine. The hydrating one wasn’t quite hydrating enough for my dry skin, so I picked up the Nourishing one to see if it’s better. The Smashbox under eye primer does help to slightly illuminate and hydrate my under eyes, but I’m not sure if it actually helps that much. I think you could just replace it with a good eye cream. The Essence eyeshadow base is great for intensifying colour, but it doesn’t really prevent creasing.

Foundation
- Lancome Miracle Cushion Liquid Cushion Compact Foundation in 025 Beige Naturel
This is definitely still a favourite of mine. I haven’t purchased it since I finished, but I plan to buy it in the future once I’ve finished my Laneige BB Cushion.

Setting Powder/Spray
- Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray
- Cake Beauty’s Everything Powder
The UD setting spray is great, but I want to find one that’s a bit cheaper if I can. The everything powder smooths, sets and mattifies very well, but I just don’t love the smell anymore.

Brow products
- NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black
- Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel in 05 Deep
These are still both faves of mine.

Mascaras
- Buxom Lash Mascara
- Essence Volume Stylist 18hr Lash Extension Mascara
- Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara (read my review)
- Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara
These are all great mascaras, love all of them.

Eyeshadow palette
- Coastal Scents Winterberry Palette (read my review)
- Too Faced Chocolate Bar (Sephora Rewards mini palette)
At the time, the Winterberry palette and Too Faced mini were the only ones I had. After trying out other brands, these are no longer faves. I still like shades from both palettes, but the Coastal Scents palettes doesn’t have any neutrals in the palette and I no longer have the Too Faced palette.

Blush
- Smashbox Soft Lights Duo in Passion/Shimmer
- Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Paaarty
The Smashbox blush was nice, but it was a bit too dark for me (I bought it at Winners). The Tarte blush was a fave of mine, but I didn’t love that it was Made in China (check out my post about Where Your Products Were Made). I still love Tarte blushes, but you just have to be careful to get the full-sized permanent collection ones.

Bronzer
- Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess
- Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer in Chocolate Soleil
These were the only two bronzers I had last year and both were from Sephora rewards, so they weren’t in shades that I would’ve chosen. While the Tarte one did work with my skin tone, I didn’t like the sheen on it, and I know they have a matte one, but I’d rather use the Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer. The Too Faced Bronzer was too dark for me, I needed the Milk Chocolate one, not the Chocolate.

Face Mask
- Lush’s Cup O’Coffee Face and Body Mask
- The Face Shop sheet masks
I still agree with these face mask choices. I haven’t bought the Lush one since I finished it, but I would get it again.

Highlighter
- Wet N Wild’s MegaGlo Highlighting Powder in Precious Petals (read my review)
- Maybelline’s Face Studio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in Molten Gold
- Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Highlighter in Sin
Still absolutely love these highlighters. I would repurchase the Wet N Wild and Maybelline ones in different shades because both Precious Petals and Molten Gold are a bit too dark for me. The Urban Decay one is nice, but I don’t know if I would purchase the full-sized (I have a mini).

Eyeshadow Singles
- Coastal Scents Single Shadow in Jewel Teal (read my review)
- Coastal Scents Single Shadow in Teal Green (read my review)
- Stila Shadow in Golightly
I still like all three shades of these, but I haven’t actually just worn the Stila shadow to test out the longevity of it. The Coastal Scents ones definitely need a primer. Even with a primer, they sort of faded a bit on me after a few hours. But they are very nicely pigmented and great to practise doing vibrant colours on your eyes. I have bought a few Anastasia eye shadow singles and those are beautiful, although I haven’t tested out the longevity of those either, but if they’re as good as the palettes, I’m sure they are great. I also have some Make Up For Ever shadows that you can buy as singles, I really love those.

Skincare
- Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment
- COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review)
- Pearlessence Cucumber Water
- Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector
- Pixi Peel & Polish
- Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lip Therapy
I still agree with all of these choices except for the Pearlessence Cucumber Water. A few times, I’ve gotten it on my eyelids and it stung a little. Also, if you accidentally get some in your mouth, it tastes horrible.

Makeup Brushes
- Tarte Bronze & Glow Contour Brush
- Bella Pierre Powder Dome Brush (this isn’t the exact brush I have, but it’s similar)
- Simple Glam Girls Lush Rose Gold Oval Brushes (read my review)
- Arbonne Angled Blush Brush
- Fluffy Powder Brush
- Sephora Shadow Brush
I love the Tarte brush and my Bella Pierre brush, although I think it’s time to replace it because the handle’s plastic is chipping off. I enjoy the Simple Glam Girls brushes, but I think oval brushes are a pain to clean because it’s packed so tight. I’ve actually realized that I don’t love angled blush brushes. It’s a lot easier to use a slightly fluffy one to blend. I’m not good at dipping my brush lightly into the pan, so I end up looking like a clown until I blend my blush out. I still agree that a fluffy powder brush is needed to set your face and a shadow brush is great for packing on colour.

Lipstick
- L’Oréal’s Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Lipstick in 370 J Lo’s Nude
- L’Oréal Infallible Le Rouge in 337 Refined Ruby
- Milani Color Statement Lipstick in 26 Nude Creme (read my review)
- Coastal Scents Lipstick in 2
- Pixi Mattelustre Lipstick in Plump Pink
- MAC Lipstick in Brave (satin finish)
The L’Oréal Colour Riche lipstick is still an absolute fave. The Refined Ruby one is a beautiful shade, but it’s a bit too dark for me. The shade of the Milani one is beautiful, but I’ve realized that I don’t like scented lipsticks that much. The Coastal Scents lipstick…I don’t know what I was thinking putting in my faves. It was patchy and didn’t look good. I don’t really like the Pixi Mattelustre lipstick anymore. The shade wasn’t right and it didn’t smell that nice. The MAC Lipstick is still a fave of mine.

What are your fave products that you discovered this year?

Love,
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Worth It? | Makeup Brush Cleaner & Dryer

September 24, 2018

Hi Everyone!

I was at Winners the other day and I picked up a few things. I kept seeing this Zoe Ayla Makeup Brush Cleaner & Dryer, but the boxes were always destroyed. I know it didn’t really matter as long as everything was inside, but they just always looked so dirty. I finally spotted a few boxes that were in perfect condition and picked one up for $29.99. I don’t think there’s any specific brand name one that’s better than the others, but here’s a link to one I found on Amazon- Makeup Brush Cleaner & Dryer.

This revolutionary electronic tool magically cleanses you brushes in seconds and allows you to dry them in seconds without creating any mess or hassle. Professionals strongly recommend cleaning your makeup brushes every few weeks, but traditional cleaning methods are messy, time-costly and often leave brushes wet and unusable for up to 24 hours.

You just attach any makeup brush using one of eight collars, before dunking it for 10 seconds, spinning for another 10 seconds and then drying for 5-10 seconds.

It comes with a bowl, 8 silicone collars to fit different brush sizes, a plastic stand to hold the collars, 2 spindles to connect the collars to the device and the device to spin the brushes. The device takes 2 AA bateries and you press a button to spin it.

A lot of my Sephora brushes don’t really fit properly in the collars. The best eye brushes that work with the collars are ones that have a tapered end. I found that half of my brushes don’t fit comfortably in the collars and obviously double-ended brushes aren’t going to work. I either have to shove the brush into a smaller collar or I will need to wrap something around the brush for it to fit into a bigger collar.

Obviously when you clean an eye brush, it spins really fast because it’s so small and when you clean a powder brush, it spins a little slower because it’s heavier. Because a powder brush is heavier, the spindle has fallen out once or twice while I’m spinning the brush. I don’t know if I’m just not pushing the spindle in all the way or if it’s as far as it goes. I think I’m supposed to put more pressure, but I’m worried I’ll break it if I push too hard.

This product works best for brushes you use for powder products. For liquid products, it doesn’t get in between the bristles and therefore doesn’t clean it properly.

For liquid products, I use a cleaning mat that I got from Saks Off Fifth. I lightly swirl my brushes to make sure the inner bristles are cleaned.

After my brush is clean, I like to run the brush under the tap to rinse off the soap and then I spin it to dry it. I wouldn’t say that this completely dries the brushes, but it does cut down on the drying time. Usually, I lightly swirl it on a clean towel to get rid of the excess water.

The device fans out the brushes a lot, so I put it back into it’s normal shape before I hang it on my drying rack. I wouldn’t use this on more expensive brushes just in case it ruins the shape of it or something.

RATING: 3.5/5

I think $20-30 is still a bit expensive, I definitely wouldn’t pay more than that. This product is a bit gimmicky, but it does dry brushes really fast. Although I rated it fairly high, I don’t think I would recommend it. One thing for drying makeup brushes that I would recommend is a makeup brush drying rack. This isn’t the specific one I bought, but it looks exactly the same.

Have you tried a brush cleaner and dryer?

Love,

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Beauty Products | Save or Splurge?

July 23, 2018

Hi Everyone!

If you’ve been reading my recent posts, you’ll know I’ve been doing inventory of my beauty products. Check out the recent posts below!

Primers & Foundations | Bronzers | Blushes | Mascaras | Highlighters

Makeup Goals: A Streamlined Collection

I’ve decided to compile a list of what beauty products I personally plan to SAVE or SPLURGE on. I’ll also have some products where I’ll be IN BETWEEN– which means I’ll either buy a mix of both high-end and drugstore or I’ll buy products that aren’t super expensive, but not super cheap either.

Skincare- IN BETWEEN

I was reading articles on which beauty products to save and splurge on and a few said to save on skincare. I think I will mostly save because there are some great products found at the drugstore. If I want some luxe items, I can always get samples from Sephora and Nordstrom without breaking the bank. I do love the Sonia Roselli Water Balm though (read my review), so I will continue to splurge on that because it’s a multi-use product.

Primers- SPLURGE

You need a good base for your makeup and that starts with primer.

Foundations- SPLURGE

More expensive foundations just look and smell better than drugstore ones (for the most part).

Concealers/Colour Correctors- IN BETWEEN

I think splurge on a good spot concealer I can wear without foundation. There are some good under eye concealers from the drugstore.

Setting/Finishing Sprays/Powders & Face Mists- IN BETWEEN

I think a mix of both is okay.

Makeup Brushes- SPLURGE

When I first started getting into makeup, I didn’t want to spend a lot on brushes, so I bought some on Amazon. They’re very soft and performed pretty well, but once I bought better quality ones, I could see the difference in my makeup application.

Makeup Sponges- SAVE

I think it’s kind of crazy to buy a $20 sponge. I have never bought a beauty blender, so I don’t know if it performs better than a cheaper sponge, but I feel like they’re all quite similar; some may be denser than others, but they all blend the same, don’t they?

Bronzers- SAVE

I love the Physician’s Formula one and it blends even better than the high end ones I’ve tried.

Blushes- IN BETWEEN

I think I might splurge on a good, matte blush I can use every day because blushes last so long. I love the Milani ones that have shimmer and I really want to try a Physician’s Formula one.

Highlighters- IN BETWEEN

Similar to blushes, I might splurge on 1 high end highlighter and then the rest of the collection will be drugstore brands. For the ones I own, the drugstore ones look prettier than my higher end ones (without having to wet them).

Brows- IN BETWEEN

I’m kind of torn because I like the NYX Micro Brow pencil, but that pencil lasted so long that maybe it’s worth it to splurge on a brow pencil. I will definitely splurge on brow gel though and get the Benefit Gimme Brow.

Eyeshadows- SPLURGE

I’ve noticed a difference in how my eyeshadow looks when using higher end ones especially with the fallout. I think I will invest in a few high end palettes- that have a good selection of neutral mattes and shimmery shades.

Eyeliners- IN BETWEEN

Similar to blushes, eyeliner lasts me a long time (I prefer pencil liners), so maybe I should splurge.

Mascara- SAVE

As much as I love some of the high-end deluxe samples of mascaras, there are so many drugstore ones I love that are a fraction of the price. Especially when you should dispose of it after using for a few months, it’s not worth it to pay $30 (unless you only own 1 mascara, then maybe it’s worth it, but I like to have several).

Lipsticks, Liners and Glosses/Tints- IN BETWEEN

I think I’ll get 1 or 2 for each of the 3 types (lipstick, liner, gloss/tint), but save on the rest.

Makeup Removers- IN BETWEEN

I like Simple makeup wipes and Garnier Micellar Water, but I really like Clinique’s Cleansing Balm. So, a mix of both.

Perfumes- SPLURGE

When I was in high school, I used to use body sprays from Victoria’s Secret, but no more of that. I have two signature scents at the moment (1 for spring/summer, 1 for fall/winter) and I also have one that’s a bit more spicy that I don’t wear daily.

Nail Polish- IN BETWEEN

I think I’ll find a good, wine red and a neutral to splurge on, but buy brands like OPI and Essie for the rest of my collection.

What products do you splurge on?

Love,

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This or That | iBeauty Oval Brushes vs. Simple Glam Girls Lush Rose Gold Oval Brushes

December 29, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Today, I will be comparing two different brands of oval brushes: Simple Glam Girls and iBeauty (that I bought from Winners). Oval brushes are the brushes that resemble toothbrushes, made popular by the Artis brushes. I’ve never tried an Artis brush so I can’t compare the quality of the Simple Glam Girls and iBeauty brushes.

I’m going to start by saying that I prefer damp beauty sponges to apply my foundation and concealer, even though sponges absorb a lot more product than a brush. Comparing oval brushes to regular brushes, I feel like it’s harder to clean them because the bristles are packed so tightly.

Lush Rose Gold Oval Brushes (set of 10)

10 high-quality oval shaped brushes made with grade “A” synthetic nylon hair.

Contoured oval shaped brushes with different sizes allow you to blend makeup onto any part of your face effortlessly.

Rose gold neck handle & a firm & anti-slip holder for that extra hold when applying makeup

iBeauty Oval Makeup Brushes (set of 3)

Very easy and comfortable to use for putting on your daily makeup

Used for: contour/setting powder, contour/blush, & concealer

Gives a flawless air-brushed finish of all types of skin makeup formulas

I have 3 brushes that are similar to the ones in the link, but they are slightly different (same sizes though). Even though it says it can be used for setting powder, I wouldn’t use an oval brush to set my makeup because it would blend out all the foundation and concealer I just applied. A fluffy brush is best to set your face.

Both sets of brushes are very soft. The Simple Glam Girls brushes are packed more tightly than the iBeauty ones and therefore less streaky. You can tell from the picture above, the top brush is the iBeauty one and the bottom is Simple Glam Girls.

For the swatches, I used liquid foundation and a powder bronzer, the top swatches are the iBeauty oval brushes and the bottom ones are Simple Glam Girls brushes. The liquid foundation swatches look similar (although the iBeauty brushe absorbed a lot more of the liquid). For the powder bronzer swatches, you can tell the top swatch is a bit more patchy and uneven. The smallest oval brush in the iBeauty set is a bit thicker than the Simple Glam Girls brush so it gave a thicker swatch.

Since the iBeauty ones aren’t packed as tightly, it absorbs more of the liquid foundation and when you clean the brushes, it takes longer to clean them. When I run my finger along the brushes when they’re wet from cleaning, the Simple Glam Girls brushes’ bristles spring back into place, whereas the iBeauty brushes’ bristles clump together. The neck of the brushes is also sturdier on Simple Glam Girls brushes. The iBeauty ones, the neck of the brushes bends really easily. The oval brushes are so soft, I can’t wait to try the Unicorn or Perfect 10 brushes from Simple Glam Girls.

WINNER: Simple Glam Girls Lush Rose Gold Oval Brushes

The iBeauty brushes do a decent enough job, I think they are better with powdered products (like for contouring) since it absorbs so much liquid.

Have you tried oval brushes? What are your thoughts?

Love,

*I received the Simple Glam Girls brushes for free (just paid shipping) as part of their ambassador program, but I was not paid to write a review of any sort nor do I receive any commission if you use the discount code.

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Best of 2017 | 14 Day Beauty Challenge

December 14, 2017

Hi Everyone!

I was tagged on Instagram by the lovely, @rubiredlipstick to join her and @crystalsmakeup for their Best of 2017 Challenge. #challengesbyjandc

Sometimes my IG posts aren’t daily and it’s too much commitment to do 30 day challenges, but I decided to join them for this one since it’s a two week one and the list of items to feature are fairly easy for me to come up with. I do have trouble choosing favourites so there may be multiple items for each day. Here’s the list of products to do each day, I know two days have past already, but join us for the remainder of the challenge!

So, let’s get started, I’ve already posted a few days and will update this post until the last day of the challenge.

Day 1 • Primers // I chose four primers because they all do different things. Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primers smell amazing and I love the hydrating and smoothing ones. I also chose Smashbox’s Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer and Essence’s I 🖤 Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base. The Smashbox helps brighten under eyes and the Essence makes my shadow colours even more vibrant and it’s less than $6.

Day 2 • Foundation // I did a feature friday on this, but I love this Lancome foundation. For days when I need more coverage than a BB cream, but don’t want a full coverage foundation, I use the Lancôme Miracle Cushion Foundation in 025 Beige Naturel. It’s a buildable coverage and doesn’t feel like I’m wearing makeup. It doesn’t get cakey either because it’s so light.

Day 3 • Setting Powder/Spray // I just tried out the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. I was using a cream shadow and usually after a few hours it’s creased or smudged, but it held up for the day and the rest of my makeup still looked intact. Some parts were a bit smudged, but it was just because I was a bit tired and touched my face. As a setting powder, I’ve actually been using Cake Beauty’s Everything Powder and the powder is so fine that it sets my liquid foundation and concealer without settling in the lines. I am still a bit inexperienced with setting powder and have a few samples that I haven’t put to the test yet, but so far the Everything Powder is doing well to keep my face shine-free. It’s talc-free and has a light sweet scent.

Day 4 • Brow product // My brows are dark to begin with so I just need something to fill in the gaps. The NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black is great because the tip is really small so the strokes look like hair. I love that it’s not waxy either. The Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel in 05 Deep is a great tint for those that need some colour…even my grandma uses it!

Day 5 • Mascara // It’s hard to choose just one…so I chose 4: 2 drugstore and 2 high end ones.

1) I love the Buxom Lash Mascara because it still makes my lashes look and feel natural.

2) The Essence Volume Stylist 18hr Lash Extension Mascara can curl my super straight lashes without using a curler.

3) I love the Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara (read my review) because it can easily be removed with warm water and doesn’t give me panda eyes. *I received it in an Influenster VoxBox, but I will definitely be purchasing it with my own money.

4) And last but not least, I love the wand of the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara.

Day 6 • Eyeshadow palette // I don’t own any full-sized high end eyeshadow palettes because I just can’t decide which one I want to actually purchase…there’s so many that I love! Most of the eyeshadows I own are singles and from the drugstore. I really love the Winterberry Palette from Coastal Scents and I love how pigmented and buttery the shades are. Check out my review here. I also really like the Bite-Sized version of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar. There are three eyeshadow shades plus the Chocolate Soleil Bronzer in the palette: Champagne Truffle, Salted Caramel and Semi-Sweet. All of the shades in the full-sized Chocolate Bar palette are really pretty so I’d consider getting that one.

Day 7 • Blush // Both of these are beautiful blushes that blend well and give the perfect pop of colour to my cheeks. The Smashbox Soft Lights Duo in Passion/Shimmer and the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hr Blush in Paaarty.

Day 8 • Bronzer // 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. Check out my bronzer post for swatches.

Day 9 • Face Mask // I love Lush’s Cup O’Coffee Face and Body Mask and The Face Shop sheet masks (not pictured). The coffee mask lightly exfoliates my skin to make it feel nice and soft. The Face Shop masks refresh and hydrate my skin.

Day 10 • Highlighter // I absolutely love both of these highlighters: Wet N Wild’s MegaGlo Highlighting Powder in Precious Petals (read my review) and Maybelline’s Face Studio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in Molten Gold. They are both absolutely beautiful and pigmented, and they were a fraction of the price of a high end highlighter. I’m fairly new to the highlighting game, so I haven’t tried a ton, but a fave high end of mine is Urban Decay’s Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Highlighter in Sin. I really want to try a MAC highlighter, I have the Luna Luster Trip the Light Fantastic Powder and it’s also gorgeous (although not as creamy as the Wet N Wild or Maybelline ones), but since it was limited edition and would be hard to find, I decided not to include it in my faves.

Day 11 • Eyeshadow Singles // I don’t own a lot of eyeshadow singles. I have the Coastal Scents ones, but those are a hit and miss (some are more creamy and pigmented than others…although I do love the ones that come in the Winterberry Palette, Jewel Teal and Teal Green. Read my full review on the Winterberry Palette to see which shades are my faves.

I picked this Stila shadow up at Winners. It’s pigmented, creamy and absolutely beautiful. I have the shade Golightly. It seems like they don’t sell the shade on the website, but they have other beautiful shades. I got two of these for under $10 each.

Day 12 • Skincare // Skincare is such a broad topic, I decided to only choose products that I use on my face. The EradiKate Acne Treatment and COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches are great for pesky pimples. Read my review for the COSRX patches: here. The Cucumber Water smells really good, and refreshes and hydrates. I got it from Winners for $10, it’s by Pearlessence which I’ve never heard of before, but they also had Coconut and Rose-scented waters. The Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector has improved my dark circles over the past few weeks and my under eye area feels smooth and hydrated. The Pixi Peel & Polish gently exfoliates and makes my face feel soft. And of course, Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lip Therapy keeps my lips unchapped during the dry winter season.

Day 13 • Makeup brushes // I think it’s always a better deal to buy brushes in sets instead of separately. A few times, I’ve split a brush set with my friend or mom because I’ll need eyeshadow brushes, but my mom needs the powder brush or blush brush. I’ve only bought two high end brushes on their own: the Tarte Bronze & Glow Contour Brush was the most expensive brush I’ve purchased. It was definitely worth it though, it blends really well and it’s so soft. My second most expensive brush that I’ve purchased is a Bella Terra Bronzer brush, but the lady at the kiosk sold it to me as a powder foundation brush. It was the first expensive brush that I purchased and first one that was super soft. I love it and use it for powder foundation.

The Simple Glam Girls Lush Rose Gold Oval Brushes are so soft and much sturdier than a 3-pack that I bought at Winners. The “B” brush is the one in the picture. The smaller brushes (for eyeshadow, lips and concealer) take some getting used to, I still haven’t gotten the hang of them. It’s quite hard to blend eyeshadow because you don’t have the same control as a regular brush.

I included two brushes that I love, but the brand isn’t necessarily important, I just think everyone should have an angled blush brush and a fluffy powder brush to set your face. I got my angled blush brush from Arbonne and a huge fluffy brush from Winners for $10 (I think the brand is IB -Innovation Beauty, I’ve never heard of it, but it was so fluffy and soft, I had to get it). Same with the Shadow Brush from Sephora- it’s not necessarily the best brand and I’m sure other brands have better ones, but I got this in a set and it’s great for packing on shadow.

Day 14 • Lipstick // I love so many lipsticks, it was hard to choose just one, so I chose four nude/pink lipsticks because those are the two shades I wear most often. I also decided to go with ones that I just discovered this year. If you follow me on IG or read previous blog posts, you know that I love L’Oréal’s Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Lipstick in 370 J Lo’s Nude.

(L-R): Milani, Coastal Scents, Pixi, MAC

I prefer sheer/satin coverage, although I’ve added one matte lipstick. I love a red lip though and the L’Oréal Infallible Le Rouge in 337 Refined Ruby is a beautiful red for my skin tone (I don’t like orange-reds or pink-reds, I prefer blue-reds). First is the Milani Color Statement Lipstick in 26 Nude Creme. I love that the tube is gold, it looks so sleek and more expensive than it is, it also smells like watermelon jolly rancher. If you want to see a swatch, click here. Second is the Coastal Scents Lipstick in 2. The shade is very sheer, almost like I’m not wearing anything and it’s moisturizing like a lip balm. The tube is super light for some reason and it also reminds me of Hourglass packaging. Next is Pixi Mattelustre Lipstick in Plump Pink. Last is the MAC Lipstick in Brave (satin finish). Both the Pixi and MAC lipsticks are a bit more pink than I prefer, but they’re both beautiful shades and I love the finishes, I just prefer more nude shades.

Find out if all of these products are still my faves! Click here!

What are your fave products that you discovered this year?

Love,

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