I’ve got quite a few empties for you this month. I love trying travel-sized products to test things out. I know they’re not the most cost effective, but I’ve found a fair share of products that I don’t like. So I’m glad I didn’t buy the full size versions right away.
Amorepacific Purify & Polish Set (includes Treatment Cleansing Foam and Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder) – Both of these cleansers are so strongly fragranced. I have dry skin and I feel like the cleansing foam was too drying for me.
Repurchase? No. They’re both quite expensive and too fragranced for my liking.
Tosowoong Repair Sleeping Hair Pack* – At first, I enjoyed this because it was a rinse free hair mask and it smelled pretty good. But once it dried, it felt like I had left product in my hair and forgot to wash it out.
Repurchase? No.
Institut Esthederm Cellular Water Gel* – I liked the consistency of this, but it was very fragranced. It reminded me a lot of the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel (read my review).
Repurchase? No.
Tatcha The Water Cream – I didn’t want to like this cream because of the price, but it’s quite nice for the warmer weather. It’s very similar to the Sonia Roselli Water Balm (read my review).
Repurchase? Yes.
Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer – I’ve had this concealer for almost 2 years and I thought it was time to declutter it. I really loved it for spot concealing.
Repurchase? Absolutely!
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brows Eyebrow Gel in Perfect Brow – I loved the size of this brush. I don’t really have any complaints about it, but I think I slightly prefer the Benefit Gimme Brow because of the selection of shades.
Repurchase? Probably not.
Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner – This did a good job of cleaning my brushes, but the vanilla scent started to get to me. I originally put this in my July/August 2019 faves post, but I’ve changed my mind. The scent would linger on the brushes and make my room smell like the scent.
Repurchase? No.
What products did you finish this month?
Love,
Products marked with (*) were sent to me for review.
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.
Just a heads up that there are quite a few cult fave foundations that I don’t love as much as everyone else. There are more foundations that I’ve tried samples of, but 1) this post would be way too long and 2) I don’t have a full opinion on them since I only used them a handful of times. This post will only include liquids/creams/cushions/sticks. I will include powder foundations in my Powder Hits & Misses post since I haven’t tried as many. It will also only include foundations that are still available. I’m going to keep my little reviews as short as I can especially if I have a full review of the foundation. I will link them so you can read them if you’d like.
In no particular order, here are my Hits, Likes and Misses:
Hits
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick (read my review) – This might be my favourite stick foundation I’ve tried to date. I even had the wrong shade. It was perfect for a girls trip. I packed this to use as foundation/concealer. This is one of my favourite Bobbi Brown items (Bobbi Brown Hits & Misses). I bought it at the MAC Warehouse Sale and would definitely pay full price for it.
Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick SPF21 – This would be my 2nd favourite stick foundation.
Lancôme Skin Feels Good Skin Nourishing Foundation (read my review) – Love this. Even though it’s labelled as a foundation, it’s more like a tinted moisturizer. If only they had more shades available (I’m in between shades).
Lancôme Miracle Cushion Foundation – I need to find the right shade because the one I was using is too pink for me.
Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer – I feel like this has a little more coverage than what I’d consider a tinted moisturizer. It’s a great product though.
Likes
Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Luminizing Foundation – Beautiful foundation and one of the closest matches I’ve ever had. It does have fragrance in it and oddly enough, it doesn’t smell that great. I would rather try the self-refreshing one that doesn’t have any fragrance in it.
Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation (read my review) – While this was a beautiful foundation, it just didn’t last long on me. I don’t know if the primers I tried were just too slippy or something. It looked beautiful on the skin, but I just couldn’t find the right shade match. It was either too pink or too orange.
Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radiance SPF50* (read my review) – Nice cushion foundation, but I’m between shades.
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation – Can’t find a good shade match, but this is a nice foundation.
Maybelline Fit Me Hydrate + Smooth Foundation (read my review) – I wish this had a pump. I’m also not crazy about the scent of this. Not my fave foundation.
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick (read my review) – I liked it, but didn’t love this enough. It was just too full coverage for me (even when I used a very thin layer).
Hera Black Cushion Foundation – My sister got this for me in Korea. I just picked a shade that I thought would be okay based on pictures. Even though I’m quite light, the shade is too light for me. Plus, this is very fragranced (like a lot of K-Beauty products). The foundation itself is nice, but the fragrance is just too much for me. Plus, it’s hard for me to get in Canada. If it is available, it’s more than I’m willing to spend. So, I’d rather spend the money on something else.
The Ordinary Serum Foundation (read my review) – not my fave, but not my least fave.
The Body Shop All-in-One BB Cream (read my review) – At the time I wrote the review for this, I really enjoyed it. Since then, I’ve tried other products I prefer more.
Perricone MD No Foundation Serum Broad Spectrum SPF30 (read my review) – Nice foundation that looks natural and provides sheer coverage.
Misses
For the foundation misses, there are ones that either just didn’t impress me much, didn’t provide enough coverage or had too much coverage.
Almay Clear Complexion Make Myself Clear Makeup* – I don’t really want makeup that has salicylic acid.
NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil* (read my review) – not my shade and coverage was too light for me.
Bali Body BB Cream (read my review) – This provided no coverage whatsoever.
NYX HD Studio Photogenic Foundation – Broke me out and smelled like plastic.
Milani Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer – Was way too thick for me and shade range wasn’t great.
Garnier BB Cream – Shade range is terrible and it made my eyes water. Too much alcohol in it??
Nars Velvet Matte Foundation Stick – I bought this at the Shiseido Warehouse Sale and it just didn’t wow me. It sounds kind of mean, but there’s a reason that this is rarely on lists of Fave Stick Foundations.
Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation – Washed off easily with water and looked patchy on dry spots. What would happen if I wore this when it’s raining or went on a Maid of the Mist boat tour??
Nude by Nature Luminous Sheer Liquid Foundation* (read my review) – Not enough coverage.
Nude by Nature BB Cream* (read my review) – Not enough coverage.
Wet N Wild Photofocus Foundation – Shade was wrong, too matte for me. I know they came out with a dewy version, but I also didn’t like the smell or the fact that it used a spatula instead of a pump.
The following foundations are ones I can’t give a definitive opinion on:
Becca Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation – I think I had the wrong shade and also knew nothing about applying it. I ended up throwing this out despite not using it very often.
Holika Holika Gudetama Photo Ready Cushion Foundation – wrong shade. Wasn’t my fave cushion though.
Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation – This was one of the first liquid foundations from the drugstore that I bought. It smells like chemicals, but I remember it being nice (I had the wrong shade though).
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation – I can’t say if I like or hate this because I bought the wrong shade. I bought this before I knew what I wanted in a foundation. I never fully tested it out. I would prefer a foundation that has a pump (instead of buying one separately and NARS has nice foundations that come with a pump).
To Try
Bite Changemaker Micellar Foundation
L’Oréal Infallible 24Hr Freshwear Foundation
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
Make Up For Ever Matte Velvet Skin Full Coverage Foundation
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation
What are your fave foundations?
Love,
Products marked with (*) were sent to me for review.
Today, I’m sharing makeup and skincare products that have become favourites of mine. Either I already have repurchased or plan to repurchase in the future.
In no particular order, here are 15 of my beauty favourites:
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water – I love this primer water so much, that I actually bought 3 during a sale on Smashbox.ca! It’s one of the few products that I’ve bought backups.
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define* – Love this brow pencil. Benefit is one of the few brands that carries brow products with more than 3 shades and also different undertones.
Colourpop Boss Brow Clear Gel – My friend recommended this brow gel and I love it. It doesn’t make your brows feel crunchy at all!
Bioderma Sensibio H₂0 Make Up Removing Micelle Solution – The Garnier and Bioderma Micellar Waters are my favourites. The Garnier one is cheaper, so I repurchase it more, but I do see why everyone loves the Bioderma one too.
Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes* – I think this would be a great eye cream for the spring/summer time for me. It was very nice and light, but wasn’t quite hydrating enough for Canadian winters.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer – This is one of my favourite primers that keeps my dry skin hydrated throughout the day.
Good Molecules Pure Cold-Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil* – I have been loving facial oils for my dry skin and this one is a great one from Good Molecules.
Good Molecules Silicone-Free Priming Moisturizer* – I love that brands are coming out with primers without silicones. This one is a great 2-in-1 product.
Gummiband Hair Cords – I was originally gifted some hair cords, but I have since purchased more because I love them. Also, they’re a Canadian brand.
Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder – This is a beautiful powder to set your makeup.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask – This is the only lip mask I’ve tried, so I can’t say it’s my favourite. It is a great lip mask that keeps my lips hydrated at night.
Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer – A favourite concealer of mine for spot concealing. It blends beautifully into the skin.
Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector – I really enjoyed this eye cream. It made my under eyes feel smooth and hydrated. I also loved the metal applicator.
Rael Miracle Patches (read my review) – Love these patches!
Volition Strawberry-C Brightening Serum* (read my review) – Loved this serum!
I thought I’d share my makeup routine lately. My skin has been getting better so I’ve been doing more No Foundation looks when I go out. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that my Makeup Of The Day posts all look the same because I keep using the same products. I’m trying to finish some of my current collection before buying any more.
Below is a list of most of the products in my makeup collection. Some products aren’t included (like eyeshadows and my contour palette because I don’t use them every day). Any product that was sent to me will have a (*) after the name:
PRIMER/SPRAY
Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer
Winky Lux Whipped Cream Primer
Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer
Touch In Sol No Poreblem Primer
Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizing Primer (Nourishing)
Nars Tinted Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Medium (if I’m wearing eye makeup)
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil (didn’t use in Summer, but will use in Fall and Winter)
Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water
Cover FX Dewy Setting Spray
For primers, I might use a mix of two (hydrating and blurring). I’m enjoying the Winky Lux Whipped Cream Primer and Touch in Sol No Poreblem Primer.
FOUNDATION
Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Luminizing Foundation in Golden 3
Nars Velvet matte Foundation Stick in Fiji
Lancome Teint Idole Longwear Foundation Stick SPF21 in 260 Bisque N
Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Full Coverage Powder Foundation in Light Neutral
CONCEALER
RMS Beauty Un-Cover Up in 11
Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer in Custard
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Self-Setting Concealer in 21 Cinnamon
Sometimes I might just use concealer and pop on some Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder to mattify.
POWDER
Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder in 15 Light
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder in 2 Medium
Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder
BRONZER
Inglot x Jennifer Lopez Boogie Down Bronzing Powder in J217 Safari
NYX California Beamin’ Face & Body Bronzer in Free Spirit
BLUSH
Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink
Nars Liquid Blush in Luster
Bare Minerals Gen Nude Powder Blush in That Peach Tho
HIGHLIGHTER
theBalm Mary Dew-Manizer (mini)
theBalm Cindy Dew-Manizer (mini)
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in 01 Highlight
Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer in #7
Sometimes I’ll use my bronzer or highlighter as my eyeshadow. The NYX California Beamin’ Bronzer has a bit of a sheen, so it’s really pretty on the eyes.
EYES
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
Art Deco Eyeshadow Single in Off White (to set eyeshadow primer)
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Eye Shadow in M549 Dark Taupe
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in 502 Infinite Sand
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in 100 Whatever Black
Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara
Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara*
Benefit BADgal BANG Volumizing Mascara
BROWS
Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow Pencil in Dark Brunette
Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6*
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brows Eyebrow Gel in Perfect Brow
Colourpop Boss Brow Clear Gel
I haven’t been doing a lot on the eyes lately. I might just put a light brown and blend or use my bronzer. I’ll use a nude eyeliner along the lower waterline to brighten the eyes. Then I might tightline the upper lashline with a brown/black. For brows, I’ll either use just the Charlotte Tilbury eyebrow gel or use one of the pencils and follow up with one of the gels.
LIPS
Jouer Essential Lip Enhancer Balm
Laneige Lip Glowy Balm in Grapefruit*
Dr. Paw Paw Original Clear Balm
Perricone MD No Lip Gloss Lip Gloss*
Pixi On-The-Glow Multi-Use Moisture Stick*
I have been preferring lip balms/glosses over lipsticks lately. Just adding a bit of gloss to the lips leaves them looking plump and moisturized.
Hi Everyone! It’s been almost six months since Part 1 of Revisiting My 2018 Favourites. So, here’s Part 2! This post is for July to December’s beauty faves.
BCL Spa Sugar Scrub Lavender + Mint – I absolutely loved this. It smelled amazing and the scrub made my skin feel so soft and smell good.
Repurchase? If I could find it for cheaper than $40 somewhere, I would! I’ll have to check salons in Toronto to see if they sell in-store. I’ve only found the brand on Amazon for $50+ or on wholesale sites.
BCL Spa Dead Sea Salt Soak Lavender + Mint – As much as I loved this, I probably wouldn’t buy it again since it’s so expensive. I would rather buy the sugar scrub.
Repurchase? No.
Sonia Roselli Water Balm – Loved this!! It was a great moisturizer and primer, I will definitely get this again!
Repurchase? Yes!
Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit – I liked this, but I need to find a shade that’s more my style.
Repurchase? Yes.
Colors by Llarowe Nail Polish in The Deep End – This is a pretty mermaid-y shade.
Repurchase? I would repurchase from the brand, but I probably wouldn’t buy a similar shade. I want to streamline my nail polishes and purchase shades that don’t have shimmer (neutrals, reds, wines, etc.)
AUGUST
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge -I love the flat side of this sponge.
Repurchase? Yes! It would be great if I can find a 4-pack for $20 again!
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil – I enjoyed the little deluxe sample I had!
Repurchase? YES!
Soo’Ae Juice Mango Glow Mask – No offense to face masks, but I feel like (for the most part), they all feel the same. Unless one is specifically meant for something like drawing out impurities, the hydrating, brightening, plumping sheet masks all make my face feel the same.
Repurchase? Yes.
elf Studio Matte Lip Color in Tea Rose -This lipstick felt nice for a matte lip colour. This specific shade did not look good on me. It looked okay once I topped it with gloss though.
Repurchase? No, I prefer satin finish lipsticks.
Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radiance SPF50 – As someone who deals with acne, I can’t just use this product. I need something with a bit more coverage. This is a very nice and affordable product, but I need something with a bit more coverage than what this offers.
Repurchase? Possibly (when my skin is clear and when they have a better shade range). Although the scent is quite strong.
SEPTEMBER
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6 – LOVE THIS!
Repurchase? Absolutely!
Diorshow Bold Brow in 002 Dark – I love this, but won’t repurchase until they expand the shades (if that ever happens). The shade 002 Dark is the darkest and it leans gray.
Repurchase? I would if they had a darker shade.
OPI Nail Lacquer in Step Right Up! – I love this shade! It’s a beautiful sheer pink.
Repurchase? If It’s still available when I finish my current bottle, I would definitely repurchase.
Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel– This gel works well, but since it has salicylic acid, it can make my face a bit itchy and/or red.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Pixi Aspyn Ovard Glow-y Powder in Santorini Sunset – This is a beautiful champagne highlighter.
Repurchase? No longer available.
OCTOBER
Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation in Light-Neutral – Loooove this powder! I think I need a lighter shade though.
Repurchase? Yes!!
Thayers Witch Hazel Alcohol-Free Cucumber Toner – I think I’m allergic to witch hazel (or at least, I can’t tolerate a heavy concentration of it).
Repurchase? No.
The Face Shop Multi-Layer Cotton Pads – I love these! They are much stronger than the Muji Peelable Cotton Pads.
Repurchase? Yes.
Unknown Brand of Cotton Swabs (flat end and pointy end) – These are really useful! I like that it has a pointy end.
Repurchase? Yes.
Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer – I love this primer.
Repurchase? Yes.
NOVEMBER
Kopari Coconut Deodorant – It’s aluminum-free! It also smells really nice when you sniff it from the tube, but it can sometimes be too much for me (especially since I don’t looooove coconut). Also, since it’s got a strong scent, I feel like I shouldn’t wear my perfume when I do wear it because it will clash.
Repurchase? Yes, I would try one of the other scents (or even unscented).
Etude House Lip & Eye Remover – This is great for removing my makeup.
Repurchase? Yes.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in Light – Really love this concealer.
Repurchase? Yes.
TULA Acne Clearing + Tone Correcting Gel– When I first got this, I was using it twice a day and then I stopped for a bit and realized that while it does work, my face was so dry because of the salicylic acid. I’ve cut down to using it only when I feel a pimple coming (like a spot treatment) instead of using it all over.
Repurchase? I would.
DECEMBER
NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer – This concealer is awesome for spot concealing and I would definitely purchase in a lighter shade as an under eye concealer.
Repurchase? Yes.
The Body Shop Aloe Calming Foaming Wash – This was very gentle and I love foaming cleansers.
Repurchase? Yes, but on sale.
EcoTools Shading Brush – Love this brush. It’s so soft!!
Repurchase? I would definitely buy more EcoTools brushes.
Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette – I really just wanted to try this once to see why everyone loved it so much. I’m glad that they offer a duo now instead of having to get all six shades.
Repurchase? I love the sombre shade for contouring, but I would rather buy another brand for obvious reasons.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I used to buy stuff from Sephora throughout the year at full price. I used to see Sephora hauls and wonder why people bought so much during the sale (10 or more products at a time) and would also buy backups of products. Now I know why! They’re stocking up in case they run out before the next sale! From now on, I will only buy makeup and skincare whenever there’s a sale. I made my biggest haul from Sephora and I split my purchases into three orders so that if it were to get lost or stolen, I wouldn’t lose all of the products.
Some of the products that I bought were on my wishlist in January and October I bought enough products that I shouldn’t need to buy anything until the next sale comes around and to be honest, I am pretty close to my yearly budget already.
Over the weekend, I went to the Shiseido Warehouse Sale in Markham. Thanks to my friend who let me know about it, I was able to score some goodies. They have a lot of high end brands like NARS, Bare Minerals, Buxom, Laura Mercier, Clé de Peau, obviously Shiseido and other hair and fragrance brands.
It’s a three day sale starting Friday for VIPs who have tickets and then on Saturday and Sunday, it’s open to the public (no ticket needed). It’s located at 303 All State Parkway in Markham.
If you’ve seen my haul from the MAC Warehouse Sale from 2017, then you’ll know that I went crazy buying stuff (especially lipsticks) back in 2017. This time, I had more self control (it was also because I just spent a lot of money during the Sephora sale. My Sephora haul will be up on the blog on Friday! For the MAC Sale, you need a ticket to get in for all three days and my sister got me tickets in September and December 2017. For the Shiseido sale, you don’t need a ticket for Saturday and Sunday, so it’s more accessible and I don’t have to rely on my sister to get it from work.
At the MAC sale, the first time I went, I probably bought over 20 products. At the Shiseido sale, I only bought 9 products while my mom bought quite a few skincare products because she loves Shiseido’s Benefiance WrinkleResist line. I’ve banned myself from buying any eyeshadows until I hit pan/finish a few shades first. Maybe I can get some next year.
I was pleasantly surprised that they had so many products left. While I’m sure there was a much bigger selection of complexion products on Friday and Saturday, they still had my shades in two of the products I wanted to try.
Buxom Full-On Lipstick in Dolly | $10
I couldn’t pass on this deal and the shade is so beautiful. It’s my kind of nude-pink lipstick!
NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer in Santo Domingo | $12 (not pictured because I accidentally missed it)
This is a pretty shade and I wanted to try a lip lacquer.
NARS Liquid Blush in Luster | $15
This is such a pretty shade, I had to get it. I also want to get more cream and liquid products because they’re easier to blend and won’t look powdery.
NARS Velvet Matte Foundation Stick in Fiji | $18
I have been wanting to try the NARS foundation stick for a while to compare it to my others.
Clé de Peau Concealer in Beige | $55
I’ve heard good things about this concealer, but it retails for $95 in Canada and I’m not about to spend that much for a concealer stick. While $55 is still quite expensive, I wanted to try it and they had a shade that matched me pretty closely.
Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Luminizing Foundation in Golden 3 | $18
I was so excited to see that they had my shade in this foundation. My mom said this was the shade that has been the closest shade match to my skin out of all the foundations I’ve been testing out lately.
Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion for Face/Body SPF50+ (For Sensitive Skin & Children) | $20
I thought I’d give this a try since it was more than half off the retail price.
Dolce & Gabbana 3 L’Imperatrice Pour Femme | $35
I liked this perfume a few years back and I had a sample of it. While it’s more floral than I usually prefer, I still really like it and it was $35 so I had to get it.
Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner | $10
I know Joico is a higher end brand of hair products at the drugstore so I wanted to try it.
I would definitely go again next year and we probably will be going so my mom can stock up on her Shiseido products. I think I would go on a Saturday, but it’s nice to know they have so much stuff left after the two days. They did have a lot of complexion products sold out (especially NARS foundations), but they still had some really nice products left over.
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
I can’t believe it’s time for my monthly faves again! ANNND, it’s the last one of the year!
I could’ve sworn that I chose the @narsissist Soft Matte Complete Concealer as a previous feature friday…I checked and I haven’t, so here we are! I am in loooove with this concealer. It blends beautifully into the skin. I haven’t used it as an under eye concealer because the shade I have is a bit too dark to use it as one. I use it as a spot concealer (I have the shade Custard). I’ve been using it for a while now and I’ve barely made a dent in it.
I’m really loving this EcoTools shading brush. It’s the perfect brush for applying the base shadow. It’s super soft and blends beautifully. I also like how the handle is tapered which makes it nice and easy to hold.
Foaming face washes are my fave. I love this The Body Shop Aloe Calming Foaming Wash. As it says on the bottle, it’s very gentle on sensitive skin. I use it every day and I got it in September which means it lasts about 3 months. Although, sometimes I have used more than 1 pump, so I could probably stretch it to 4 next time. It is a bit pricey, so I suggest waiting for a sale if you plan to pick this up.
I know Kat von D is controversial at the moment and people are boycotting the brand because of her personal choice to not vaccinate her child. I also know that so many people love this palette that I decided to put aside whatever conflicting views I may have with her own personal views and try the Shade + Light Contour Palette.
While I haven’t had the chance to try all of the shades, I love the shade sombre for my contour (true taupe contour). It’s the perfect one for my skin tone. The others look a bit dark, but I can use those as eyeshadow or maybe use them for when I just take Instagram selfies so that you can actually see the contour in pictures. I would definitely consider buying the shade sombre when I finish this one or maybe I can find a dupe from another brand.
I made these brown sugar cookies for Christmas and they are so yummy. Especially when you use them after they’ve cooled down enough to make ice cream sandwiches. I just used vanilla ice cream because we had some for apple pie, but since the cookies are plain, you could use any ice cream!
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!
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:
Since I just made my first order from Tarte, I thought it’d be fun to do a post on my first online order from Sephora! I made my first order in 2013. I can’t remember if it was my first purchase ever at Sephora. I may have bought a few things like nail polish or something before then, but liquid foundation was my first online order.
Since grade 9 when my mom started letting me use makeup, I would mostly use eye makeup- mascara, coloured shadows and liners. I don’t remember when I started using concealer, but I was using the same one as my mom, a Clinique one which was meant for under eyes. Both my mom and I have since moved on from that one. My mom likes the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer. I’ve been testing out different concealers to find a favourite. I recently bought Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer, Maybelline Age Rewind and Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer. From the drugstore, I like the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer and the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer.
In 2013, I wanted to try foundation for the first time, so I went to Sephora. I was new to face makeup. I don’t think I even used blush at that point and I was using an under eye concealer for spot concealing. When it comes to buying foundation now, I put it through a testing phase to see how it wears, what it pairs well with, how the finish is, etc. I’ve learned a lot from YouTubers and blogs over the years. I didn’t know a lot back then.
I didn’t know that:
you could try out products and ask for samples
you should check to see what the foundation looks like in natural sunlight
you should blend it down to your neck
primer was an important part of priming your skin
makeup sponges could be used
you should wear it for a bit to see how much it oxidizes
you should set foundation with powder
I basically did all the things that I shouldn’t do before buying a high end foundation. I didn’t really know what my skin type was back then either. I sort of just assumed it was oily because my mom and sister are oily and since I was acne-prone, I figured I was oily too. My acne was pretty bad in middle school and high school; my forehead was so bad that my doctor prescribed me a medicated acne gel. It worked, but it made me super itchy because it dried out the acne so well.
I went to Sephora with my sister and I got an associate to colour match me. I told the associate I wanted full-coverage and a matte finish. She suggested the Becca Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation in Nude and a flat liquid foundation brush. After a month or so, I bought it online so I could get 3 free samples and the promo. It took me a while to convince myself to buy it since it’s $51. I don’t know why I didn’t try drugstore foundation first, I went straight to high end.
Since the foundation was so expensive, I think I was saving it or something. I realized that I should start using it before it went bad, but when I started using it again, it would oxidize really bad and I would look like an oompa loompa. I ended up having to throw it out before it was done. I have since learned my lesson not to save makeup (especially when it’s liquid or cream).
I also ordered those Sephora OPI Nail stickers, an Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush for my sister and I got the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in No Pressure! as a promo.
It’s interesting to look back at old Sephora orders to see what I’ve bought. I don’t even remember using some products I’ve tried. I’ve bought a Sephora mascara and brow pencil and I don’t remember doing that. I guess they weren’t that amazing since I don’t even remember getting them.
Every now and then when I post a pic on Instagram, I’ll ask my Instagram followers for beauty recommendations and sometimes when I post about a new blog post, someone who recommend a brand they like that has a similar product. Here’s a list of products recommended by my fellow beauty Instagrammers. I provided links to the Instagram accounts of the ladies who recommended the products too.
As you know, I like The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil products. Check out my reviews of two of their products below!
After posting about the Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, I was recommended a similar product. This is the only recommendation where I hadn’t heard of the brand before. It’s always nice to learn about new brands.
After posting my This or That post on Cleansing Balms (comparing Clinique’s and Pixi’s), someone said the It Cosmetics balm was good. I can’t find the comment now, so I don’t know who recommended it.
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Makeup Melting Balm
I was asking for recommendations for favourite CC Creams and tinted moisturizers, I was recommended two:
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF50+
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF30
I love facial mists, I have the Cucumber Water Hydrating Face Mist from Pearlessence that I got from Winners and the Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist (Read my review).
Here are April’s product empties! I actually managed to finish two foundations this month. I think I bought them around the same time and both don’t have pumps, so I think I used more than I needed. A lot of the time, my hand still had foundation on it. Both brands sell other foundations with pumps, why don’t these have them?!
Maybelline Fit Me Hydrate + Smooth Foundation in 130 Buff Beige (read my review) – I reviewed this comparing it to the Fit Me Stick Foundation .
Repurchase? From now on, I’m only going to purchase high-end foundation and while this one was good, it had a scent that I wasn’t too fond of (a bit too chemically).
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville – I didn’t like that this didn’t come with a pump.
Repurchase? I think the fact that I got a shade that was way too light made me not like this. I won’t say ‘no,’ but I think I’d rather try other foundations.
Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes – I finished another package of this! I guess it’s not that surprising, there’s only 25 in a pack and sometimes I need two wipes.
Repurchase? Definitely. I’m trying some other brands too, but these are definitely a favourite.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick (read my review) – This is great for spot treatment.
Repurchase? Already bought two more sticks during a sale.
The Ordinary “Buffet” (read my review) – I didn’t love this.
Repurchase? I bought a new bottle a while back, but I don’t think I will repurchase after that.
Clean and Clear Morning Burst Fruit Infusions Purifying Cleanser – It’s so refreshing and wakes you up in the morning.
Repurchase? I don’t think it’s in stores anymore, but if I find something similar, I would buy it.
Revlon ColorStay Concealer in Light Medium – It was a good shade match and the concealer wasn’t bad, but I prefer the Maybelline Fit Me concealer if I’m choosing from drugstore concealers. I also didn’t love the smell of this concealer.
Repurchase? No.
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) – I love these patches.
Repurchase? It’ll be a while before I repurchase because I bought ten packs from Amazon, but I definitely will be buying more of these!
What were your product empties this month? Which ones would you repurchase?
