February Empties!

Another great month of empties! I'm on a roll!

L to R: Dr. Scholl's Odour Destroyers All Day Deodorant Spray Powder, Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel with Olay Beauty Anti-perspirant, GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment

Dr. Scholl's Odour Destroyers All Day Deodorant Spray Powder: See review here. Have already repurchased!

Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel with Olay Beauty Anti-perspirant: This is probably my favourite scent and formula from Secret! It just works! And this "Olay Beauty" scent is the most to my liking. Clean without powder!

GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment: From this haul. I've been reading rave reviews about GlamGlow for a while now, and with my skin so parched I pulled this out and gave it a go! I got 2 uses out of this packet. This is not a typical mask and shouldn't be treated as such. This is more of a leave on treatment and is probably best to do before bed. I loved the scent of the mask, luxurious and delicious (seriously I considered eating it!), it smells of honey with sweet coffee and something else I can't quite put my finger on. Anyways, after using this treatment my dehydrated skin was soft and rehydrated for 2-3 days afterwards. I also liked how easy this was to use, put it on clean skin and just leave it on. Easy peasy! I will consider buying this once I'm through my mask / treatment hoard.

L to R: Clean & Clear Advantage Blackhead Eraser Scrub, Selection Organic Makeup Remover Pads, Bath & Body Works Peach Bellini Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

Clean & Clear Advantage Blackhead Eraser Scrub: There was nothing special about this facial scrub, it didn't "erase" my blackheads, and I didn't love the cream texture with the exfoliating beads. I prefer Neutrogena Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit. I will not repurchase.

Selection Organic Makeup Remover Pads: Standard no-name brand cotton pads. These are thinner than some, but still do a good job at toning and nail polish removal. Truth be told these are tied for third place cotton pads for me: first is an as yet reviewed Costco brand that will likely be in my March empties post, second is Quo, and tied for third with Selection is Compliments. They do the job and are cheap! Will repurchase if the first and second choices aren't available!

Bath & Body Works Peach Bellini Gentle Foaming Hand Soap: Love the subtle and lingering scent of this BBW soap! It's like fancier peaches! Also who doesn't love a peach bellini - they're pretty much the only decent item at Milestones! Well I like this formula, foaming hand soap doesn't do me any favours during the dry winter months, every time I wash my hands with these I feel the moisture sapped right out of them. I will repurchase, but only during Spring and Summer!

L to R: Buxom Lash Mascara, Orly Top2Bottom, nails inc. Stratford

Buxom Lash Mascara: Same as previous review here. This is from this haul, and I believe I now have no backups of this mascara. I will not repurchase and I will not use my Sephora Lashstash coupon to get the full-size.

Orly Top2Bottom: From this haul. This lasted me a looonnnggg time. And it's the teensiest cutest bottle. I used this primarily as a top coat. But it did a good job of drying quickly, not bubbling, and adding shine! If I didn't have 5 or 6 other bottles of top coat, I would repurchase. I need to use up at least 4 of those bottles before contemplating buying a top coat, so we'll see how this stacks up then!

nails inc. Stratford: From this haul. Sadly this is dried to the bone with no hope of salvaging (plus with 200+ nail polish, this one just isn't special enough to make a trip to a beauty supply outlet to buy nail polish thinner. Harsh but true). This looks more interesting in the bottle than on the nail. As you can see from the NOTD below, it's just a plain old gold on the nail:



Life is too short to keep dried out nail polish, so Stratford is getting the boot!

L to R: Secret Scent Expressions Antiperspirant Va-Va Vanilla, Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner in Vamp, Calvin Klein One

Secret Scent Expressions Antiperspirant Va-Va Vanilla: See review here. Probably won't repurchase.

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner in Vamp: I bought this for $10 on sale at Sephora a few years ago. Sadly it's dried up and unusable now. It was a unique purpley brown with shimmer in it. It wasn't the creamy gel eye liner I've tried, but it was the most unique colour! I've come to the realization that I just don't reach for gel eye liners as often as my pencil eye liners, so I likely won't repurchase. If you are a gel eye liner aficionado I highly recommend this shade! Perfect for those with brown, green, or hazel eyes!

Calvin Klein One: I received this deluxe size fragrance for Christmas MANY years ago. It took probably more than 5 years to use up. This is why I like fragrance sets better than full-size bottles, fragrance lasts forever! Sephora lists the notes as bergamot, cardamom, fresh pineapple, papaya, jasmine, violet, rose, nutmeg, and musk. I interpret it as more of a citrus-y fresh fragrance. Really reminds me of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. I liked this well enough (even though it wasn't my typical sweet and fruity fragrance), but I have too many perfumes on the go to contemplate buying anything!

L to R: Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Illuminating Beauty Balm, Balea Defrizzing Hair Mask Mandarin & Grapefruit

Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Illuminating Beauty Balm: From this haul. First up, this is the only shade offered by Stila, and it isn't a one-size fits all situation. It worked nicely for me, and I liked the light coverage it provided, but those with medium or dark complexions would be out of luck. As I mentioned in January, my hoarding situation is out of control, so I will revisit whether or not to repurchase once I've used up 5 face products.

Balea Defrizzing Hair Mask Mandarin & Grapefruit: I bought this on a whim at a Shoppers trip a while back, and finally put it to use! I found this easier to use than I expected (although it's hard to rip open while you're soaking wet in the shower!). I didn't notice an immediate change in my hair - I'd say it's still as frizzy as normal. It smelled divine while I massaged it in - very citrusy and fragrant. The smell did stay while my hair dried naturally, however after blowdrying the scent was gone. Maybe I will venture out and try more hair masks after this one! Will not repurchase, but it's opened my mind to more hair care choices!

That makes the total count 7 full-size products, 5 deluxe-size products, and 2 foil packets! Another great month! Hopefully I can keep this up in March!

What products did you use up in March?

Thanks for reading!

Winners Finds!

More Winners finds! This one was pretty good in my opinion! Great deals! 

L to R: Rusk Sensories Brilliance Color Protecting Shampoo in Grapefruit and Honey, Stila Creme Bouquet, Ciate Velvet Tuxedo, Laura Geller Color Drenched Lip Gloss in French Press Rose, Raspberry Roast, and Melon Infusion

The shampoo was $7.99, smelt fantastic AND I needed colour protecting shampoo as I have recently begun colouring my hair!

I couldn't pass up Stila Creme Bouquet as Musings of a Muse describes it as her favourite vanilla scent, I love vanilla and this was $24.99 - it had no price tag and I spent about 15 minutes waiting for the price and felt bad leaving without it. Love it! More of a warm vanilla and honey scent to me! Perfect for fall and winter!

The lip gloss set was $14.99, and I love Laura Geller's formula so of course I bought it too!

What have you picked up recently at Winners?

Thanks for reading!

Marshalls Finds!

L to R: Lavanila Vanilla Passionfruit, Lavanila Vanilla Blackberry, Seche Nostalgic, Stila Smudge Crayon in Antique

These were all great deals! The full-size rollerballs were $12 each, the Seche was on clearance for $3, and the Smudge Crayon was $10. All steals!

I am loving both scents! Vanilla Passionfruit is right up my alley with its sweet, fruity fragrance, however I find the scent fades away quickly on me. Vanilla Blackberry is darker but still fruity and sweet and it will last a lot longer with my body chemistry. The first day I wore Vanilla Blackberry I got so many compliments!
The eye crayon is nice, the colour is less rose gold than I expected, but it lasts all day and doesn't have creasing issues so it's a winner!

What amazing deals have you found lately? Gotta love Marshalls!

Thanks for reading!

February Empties!

I would say I had another successful month of empties!

L to R: Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme, Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Volumizing Mascara, Tom Ford Velvet Orchid

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme: I received this as a free sample from a Sephora purchase, This is described as having notes of neroli, raspberry, green mandarin, jasmine, orange blossom, guimauve, vanilla, heliotrope, and sandalwood. I quite like this one, it's a sweet yet seductive fragrance I would be happy to get a full size of! Another winning fragrance for Dolce & Gabbana!

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Volumizing Mascara: (from this haul). This is a waterproof mascara, and difficult to remove even with eye makeup remover. I found it to be a bit clumpy and it dried out fairly quickly, Will not repurchase

Tom Ford Velvet Orchid: (sample from this haul). This scent is described as having notes of cool citrus, floral petals, honey, and rum. I'd describe it as quite musky and floral (but a heavy floral if that makes sense). I was glad that this was a 1 time use sample as I wasn't a fan and found it to be longer lasting on my skin. Will not purchase.

L to R: Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara, Make-Offs Hypoallergenic Cotton Rounds, Julep Eden

Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara: (from this haul). I enjoyed this mascara, however I did find that by the end of the day it would be smudged under my eyes. It didn't clump and definitely volumized my lashes. However I'm not aiming for that raccoon look so I will not repurchase.

Make-Offs Hypoallergenic Cotton Rounds: these are just your generic cotton rounds, bought at Longo's because of the price. These did have a lot of fluff making them unideal for nail polish removal, will not repurchase.

Julep Eden: One of my first Julep polish (I think it came in my second Maven box), Eden has unfortunately separated past the point of being fixable. The brush is gloopy with polish, and the consistent of the polish has become thinner than nail polish remover, I shook and shook and no luck. So this is the end of Eden. 

Have you had to throw out any nail polish?

Thanks for reading!

Sephora 20% off Haul

Sephora recently had a promotion going on where VIBs got 20% off their purchase. Here's what I picked up!

Back row L to R: NARS Nail Polish in Disco Inferno, Tarte Stop & Stare 6 piece Eyeliner & Lash Set, Stila Portrait of a Perfect Blush
Front row L to R (freebies): DKNY Be Delicious Skin, Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask, WEI Golden Root Purifying Mask, Benefit Happy Birthday Gift

This is NARS in Disco Inferno, it's described as an iridescent silver green, but when I used it had purple in there too. Almost a duochrome.

Tarte Stop & Stare Set L side Top to Bottom: Skinny SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof liners in Onyx, Azurite Green, Purple Garnet, SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof liners in Taupe and Rose Gold
R side: lights, camera, flashes Statement Mascara

I have been loving this set! The skinny eye liner pencils are smooth and creamy and very pigmented, basically on par with Urban Decay's 24/7 liners. The bigger pencils are great for all over lid shading and perfect neutral colours!

Stila Portrait of a Perfect Blush L to R: Golden, Illume, Pretty Pink, Precious Pink, Rose

At $12 this is a steal! Love the variety of colours and finishes in this palette! Great for someone like me just getting into blush!

Last year's birthday gift was from Benefit and included a mini They're Real! mascara and Watt's Up!

 

 

Did you pick up anything during the 20% off event?

Thanks for reading!

 

Sephora Black Friday Haul

Another Sephora order...

Back row L to R: Nails Inc. Autumn Winter Collection, Nails Inc. Best Sellers Nail Polish Collection, Stila In the Garden Eye Shadow Palette, Stila In the Moment Eye Shadow Palette, Lancôme Bi-facil Make-up Remover
Front row L to R: Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer, Calvin Klein Downtown, Pink Sugar

Best part all of this was only $76! Those Stila palettes are usually $50 each so I am quite pleased with the value I got for my money here!

Stila In the Garden Eye Shadow Palette
Back row L to R: Chinois, Breeze, Bark, Freesia, Rosette
Front row L to R: Nectar, Honey, Sage, Moss, Juniper
Smudge Stick in Starfish
I've been eyeing this palette since last November when I first got interested in make-up, and have come this close to splurging on it a couple of times. Really glad I waited for the 50% price reduction and also glad I picked this up!

Stila In the Moment Eye Shadow Palette
Back row L to R: Instinct, Impulse, Glance, Improvise, Catalyst
Front row L to R: Desire, Wonder, Spontaneous, Whim, Captivate
Smudge Stick in Tetra
Like In the Garden, I've been eyeing this for a while and couldn't let the 50% price decrease pass me by!

L to R: Chelsea Bridge Road, Bruton Mews, Sloane Gardens, Jermyn Street, Chester Street, Richmond Terrace
I thought this collection gave me a great chance to both try out some more Nails Inc. polish and also expand my collection with darker colours.

L to R: Porchester Square, Chelsea Square, Kensington Caviar Top Coat
How could I not buy this adorable $11 set?

L to R: Calvin Klein Downtown, Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer, Pink Sugar

There you have it, what I bought on Black Friday! So many new pretties to play around with!

What did you buy for Black Friday?

December 28 Haul

Back row L to R: Sephora Favorites Glitz and Glam, Tinsel Twinkle Perfection Sample Bag, Algenist Pore Corrector Anti-Aging Primer
Front row L to R: Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment, Bond No. 9 I Love New York for All, Nails Inc. The After Party, and Boscia One Step Wonders

I'll start with the Sephora Favorites Glitz and Glam set, since it was the main reason for the purchase.

Lancôme Hypnose Star Mascara - always a favourite and wanted a backup
Too Faced 3-Way Lashlining Tool - definitely intriguing, and will let you know how it fares once I start using it

Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy - I was intrigued to try more UD eyeshadow, and thought this shade looked suitable for work.

Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Pink Escape - Since I've begun my foray into blush, I've been intrigued by cream or gel blush so I thought I'd give this a go. I love the shade, perfect for my pale skin tone and it's quite easy to blend so that you don't end up looking like a clown. Glad I picked this up!

Sephora False Eyelashes in Celebrity - I did end up gifting these, but I love how natural they look!

Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Illuminating Beauty Balm - I love BB creams, and will let you know how this offering from Stila works out!

NARS Larger Than Life Lipgloss in Gold Digger - Can't wait to try this out, such a pretty shimmery nude colour!

Nails Inc. Kensington Caviar Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat - You can never have too many top coats!

Nails Inc. The After Party includes: Disco Lane, Covent Garden Market, and Soho Street
I've been quite impressed with the Nails Inc. polish I've tried so far and this was $7 for 3 full size nail polish!

Bosica One Step Wonders includes: Luminizing Black Mask, Tsubaki Beauty Oil, and Bright White Mask
I redeemed 500 points for this set, and am glad I did! I'm really enjoying the beauty oil which isn't too oily that you can use both day and night!

Tinsel Twinkle Perfection back row L to R: Philosophy Living Grace, Sephora Age Defy Moisture Cream, Murad Blackhead and Pore Clearing Duo, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal, Living Proof Prime Style Extender

Tinsel Twinkle Perfection front row L to R: Lancôme Hypnose Star Mascara, Smashbox Camera Ready CC Cream

Wow. Soo many pictures! More big hauls to come!

Thanks for reading!

November 18, 2013 Haul



Not another haul! Uggh, why must Sephora call to me so often?

The main reason for the haul: the Tarte Pure Delights 8 Piece Lip Surgence Set

I had already received a Tarte Matte Lip Surgence in last year's Sephora Favourites Give Me Some Lip Set, and I loved it, so I quickly purchased another one (this time Tarte Lip Surgence Lip Crème) and knew that I would definitely purchase whichever Christmas set from Tarte had the most Lip Surgence (this was before the Collector's Set was released...and I don't think I'll take the plunge with that one, but who knows?)!

I am loving this set and definitely recommend it to all Tarte Lip Surgence fans! I'm loving most of the colours (but been a bit shy around the 2 browner shades (Generous and Grateful) and the bright red (Enamored)). So glad I picked it up, it definitely will help me step out of my comfort zone!

And then, since the Tarte set didn't give me enough lippies (lol, I'm such an addict), I picked this Stila Color Me Glossy set of 9 lip glazes.  To be fair, I'm giving 6 of these away as gifts, since they come packaged in cute gift wrap in sets of 3.  I also couldn't resist some of these flavours/colours: Persimmon, Passionfruit, Melon, Amaretto, they all sound so yummy!

My freebie for the order was this adorable trio of deluxe size Benefit products! I'm not sure if this code is still in stock, but it's VIBSPREE (only available to those with VIB status at Sephora). Definitely a great freebie, although I've yet to test these out.

This freebie is a trial of 3 colours of YSL's Glossy Stain, it even came with a sample applicator!

I have been LOVING this perfume from Escada, although it is definitely more appropriate for Spring/Summer since it's so fresh and fruity!

And my last sample was the Hourglass Oil-free Mineral Primer, which I hope to test out, since it gets rave reviews!

That's my Sephora haul (although I have 2 more in the works...). What have you hauled recently from Sephora?

Thanks for reading!

End of May Sephora Haul!

From L to R: VIB Stila set, Sephora Collection Colorful Blush in Pink Flush, REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask, Sephora Collection Waterproof Contour Eye Pencil in 24 Surfer Babe, Sephora Favorites Lash Stash, Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme, OCC Lip Tar & Nail Lacquer Set in Grandma, and Amazing Cosmetics Concealer

 

 

So I'd been eyeing the OCC Lip Tar & Nail Lacquer Set for sometime, having wanted to try out a Lip Tar, but being unable to justify the price of a single Lip Tar, so this set was perfect to try out a Lip Tar and basically get a $3 OCC nail polish. The Lip Tar was a bit more orange than I expected, but I love the brush and the feel of the Lip Tar, not as drying as other lip stain products. Also, you can definitely increase or decrease the intensity of the colour by adding more product or using less.

 

 

 

The Sephora Collection Colorful Blush were in the sale section for $7 each, so I decided to pick up Pink Flush, since the price couldn't be beat & I think blush would be a great addition to an everyday or special occasion makeup look. Surprisingly this is the first blush I've bought!

I also found Sephora's eye pencils cost only $11 and the variety of shades was awesome! Reviews online compared these pencils to Urban Decay, so I decided for $11 I'd give this one in Surfer Babe, a peacock blue, a shot. The pencil arrived broken so I'll have to sharpen it before using, the color looks amazing though! Unlike anything I currently own.

For my online code, I decided to go with VIBSTILA which included Stila's waterproof mascara and 2 lip glazes (which I already knew I loved). The 3 items came packaged in a pretty sheer pink bag that can be reused for gifts. Since this was free this was awesome!

 

 

 Having passed on the Sephora Favorites Lash Stash at Christmas, I decided to shill out the $30 for this set of 5 mini mascaras with a voucher to purchase the full-size of your favourite mascara of this set instore.  I have a few mascaras to finish up before starting on these, but I still think this was a good deal!

 



The 3 free samples I received with this order were: REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask (0.17 oz, very generous for a free sample), Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme, and Amazing Cosmetics Concealer in Medium Beige.

I requested the Amazing Cosmetics Foundation in Medium Beige, so I'm guessing the concealer will be too dark for my skin tone, so this might be given away to someone who can use it.

 

Have you done any big hauls recently? Do you like Sephora's brand of cosmetics?

 

Thanks for reading!