HAUL: MAC Semi Precious

I am so excited to finally be posting this haul for you all!

I know I was probably annoying some of you with all of my Tweets about how much I was looking forward to this collection! I am a HUGE fan of mineralize products, so when I found out a new mineralize collection was coming out I knew I was going to want to buy a few items (ok, more than a few!) from it. I appear to be in the minority of bloggers who love mineralize products; a lot of people find the mineralize products can lack pigment, fade over time, can be full of glitter, and are just harder to work with overall. I will agree that there can be some mineralize ‘dud’ products out there. What I like about mineralize products is the fact they apply sheerly - I don’t always need a super-duper-uber pigmented shade for my eyes; I also like the shimmer in mineralize products - but I can do with out giant gitter chunks (like craft glitter); I also like how each mineralize product is unique - not everyone’s products look identical even though they are the same shade. Anyway, enough of that and on to information about the collection!

Semi Precious was released by MAC on July 7th (released 1-2 weeks earlier in Pro stores and online). After seeing a sneak peek of the collection on Temptalia’s blog, I knew exactly what I wanted from this collection and made up my shopping list. When it finally launched, I put in my order right away so I would be able to get everything I wanted before items started to sell-out. Lucky for me, I did get everything I wanted!

I ended up buying this collection in two pieces. I bought my initial pieces - eye shadows, one blush and one mineralize skin finish the day the collection came out; just this past week, I went back to the site an ordered a few more things (in an addition to an MSFN that was recommended to me).

I am not going to be posting swatches for all of you in this post - but there will be some great pictures of what the product looks like in the pan. I am saving swatches for when I review each item in the collection - I’ll be posting a few reviews next week.

There were 12 mineralize eye shadows released with this collection, and I ended up picking up seven of them.

Clarity

Light Pink, Off White Green, Gold & Black

Unsurpassable

Green, Teal, Purple & Copper

Jade’s Fortune

Bright Yellow, Lime, Blue & Black

Rare Find

Violet, Brown & Gold

Mineral Mode

White Base with Copper & Grey

See? This is a great example of how Mineralize products are all unique! My Mineral Mode shadow has no copper in it whatsoever - just white and grey! Maybe there is some copper baked into the shadow that I just can't see now...but I have a sneaking suspicion there's none at all in mine!

Dark Indulgence

Forest Green & Black

Hint of Sapphire

Pink, Violet, Teal, Copper & Blue

The collection also has three mineralize blushes - a neutral brown, an orange-peach, and a blue-based pink. I ended up picking up two:

Pressed Amber

Nude, Beige, Brown

Warmth of Coral

Coral, Peach

The big item that drew me in and made me very curious about this collection was the Mineralize Skinfinishes. There were four released in this collection, and I picked up all four:

Semi Precious Pearl

Beige Champagne Base with a White, Plum and Bronze inner-circle.

Semi Precious Rose Quartz

Rosy Pink Base with a Silver, Lime, White Pink & Copper inner-circle.

Semi Precious Crystal Pink

Pink Champagne Base with a Pink, Dirty Green and Bronze inner-circle.

Semi Precious Goldstone

Brown Base, Rosy Pink, White and Gold inner-circle.

In amongst my collection purchase I also tossed in two items that are part of the permanent collection:

Paint Pot in Blackground

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus

Many of the items in the Semi Precious collection are still available online for purchase. A couple of the eye shadows are now sold out (Golden Gaze, Faux Gold, Ruby Smoke); the Warmth of Coral blush is gone, and so is the Semi Precious Crystal Pink MSF.

I’m still playing around with everything, so I haven’t picked any favorites yet - although the Clarity eye shadow and Crystal Pink MSF seem to be ones that I am reaching for the most!

Check out your local MAC store/counter to pick up products from this collection, or you can order online.

Did you pick anything up from this collection? Let me know! I would love to see what you got!

Enjoy the rest of your Friday!

Blither Blither Blither #2

Hi Everyone!

I am taking a brief break from my regular posts to write you all a quick note.

First, I apologize for not being able to post a regular entry this morning - I had no power! We had a big storm in my area of the province (Ontario) yesterday evening that knocked out power for about 30 hours. My town had some damage - lots of trees down, and consequently things the trees fell on were damaged (cars mostly, but a few houses); power lines down; branches and brush everywhere. I am terrified of storms, so I was cowering in the basement while it was all happening. I'm glad the ordeal is over; I do not know how people who live in Tornado Alley deal with storms!

I live near the city of Ottawa, which was hosting Bluesfest (a blues music festival - it's amazing!) and this happened during the storm, just to give you a flavor of the power of the storm.Yes, unfortunately there were people hurt in this accident, but no fatalities.

Second, how do you all feel about me posting a video or two a month to this blog (and consequently, YouTube)? I filmed a little something and tried to upload it, but apparently YouTube hates me and was taking way frickin' too long so I cancelled my upload. I am thinking of doing my Monthly Faves as video posts. Of course, I would still do a written post with better pictures and swatches, and listing out the products I'm favoring - but my spiel about each item would be via video. What do you guys think? Is this idea a No or a Go?

Last, I AM working on a Haul post for you about my purchases from the MAC Semi Precious collection. I know there are a lot of people out there who hate Mineralize products from MAC and completely dodged this collection because of that - but they are honestly my favorite part of the MAC line (aside from Paint Pots, lol). Pigmentation can be dodgy on some of them, and there are a few glittery shadows out there, but I love them still :) Here's a picture of my box of goodies, for a preview!



So, bear with me while I get my posts back on track over the next few days! I will be posting a review tomorrow morning and hope to post my Haul on Friday!

Have a lovely evening, everyone! :)

Trying New Things - Sephora Haul!

I did some Sephora shopping recently, and decided to break away from my normal shopping habits and try something new. So, I bought a few things from two brands that I've never used before, and one from a staple brand.

Here's a look at what I bought:



- Benefit Cheek & Lip Stains in Posietint and Cha Cha Tint
- Make Up Forever Face & Body Liquid Makeup
- Make Up Forever Pro HD Primer - Microperfecting Primer in Shade 5 Blue
- Dior 5-Color Iridescent Eyeshadow in Shade 809 Petal Pusher
- Dior Skin Shimmer Powder in Shade 1 Rose Diamond

I am a big fan of Benefit's cheek and lip stains, so when Posietint came out awhile ago I was excited but didn't want to pick it up right away. When Cha Cha Tint came out at the end of June, I decided the time was right to pick up both!

MUFE has been a brand I've always seen a lot of good reviews about in general, so I picked two items I thought I would be 'safe' with trying and picked them up - a foundation and a primer!

Dior is another brand I've heard lots of good things about but have been intimidated about trying because of the price - so, I picked another two relatively 'safe' items that I'm pretty sure won't disappoint me and bought them.

Have you tried anything I got in my haul? Let me know!

HAUL: CARGO Eye Shadow

If you’ve been following my blog over the past few days, you know that I’ve gone a bit bananas with reviews for some of the CARGO Color Eye Shadow palettes.

I have 5 of the palettes - and I recently got a 6th BNIB palette (Brand New In Box) from a blog sale and am waiting for it to arrive in the mail (but since Canada Post is on strike, who knows how long it will take for me to get it).

I wanted to try something different for a Haul post - review the products in the haul before I post the details of the actual haul itself. You’ll have to let me know what you think of the format. I’m not sure what I think of it yet, myself!

Here are the 5 palettes I bought:
Click on the palette name to be brought to the review for that palette

- Shanghai
- Baja
- Bermuda
- London
- Vienna

The one I am waiting to receive is ‘Toronto’ (woot woot for Canada!).

One of these palettes is cheaper than buying an empty MAC Pro Palette x 4 and filling it with shadow pans - and cheaper still than the pre-filled limited edition MAC 4-pan palettes. The actual shadow pans in the palette are also larger than MAC shadows.

Believe it or not, I’m considering purchasing one or two more of these palettes (like I need more eye shadow!): Paris and Los Angeles. Paris looks gorgeous - it’s not available from Sears though, just the CARGO website. Los Angeles is available through Sears and the CARGO website.

I am very happy that CARGO is a Canadian brand; I’m all about supporting businesses based in my own country over those based somewhere else.

Overall, these shadows are strongly pigmented, super smooth in consistency, easy to apply and blend, and long-wearing. I am extremely happy with these purchases.

Have any of you tried any of these CARGO palettes?

A Simple Saturday Haul

I hope all of you are having a good start to your week. I'm happy it's Victoria Day, which means that it's a Statutory Holiday and I don't have to be at work! I took Friday off too, so it's been a nice four-day weekend for me. My brother was up on Saturday and Sunday and he headed home last night. I've been enjoying the opportunity to relax and catch up on a few good books!

Anyhoo, I was out shopping on Saturday and I picked up a few items that I thought I would share in a haul.



Calvin Klein Eau De Toilette - Obsession (not pictured)
I am a HUGE fan of Calvin Klein scents (with the notable exception of CK One) and this one is a very strong one that not everyone loves. Some find it kind of granny-like. I like the scent because of its potentcy. It smells great used sparingly on one day, but it mellows into a lovely faint musk the next day (even after a shower). It's not a scent that I would wear every day, but it's one that will certainly see a lot of use - especially in the winter months. Purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart

Benefit Pressed Powder in Coralista
So, my local Shoppers branch finally got rid of their stash of Georgia, which has been discontinued for awhile. I was tickled to see that Georgia had been replaced with Coralista. I've been wanting to add this to my collection for awhile, so I was really glad to finally get the chance. I have used it a few times and I'm happy with the purchase. Purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart

Annabelle Cosmetics Leopard Bronzer in Jungle Belle
I saw this and added it to my shopping basket without a second thought. This is a Limited Edition product from Annabelle's summer collection; they also have some funky multi-color zebra print eye shadows that I wasn't too crazy about, but might give a try some other time. The bronzer is made up of shimmery tan, pink, and dark brown. I've used it for three days now, and I love it. The bronzer is not overly glittery; it gives your skin a nice shimmery glow. Purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart

Bonne Bell Biggy Lip Smacker in Cotton Candy
I love these! They are perfect to stash in a beach bag or just to have handy in your purse when you've got dry or chapped lips. Cotton Candy is one of my favorite Bonne Bell scents. Why have something tiny in your purse (especially if you carry a massive one like me!) when you could put something in that is bigger and easier to find? Purchased at Wal-Mart

Nivea Pearly Shine Lip Balm
I am not normally a fan of Nivea, but this was recommended to me to try - so I bought a tube! Purchased at Wal-Mart

Cover Girl LashBlast Fusion in Very Black
I have three mascaras on my rotation right now...a Rimmel, a Cover Girl, and a Maybelline. Cover Girl is still my favorite, so it gets re-purchased no matter what. This is the first time I've every bought a tube of 'very black' though; usually I get 'black' or 'black brown'. Purchased at Wal-Mart

Wet-n-Wild Mega Last Lipstick in 906D Wine Room and 903C Just Peachy
I really like this line of lipsticks, so I picked up two more to add to my stash. Wine Room is a nice berry red color, and Just Peachy is a pale peachy-pink. Purchased at Wal-Mart

Wet-n-Wild Silk Lip Stick in 516C Sunset Peach
I have a few of these lipsticks and love them. They're super cheap and the color range is pretty decent. This is my second tube of this shade...I have misplaced the first tube. Purchased at Wal-Mart

I also went shopping to get a new pair of sandals for the summer. I have a brown pair and a gold pair, but no black! So, that's what I was on the hunt for. I did end up finding a pair that I like and that fit my massive feet. I bought a pair of gladiator sandals at the store Biba. Here's what they look like:



While in Biba, I also came across a cute purse that I couldn't resist buying:



And lastly, I was in Bentley looking for a new large wallet and happened upon this smaller wallet and coin purse. I am in love with neon colors and things that remind me of my childhood, and this just screamed Lisa Frank at me - reminding me of funky stationary and school supplies I had in grade school.



So, all in all it was a pretty successful shopping trip!

I'm not really looking forward to going back to work tomorrow, but I guess it's necessary if I want to have any money, :P

Have a great week!

Haul: Sephora

I was thrilled to see a parcel card in my post office box this afternoon - especially when I haven't received any e-mail notification from Sephora to let me know that my order was shipped.

My Naked Palette came today! Along with a few other goodies I decided to buy at the same time (I couldn't help it!).

Here's a picture of the haul:



And here's a breakdown of what I ordered.

The Urban Decay Naked Palette



This set comes with 12 shadows (Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep and Gunmetal), a Good Karma Shadow Brush, and a 3.7 mL/.13 Fl oz. bottle of Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

BareMinerals Tutorials Kit - Eye Lining by Bare Escentuals



This set comes with two powder eye liners: Minx (a black with multi-colored shimmers) and Sable (a matte dark brown). Here's a swatch of what they look like:



It also comes with a Brush Pouch containing a Magentic Multi-Liner Brush with three interchangeable brush heads (full-edged liner, pointed liner, soft edge liner).

BareMinerals Tutorial Kit - Rocker Eye by Bare Escentuals

This kit comes with on powder eye liner and two eye shadows. The liner is Black Leather (a matte black with a little bit of shimmer); the two shadows are Rock Star (a grey with multi-color shimmer) and 1980's (a taupey/mauvey/silvery shimmer). Here's a swatch of what they look like:



The kit also comes with the Rock 'n' Roll Brush, which is double ended. Here is a picture of the brush, and what each end looks like:







I also got an added Freebie, for having 500 points in my beauty bank.

I received the Smashbox Perfectly Polished Lids Beauty Insider Kit. Here's what that looks like:



The kit contains cream eye liner in Midnight Brown (.06 oz/1.7 g), an eye shadow trio in Vanilla, Champagne and Brazilian Bronze; a mini-size Photo Finish Lid Primer, and a Mini Size Lash DNA Mascara.

I am really excited to try everything out! I will post reviews as I use everything.

I hope your week is going well!

HAUL: Barry M

I recently put in an order with Barry M, as part of the Get Barry M into Canada movement on Facebook. Once the Fan Page reached 500 Followers, Barry M gave us 25% off of our next purchase. I thought this was a perfect opportunity to put in an order for products that I've seen on a great number of other beauty blogs and in YouTube videos.

The things that I was most interested in trying were the Nail Paints and Dazzle Dusts - so that's all I ordered. Here's a picture of the haul, and a rundown of what I ordered:



- Nail Paint in 318 Peach Melba
- Nail Paint in 312 Indigo
- Nail Paint in 291 Cobalt Blue
- Nail Paint 314 Instant Nail Effect Pink
- Nail Paint 316 Instant Nail Effect White
- Nail Paint 315 Instant Nail Effect Blue
- Dazzle Dust No. 51 Mushroom
- Dazzle Dust No. 89 Oyster Grey

I bought the nail polishes because I have heard wonderful things about the color range. Peach Melba and Indigo have appeared in a number of videos on YouTube, and I've seen positive reviews of them on blogs. I picked out Cobalt Blue because I don't have a blue like it in my collection. I bought the crackle polishes because I think they will be more day-friendly than the black shade that I have from OPI.

Here is a closer look a the Nail Paints:



There were sooo many Dazzle Dusts to pick from, I decided to only get two. I went with Mushroom - a pretty mauve-taupe color that will be something I can wear every day, and Oyster Grey, another neutral I can wear every day. Both have a pretty multi-dimensional shimmer on them; I am looking forward to using them. Hopefully they will not be too messy to apply!

Here is a closer look at the Dazzle Dusts (Mushroom on right, Oyster Grey on left):



I can easily see myself buying from Barry M again; even with the exchange and shipping factored in, the products are very affordable and were delivered in a very reasonable space of time. My package shipped from the UK on April 18th and I received it on April 28th - that's only 8 business days for an International delivery - very good!

If you want to learn more about Barry M or perhaps purchase some of their products, visit their website by clicking here.

HAUL: Wet-n-Wild 6 Shadow Eye Shadow Palettes

So at the end of the week, I was in a nearby city writing my final exam in e-business. After writing and having lunch with my mom and my Aunt, I got a chance to go to the mall. While I was there, I finally got my hands on the Wet n Wild 6 Shadow Eye Shadow Palettes:

Shade 249 - Vanity (browns)
Shade 247 - Pride (blues and greens)
Shade 248 - Lust (purples and plums)
Shade 246 - Greed (peaches and blacks)

I’m really liking the 3 Shadow palettes by Wet n Wild, so when I saw these I bought them right away.

I’ve had a chance to use three of the palettes (Greed, Lust and Pride) and so far I’m happy with them. I will put up a review for each one as I use them more; right now they are the only shadows in my makeup kit, so those reviews will hopefully go up later in the week.

So far, I like the lavender color in the top right corner of the Greed palette; I’m also really liking using the dark plum color in the bottom right corner of the Lust palette.

In the ‘Sin’ theme of these eye shadow palettes, I thought I would take the opportunity to let you all know that I have picked a winner for my Seven Deadly Sins contest. I will share who the winner is with you all soon; I just sent a note out to her today to let her know.

HAUL: Wal-Mart & Shoppers

I love hauls, in theory. I love the idea of doing them, I like buying everything, but I really don’t like having to haul everything out and jot down tiles/shades etc.

This haul was done on Saturday March 26th 2011 at both Wal-Mart and Shoppers Drug Mart - we’ll call it a drugstore haul. There is not one item on this list that was over $10.00 CDN.

Anyway, enough with the jibba jabba - here’s the haul!



Spa Resource Pro Series Foundation Kabuki Brush

This line of makeup brushes is new to my local Wal-Mart; I was going to buy a Bronzer brush when I saw this one. I decided to give it a try. The bristles are synthetic, but they are really soft and densely packed. I am looking forward to giving this brush a try. I love kabuki brushes, but usually find the bristles are too stiff/scratchy for my liking.

NYC 16 Hour Smooch Proof Lip Stain (x2)
Rock on Ruby & Endless Spice

I’ve used these stains once each and so far I am impressed. My reviews of lip stains are usually less than stellar, but I think I may have found something I like. A review will go up soon.

NYC Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss in Carnegie Melon

I own one of these already, and wanted to try a new shade; this one is more natural and less obvious than the other one that I have got (a bright red). There is a fruity scent to these glosses that is refreshing but not too sweet. There is no flavor at all (yay!).

Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Color in Rain Check (Ciel Suprise en Français)

I decided to pick up another one of these polishes after my experience with Night Prowl. This color looked odd to me - I haven’t seen one quite like it before. The polish is a metallic sky blue with a silver base. I think this will be my toe color this week!

Wet n Wild Fast Dry Nail Color in Shade 224C The Wonder Yellows

Strangely enough, I didn’t already have a color like this in my nail polish collection. So, into my shopping basket this bottle went. I actually restrained myself from buying the whole collection - they are in very bright rainbow shades, which is what I was attracted to. I am glad I didn’t, because I already have every other color in the collection except this one!

Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color (x3)
Rose Bud, Mauve Outta Here, Think Pink

I was inspired by a post by Everyday Makeup Blog and decided to pick up some colors. I’ll be wearing these shades this week and a review will go up next week! I have 904B Rose Bud, 907C Mauve Outta Here and 901B Think Pink.

Maybelline Volum’Express Mascara in Black Brown

I go through a tube of mascara in less than two months...I wear it every day. I’ve been using Cover Girl religiously for awhile now and decided to buy a comparable formulation from another company. This seemed to be the closest match. I have used this once (today) and was not terribly happy...we’ll see if things change.

GOSH Eye Pigment (x2)
Satin & Meringue

The only reason I picked these two little containers up is because they were on sale. Normally, I don’t like working with pigments and loose shadows. I am hoping these will be nice go-to colors for simple days where I just want a smidge of shimmer on my eyes.

Wet n Wild Eye Shadow Trio (x3)
Spoiled Brat, Silent Treatment, I Dream of Greenie

Yay trios! I have four now....love them!

Essie Nail Lacquer (x2)
Buy Me a Cameo & Turquoise and Caicos

Essie was on sale at Shoppers this weekend, so I picked up two bottles. Turquoise and Caicos came out last year, and I don’t know when Buy Me a Cameo came out - I just know it reminds me of a color I use to have and wear a lot in high school (which met its end when I accidentally dumped the whole bottle on a new pair of capris...which were ruined...).

I hope you enjoyed this post! Reviews will be coming soon for most of these products - one will actually go up later this week!

Happy Monday!

Have you entered my Seven Deadly Sins makeup contest yet? Click here for details!

Clinique Chubby Stick - Upcoming Collection Haul

Photo from Sears.ca

I have a problem (she says with a big smile on her face).

When I really like a product, I tend to go a bit overboard with it. If it's a lipstick or blush or something, it usually means me buying the entire shade selection, or damn near close to the entire shade selection. The Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick is my case and point - I own all of the shades available.

My latest over-like of a product (I refuse to say obsession, lol!) is the Clinique Chubby Stick. In the review I posted last month, I indicated I had purchased the shade Woppin' Watermelon. I have used it a lot since then - it is always in my purse. I am still curious to see how long a stick will last; even though I have been using the one I have religiously, it looks like I haven't made a dent in it. I am still hopeful they will last a long time!

Since I am really liking the Chubby Stick I have and want to try other shades, I ordered the rest of the shades available on Monday of this week:

- Fuller Fig
- Richer Raisin
- Super Strawberry
- Whole Lotta Honey
- Mega Melon
- Graped Up

I wanted Chunky Cherry too, but it's not available for me to purchase until early April. So, I decided I could wait to get that one until I go into the city for Easter.

I should have my order in my greedy little hands by next Friday (the 25th). I'll post swatches then.

Have you entered my contest yet? Click here for details!

HAUL: Random Haul

Yay! Time for another Haul post!

I picked up the lion’s share of these products over the last 4 days. I had two Sears orders arrive, went shopping in PharmaPlus, and got one (ONE!) item from Wal-Mart.

Here is a shot of the haul:



And here is the run-down of what I bought. There is quite a lot, so bear with me!

I will be reviewing everything I bought in due time. Some of the reviews will actually go up later this week.

I’ve decided to add a new feature to my Haul posts; I am going to state which store I bought each item from. This way, if you’re interested in picking up an item I’ve listed, you know where to go.

CARGO BeachBlush in Sunset Beach - This product was too pretty to pass up. It’s a product with a dual purpose; it is both a blusher and a bronzer. I think it could also be used as eyeshadow. I know this will see a lot of use! Purchased from Sears.ca

CARGO Bronzer in Light - CARGO is a brand that has quite a reputation for their bronzers. They have several formulations available and a variety of shades to choose from. I have never used a CARGO bronzer before, so I am really excited to give this one a try. It is always nice to use products produced by a Canadian company! Purchased from Sears.ca

Maybelline Fit Me! Pressed Powder - I am very intrigued by Maybelline’s entire Fit Me! line; so I bought all of the products available, minus the bronzer (since I bought the CARGO bronzer). This is going to be one of the first tinted powders that I have used, so I hope it works well and does not make my skin look chalky. Purchased from PharmaPlus

Maybelline Fit Me! Blush in Light Mauve - When I saw the display of the Fit Me! blushes that are available for Light skin tones, this was the one that I thought was the prettiest. Purchased from PharmaPlus

Clinique Chubby Stick - Its a crayon for your lips! Fun! I bought a nice bright shade, Woppin’ Watermelon. Purchased from Sears.ca

Cover Girl Lip Perfection Lipstick - This is the latest of Cover Girls new lipstick formulations. It is the one that both Drew Barrymore and Taylor Swift are spokeswomen for; additionally, they both wear the same shade in the adverts - shade 290 Burn, which is also what I picked up! Burn is a shimmery orange-based red. It will look great with bronzed skin this summer! Purchased from PharmaPlus

Sally Hansen Nail Effects Real Nail Polish Strips - I saw the print ad for this product in last month’s In Style magazine, and new right away that I wanted to try this out. I was very excited to see them when I was out shopping on Saturday. I picked up the design number 340 Girl Flower, that has lots of hippie flowers on it. I wanted the pink camouflage print or the white and black houndstooth, but they were out of those ones! Purchased from Wal-Mart

Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation - All hail drugstore foundation! There such a plethora of them to choose from, and now there is one more! I bought the Fit Me foundation shade 115 Ivory - the lightest shade available. I love to try out new drugstore foundations; it’s handy to have one or two in your supply. I am interested to see how my skin looks with this foundation on, and if there is any allergic reaction. Purchased from PharmaPlus

Clinique Even Better Makeup with SPF 15 - As you may recall, my favorite Clinique foundation has been discontinued. I decided to give a new formulation a try, and thought that the Even Better Makeup would be the best fit for my skin type. We’ll see how this goes! Purchased from Sears.ca

Clinique All About Eyes Concealer - I LOVE this under eye concealer. It works wonders to cover dark circles and hide blue veins. I use the tiniest amount of this product and mix it with Benefit High Beam to add some luminosity; I then apply it to my under eye area with a concealer brush and blend it out with my ring-finger. This is my second tube of All About Eyes. Purchased from Sears.ca

Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer - As you can see in the paragraph above this one, I love All About Eyes, so I don’t know if this Fit Me! Concealer will be able to live up to it. I’ll still give it an honest try, though. I bought this concealer in shade 15 Fair. Purchased from PharmaPlus

Rexall Foot Brush - I didn’t buy this so much for looking after my feet, but more for scrubbing my fingers and under my nails. The brush will work great at removing excess nail polish that I may get on my cuticles, and will certainly help me get paint out from underneath my nails. Purchased from PharmaPlus

Rexall Bath Eye Gel Mask - I bought this simply for the fact that I have always wanted one, but could never find one that was at a reasonable price point. This one was cheap, so I snapped it up! Purchased from PharmaPlus

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls - This powder is so pretty in the pan, and very pretty when applied! I bought the shade Translucent. When you apply this powder, you end up with a very nice light shimmer on your skin. I am looking forward to using it! Purchased from PharmaPlus

I also bought a few other items that I am setting aside as prizes for a contest I am working on. It will be my first contest, so I’m getting excited about it! I don’t expect to be ready for another couple of weeks yet, so hold tight for more details!

HAUL: Drugstore & Sears

I haven't done a haul post since my Boxing day purchases. So, I thought it was about time for me to do one! It's not a big haul, and it's actually not an expensive one either. Most of the things that I bought came from the drugstore - one came from Sears. I find it strange ordering makeup from Sears - which is weird, because I have bought makeup from the Clinique counter at Sears before. It's a bit weird they don't feature makeup in their catalogues, but they do feature perfume...I don't get it.

Anyway! Moving on!

Heres a photo of the haul:



And here is the run-down of what I bought:

L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base - I am running out of my favorite primer, produced by NARS. I am still dead-set on sticking to my resolution to order nothing from Sephora in 2011, so I have to find a drugstore alternative to that primer until I can get to Ottawa and hit a NARS counter at Holt Renfrew or The Bay. I have not read any reviews on this product, and I don't want to so that my opinion of it is completely un-tainted when I give it a try. This primer is available at my local drugstore, so the convenience of being able to buy it where I live will be really great if I end up liking it.

New York Color (NYC) Blushable Creme Stick in Shade 644U Plaza Pink - A good cream blush is hard to find. I have my doubts about this one, but I am going to give it a try! The blush kind of looks like a skinnier version of a NARS Multiple (of which I have 5...so that really puts the logic behind this purchase into question!). The shade is very pretty - I'm attracted to the Barbie pink.

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Shade 06 Woppin Watermelon - This is the one product in my haul that I have read reviews on, and I've seen featured in many a fashion magazine. I'm eager to give the product a whirl. I like the portability factor. I ordered this from Sears - so if I like it I can see myself getting a few more in different colors!

New York Color (NYC) Ultra Moist Lip Wear Lipstick in Shade 305B Ruby - I am not a huge fan of matte red lipsticks. About the only one that I do like is Ruby Woo by MAC. I already have large, full lips and I find matte lipsticks tend to make them look massive. A little shimmer and gloss helps me to minimize them. This is a lovely blue based red with shimmer. I've worn it a few times on its own and with gloss (the one below!) over top. I really like it!

New York Color (NYC) Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss in Shade 526U Chinatown Cherry - This gloss I bought specifically to layer on top of the lipstick above. I am really enjoying the fact the gloss is long and skinny - it makes it easier to find in a handbag, and it also fits neatly into my pen container at work! Again, this gloss is a bright true red and shimmery.

I'm pretty happy with all of my purchases, and I promise I will post reviews as I start to use everything.

Have a great weekend everyone!

HAUL: MAC - Cham Pale

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far! I certainly am. I've been cooking up a pot of seafood gumbo for dinner and watching RENT on satellite dish. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight - it's going to be yummy!

As I promised yesterday, today I bring you a post of my Haul from the MAC Cham Pale collection.

Here is what I bought:



Top Left: Special Reserve Highlight Powder in Rosé Ole
Top Right: Caviar Dreams Eye Shadow x 4 (top row l to r: Brulé, Retrospeck; bottom row l to r: Et tu, Bouquet?, Caviar Dreams
Paint Pots (L to R): Let Me Pop, Vintage Selection, Dangerous Cuvée

When I first saw the preview of this collection, my initial impulse was to buy all four Paint Pots. Unfortunately, that plan did not work out so well for me. The first paint pot, Chilled on Ice, was already sold out by the time I got to the MAC website.

I love the eye shadow quad - shimmery gold tone shadows look great on my blue eyes. So, ordering it was a no brainer.

The lipsticks and lip gelées did not appeal to me, as they're all nude colors. I also wasn't really all that interested in the eye kohls, Fix +, or other items in the collection.

The only other items that stood out to me were the highlight powders - in particular, the pink one. So into my shopping basket it went!

Overall, I am quite happy with my purchases. I am in love with the paint pots - but in particular Dangerous Cuvée. The paint pot is a shimmery grey, with pink and red shimmers in it. It looks gorgeous! I am excited to experiment with this using the eye shadows Vex and Club.

Today I wore the paint pot Vintage Selection (a peach-pink champagne color) with the eye shadow Et tu, Bouquet? overtop, and Caviar Dreams as liner on my top and bottom lashes, and I loved the way it looked! The Caviar Dreams quad is going to quickly become a staple in my makeup collection. I also used the highlight powder in place of my Benefit High Beam, and think it's a great alternative to using that liquid product on days where I would rather use a powder. The shimmer is subtle and finely milled, and the color is a very pretty 'natural' pink. I swear, it is almost the same pink as Benefit High Beam.

Yesterday night I decided to take a peek back at the MAC website to see how much of the collection is sold out online - and I got a suprise! Of all the items I ordered, the only two that aren't completely sold out are the paint pot in Let Me Pop, and the Special Reserve Highlight Powder in Rosé Ole! So, if you are interested in any of the items I bought above, your best bet to get the items is to go to your local MAC counter. It's slim pickings on the website right now!

Have a great weekend!

HAUL: LUSH - Boxing Day

I love that both of my Boxing Day purchases showed up within a day of one another. I got my LUSH purchases on December 31st.

Here is the box of goodies!



I love LUSH. As soon as I opened up the box, the lovely aroma of my purchases hit me and I instantly was in a good mood. I am a fan of citrus scents, peppermint scents and sugary-vanilla scents - and that’s exactly what I bought.

Here is the gift box I bought, which was the Stardust Gift Box.



This box is a limited edition Gift Box released for Christmas 2010. The contents of the box included:

- Twilight Bath Bomb (full size)
- Iced Wine Shower Jelly (100g/3.5 oz.)
- Angel’s Delight Soap (100g/3.5 oz.)
- Candy Cane Bubble Bar (full size)
- Snow Fairy Shower Gel (100 ml/3.1 fl. oz.)
- Sugar Plum Fairy Sugar Scrub (100g/3.5 oz.)
- Bon Bon Lip Scrub (25g/0.9 oz.)

I also bought one other Christmas 2010 item - Snow Globe Soap (in the picture below).

The rest of my purchases were from the company’s regular line:



- Pineapple Grunt Soap
- 4 Emotibombs in Up You Gets
- 4 Emotibombs in Too Drunk...
- Happy Hippy Shower Gel (500ml)

And here come the freebies!



The Boxing Day promotion that LUSH had on was fantastic. I feel like I got great value for my money. The deal was that if you bought one Christmas Gift Box or Regular Gift Box, you would get one of equal or lesser value for free. Additionally, if you bought any other Christmas item (bath bomb, soap, etc.) you would get an item of the same type (i.e. if you buy soap you get soap) for free.

My first freebie was the Ray of Sunshine Gift Box. The Gift Box included:

- Sexy Peel Soap (100g/3.5 oz.)
- The Olive Branch Shower Gel (100ml/3.3 fl. oz.)
- Sugar Scrub (50g/1.7 oz.)
- Each Peach and Two’s A Pair Massage Bar (30g/1.0 oz.)

My other freebies were another Pineapple Grunt Soap, and an Ice Blue Soap.

I also received another lovely set of surprises:

- A sample slice of Snow Globe Soap
- A sample slice of Aromaco Deodorant
- A 15% off coupon on my next purchase (online or in store!)

I am more than pleased with my purchases. I LOVE LUSH! I am addicted! :)

What are your favorite LUSH products? Do you have any recommendations for me to try out?