Category Archives: Hauls

What I Bought This Month – December 2016 Haul

December 28, 2016HaulsLush, MAC, Marc Jacobs, NARS, Physicians Formula, Sephora, Too FacedChelle

As per usual, by the time December hits, I am sooo tired of makeup releases. Don’t get me wrong, I love diving headfirst into all of the new palettes and sets when September hits, but after three months of constant NEW NEW NEW, I get pretty dang tired. So December’s haul is on the small side because I am burnt out on new makeup! (This won’t last – I give it till late February before I’m enticed by shiny new things again!)

NARS Brow Defining Cream in Sonoran ($29 CAD)

I ended up returning the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in Taupe (from last month’s haul) because it was just wayyyyy too dark for my brows and was nowhere close to matching my own hair). So I decided to get the NARS Brow Defining Cream in Sonoran (their only blonde shade). I was really worried about the colour tone in this shade since it does pull quite warm in the pot. Thankfully, it does actually work out really well for my brows. It doesn’t give as much depth as a deeper product would, so what I do is lay down this product as a base for my brows, and then follow it up with a few flicks from a taupey-grey pencil and it looks fantastic. Probably one of the best pairings for my brows yet!

Sephora Collection Black Magic Remover Cloths ($15 CAD) — Sephora Collection Black Magic Makeup Remover Cloths ($15 CAD)

I have no freaking idea what these Black Magic Makeup Remover Cloths are made of, but they are absolutely incredible. Using only water doused on these cloths, I am able to remove the bulk of my makeup (even from my Grinch tutorial!). This is really handy if you can’t be bothered to grab makeup remover (although I do sometimes prefer to use makeup remover instead of these). Seriously… how does this work??

Sephora Collection Eyelash Curler ($21 CAD)

Ughhhh. My level of disappointment with eyelash curlers is at an all time high right now. I used to LOVE Sephora’s eyelash curlers – I picked up their Original Eyelash Curler in Prague back in 2014 and I have been loving it ever since. But, the pads ran out, and Sephora doesn’t make replacement pads you can buy, so I went ahead and bought another set of curlers. THESE ARE NOT THE SAME, and the ones I bought last month aren’t either. The clamp part doesn’t open as wide, which makes getting my eyelashes in between the clampy bits REALLY, REALLY awkward. Like… so tedious that I’m at the point where I don’t even want to be bothered with an eyelash curler in the morning. I am so frustrated because I LOVED the original Sephora one I got back in 2014. If this new one is their “updated and improved” model then I am sorely disappointed. (And, also, the new pads don’t fit on the old curler. UGH.)

Too Faced Melted Matte in Candy Cane (free - gift) — Too Faced Melted Matte in Candy Cane (free – gift)

For the first time in my life, I did not have a list a mile long for Christmas presents that involved makeup. It’s been a plentiful year of makeup for me, and I just didn’t really “need” anything. But one thing I did absolutely want was the limited edition Too Faced Melted Matte in Candy Cane. Not only is the colour right up my alley (a stunning pink-red that I saw Jen wearing more times than I could count), but it also actually smells like peppermint mocha. How I wish all of the Melted Mattes smelled this way! In the end, I do find the formula is on par with their original line, so it is kind of drying, slightly sandpapery on the lips, but for this special item, I’m willing to deal with the pain of it! Oh, and it was my husband who got it for me for Christmas. 🙂

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Lush It's Raining Men Shower Gel (free - gift) — Lush It’s Raining Men Shower Gel (free – gift)

The other item my husband got for me on my list was this Lush shower gel in It’s Raining Men. I really, REALLY do not need shower gel – I’ve got far more than I can ever even get through in the next year, but I love the It’s Raining Men scent and it had been about two years since I last had a bottle of it. So happy to have this one again. 🙂

Too Faced Christmas in New York - The Chocolate Shop (free - gift) — Too Faced Christmas in New York – The Chocolate Shop (free – gift)

The next item I received via Zoe of Writing Whimsy. She passed on the Too Faced Chocolate Shop palette to me because she knew what I rabid fan I am for Too Faced and figured I’d get a lot more use out of it. And right she is! This palette was part of their 2016 holiday lineup – Christmas in New York. And yes, it smells like chocolate… which I’m starting to feel is almost a necessity when I’m doing my makeup now!

Marc Jacobs Lamé Noir Ultra-Glittering Mascara (free - gift) — Marc Jacobs Lamé Noir Ultra-Glittering Mascara (free – gift)

Zoe also sent along a Marc Jacobs item she had two of: the Lamé Noir Ultra-Glittering Mascara. This is a glitter topcoat for your mascara which I have yet to use… but she knows me so well – glitter is always good in my book!

I’ve been using a lot of random brands’ invisible lip liners and primers (all sent by PR) and none of them work nearly as well as MAC‘s Prep + Prime Lip. I finally said “enough” and just went out and bought MAC‘s lip primer because I was “making do” with products that only worked 50% as well as MAC. I am so, so happy to have my MAC lip primer back – it prevents lip line bleedout and makes sure my lipstick stays in place. LOVE!

Physicians Formula Butter Blushes ($17.99 CAD each)

I picked up the two brand new Physicians Formula Butter Blushes as soon as I spotted them at Shoppers Drug Mart. They are on the unbelievably pricey side at 17.99 each, but they had tear off mail in rebates for $7 each which brings them down to a bit more of a reasonable price tag. Review is forthcoming!

Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Highlight + Contour ($21.99 CAD)

Another pricier item by Physicians Formula (seriously, their Canadian price tags always make me gasp), but this one had a $9 mail in rebate. Anyone see something familiar in this product? It’s identical in tone to the BECCA x Jaclyn Hill trio! Review also forthcoming with a comparison to the BECCA shades!

That’s it for December! Did you get anything really awesome this month? Tell me in the comments!

What I Bought This Month: October 2016 Haul

November 5, 2016HaulsBen Nye, Dermal Therapy, MaybellineChelle

So I thought I had done really well this month! It got to be the end of the month and I had only purchased three items (that were actually essentials) and I was like “Wow! Look at how much money I saved this month!” Then I remembered that IMATS was on October 1st and I had bought a crapton of products there. So uhhhh… yeahhhhh.

Here’s my IMATS haul in case you hadn’t seen it yet:

As for the items I picked up outside of IMATS, here they are:

Dermal Therapy - Heel Care (free - gift) — Dermal Therapy – Heel Care (free – gift)

I need to accept that nothing else is going to work on my heel cracks other than Dermal Therapy‘s Heel Care. I’ve been using this for years, but could only ever find it at Walmart (which I’m nowhere close to in Toronto) and I had run out long ago, so my mom brought me back a huge bottle of it from Costco. At one point I had thought that The Body Shop’s Hemp Rescue Balm was working for me, but it was a bandaid fix and wasn’t really healing my heels. I’m not trying anymore products anymore now – Dermal Therapy is IT for me!

Ben Nye - Scab Blood ($10 CAD) — Ben Nye – Scab Blood ($10 CAD)

I needed some kind of bloody stuff for my work’s Halloween costume this year, so I went to Malabar in Toronto and picked up some Ben Nye Scab Blood. I’ve been using this stuff for YEARS to do blood dripping from my eyes (I got it from Dark Angel’s “Red” episode!) because for whatever reason I’ve always been attracted to that look.

That shot above is Dorothy (university friend and roommate!) and I back in 2004 for Halloween! Anyway, Scab Blood works well as a stay in place kind of congealed blood. It doesn’t move around and it looks realistic so long as you add a black or grey liner behind the product to deepen it. At $10 a pop, Scab Blood is not only cheap, but it’ll also last you a really long time! (My first pot lasted about five years before I had to chuck it.)

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In the end, you can’t really tell I’ve got bloody eyes in this group shot we took of our Halloween costumes at work. (We were going as camp counsellors at Camp Crystal Lake – I opted to be a dead one as if Jason had killed me.)

Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious Full Fan Effect mascara ($5.99 CAD)

I picked up the Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious Full Fan Effect mascara (longest name EVER) at Walmart when we were in Niagara Falls for my half marathon last weekend because I’m planning on doing a drugstore favourites video. I LOVE this mascara, but had used it all up so I decided to grab a fresh tube for the video. I’m currently in the midst of using up another mascara, so I won’t be opening this one yet, but this stuff is phenomenal!

And that’s it for the month! With the Sephora VIB sale looming over my head I’m sure I’ll have plenty of goodies to share next month!

VIDEO: IMATS + NYX After Dark Haul

October 6, 2016Hauls, YouTubeIMATSChelle

What I Bought This Month – September 2016 Haul

September 28, 2016HaulsAnastasia, Avon, Bioderma, Biore, FUN Lacquer, MAC, Make Up For Ever, NYX, Pixi, TarteChelle

This month wasn’t incredibly spendy (which is nice!), but that’s all about to change because IMATS is on October 1st!

As a reminder, and just a note for people who are new here, items that go into these monthly haul posts are items that are either purchased by me, gifted to me by friends and family or received in a beauty swap. These posts never contain PR samples that are sent directly to me.

On with the haul!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Moonchild ($40 USD)

You’ve potentially already seen my review of this, but I picked up the Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit last month when my friend Samantha was putting in an ABH order online. I had already picked up the Sweets palette the previous month and LOVED it so I figured I’d complete the crazy highlighter collection and get Moonchild as well.

The colours in this palette are so freaking stunning and I’ve been loving wearing them so, so much (I’ve got Lucky Clover as my highlighter today!). If you’d like to see a full review of this Glow Kit as well as the Sweets one, head over to this blog post. (And there’s an international giveaway going on in that post as well!)

F.U.N. Lacquer in Black Holo Witch and Blessing (H) - $12 USD each — F.U.N. Lacquer in Black Holo Witch and Blessing (H) – $12 USD each

I’m going to have to stop referring to myself as “not a nail polish” person, because I’m starting to find myself enamored with certain kinds of nail polish. And F.U.N. Lacquer is definitely one of those brands! They’re out of Singapore and I discovered them via Cristine of Simply Nailogical (she’s a nail polish vlogger out of my hometown of Ottawa) since she collaborated with FUN Lacquer to create Black Holo Witch, a black holographic nail polish that I became obsessed with getting my hands on. While placing my order, I decided to pick up Blessing (H) which is a purple green duochrome shot through with holo glitter (hence the (H) at the end of the name). It’s GORGEOUS. As I type this, I’ve had Blessing (H) on my nails for TWO WEEKS and I’m not even getting bored of it!

Sidenote for anyone ordering from FUN Lacquer: I didn’t have any customs charges, but the delivery took almost two months to get to me. It wasn’t their fault – they shipped my order the next day, but holy smokes was the post ever slow!

I ran out of ALL my other brow pencils (that’s a serious accomplishment in my book), so I picked up the NYX Micro Brow in Taupe because it’s been my longstanding favourite brow pencil. However, I’ve found this pencil exceptionally rock hard this time. I have no idea if I got a dud, or if I’m so used to the softness of the QUO Precision Brow Pencil that I’m just not as used to this one. Hmmmm….

I recently received some self tanning items and figured I should probably pick up an application mitt, so I grabbed the one by Tarte at Sephora. A lot of my peers in the CBB had recommended this one to me so I figured I might as well go with their recommendation! Of course, as luck would have it, I went to an event the very next day where I was gifted a St. Tropez tanning mitt. /facepalm

Anastasia Beverly Hills Maya Mia palette (free - swap) — Anastasia Beverly Hills Maya Mia palette (free – swap)

All of the next items are from a beauty blogger swap that we had when Jodi was in town just last week!

This Anastasia Beverly Hills Maya Mia palette has been passed around a few times at swaps now and I’m starting to wonder why no one’s in love with it. This time it’s my turn! I’ll give it a shot and see how I like it. 🙂

Avon - Anew skincare (free - swap) — Avon – Anew skincare (free – swap)

There were a bunch of Avon Anew skincare minis at the swap that I snatched up. I’ve been using the Avon Anew daily moisturizer with SPF in it recently and was surprised with just how much I love it. Since I’ve tried nothing else in the Anew range, I figured this would be a good place to start!

Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution and Biore Baking Soda Pore Cleanser (free - swap) — Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution and Biore Baking Soda Pore Cleanser (free – swap)

Well, we all know I love Bioderma, so there was no way I was leaving this little mini micelle solution behind. As for the Biore Baking Soda Pore Cleanser… well, I have a hard time saying no to skincare and no one else wanted it… so it came home with me!

MAC Flock and Roll eyeshadow and Unlimited Style lipglass (free - swap) — MAC Flock and Roll eyeshadow and Unlimited Style lipglass (free – swap)

I was kind of surprised that nobody was making a bee-line for the MAC products, and they were one of the last items on the table that were from a big brand. Although they’re EXCEPTIONALLY pink, I figure if I hate them, I can always Back 2 MAC them. The eyeshadow is Flock and Roll and the lipglass is Unlimited Style.

Pixi Glow Tonic, Glow Mud Mask and Glow Mud Cleanser (free - swap) — Pixi Glow Tonic, Glow Mud Mask and Glow Mud Cleanser (free – swap)

I was also surprised to see the Pixi Glow Tonic in the swap because so many people seem to obsess over this item! Melanie told me she had bought it at Gen Beauty but that it hadn’t worked well for her. I figured I’d give it a shot regardless. I’ve not used it yet, but once I’m done my current toner, this one will be next in line!

And of course, the mini Glow Mud Mask and Glow Mud Cleanser were just too adorable to pass up!

Tarte Drench Lip Splash in Top Down and Make Up For Ever eye shadows (free - swap) — Tarte Drench Lip Splash in Top Down and Make Up For Ever eye shadows (free – swap)

And lastly, we have the Tarte Drench Lip Splash in Top Down. I did a review on these a few months back and I LOVE the formula so, so much. I was really happy to see the shade Top Down in the swap pile because it was a shade I didn’t have yet!

There was also this Make Up For Ever eyeshadow duo that I’m pretty sure was from Gen Beauty as well. No one else seemed interested so I figured I might as well snag it!

Phew, there we go – that’s it for this month. There was a heck of a lot more items in the swap than I thought there was going to be! I went with a big ole bag of product myself so I was super happy to get rid of a bunch of things that either didn’t work for me, or that I wasn’t absolutely in love with. As for next month, I can just see October being an absolute mad dash to purchase holiday palettes… and of course IMATS!

What I Bought This Month – August 2016 Haul

August 29, 2016HaulsAnastasia, Bite Beauty, House of Lashes, Milani, Neutrogena, Tarte, The Body Shop, Too Cool For School, Too FacedChelle

This month ended up being a lot more spendy than I was anticipating. It’s the start of the makeup holiday season (YAYYYY!!!!!) and there’s a lot of exciting products coming out now and in the near future!

Too Cool For School - Egg Mousse Soap ($15 CAD) — Too Cool For School – Egg Mousse Soap ($15 CAD)

I’ve heard a little bit about the brand Too Cool For School and was intrigued by the fact that they use a lot of egg products in their skincare. I was low(ish) on facial cleansers at the time so I decided to pick up their Egg Mousse Soap one in a recent Sephora order because I “had to” get to the $50 free shipping mark. Of course, now I’m overburdened with facial cleansers and this one has moved to the back of the pile. Oops!

Bite Beauty Luminous Cream Lipsticks in Musk, Fig and Retsina ($28 CAD for all three)

My whole reason for placing a Sephora order was that Bite Beauty was doing a flash clearance sale on their old Luminous Creme lipsticks. I had just recently finished up Fig (an all time favourite shade of mine) and was planning to repurchase the shade anyway so I figured this would work out well. The trio came with Fig, Musk and Retsina. I actually already own Musk and Retsina, so I figured I’d put those lipsticks in giveaways!

The last item in my Sephora order was the House of Lashes lash adhesive! I was hunting for cheapie products to add in to my Sephora order to make the minimum spend for free shipping, and Megan (who knows I’m a huge House of Lashes fan) pointed out that Sephora was now selling their lash glue. I was OVER THE MOON. Not only is the price tag good ($11 CAD), but now I don’t have to order it from the US and risk a customs fee! This is currently a backup as I’m working my way through another tube of the very same adhesive.

tarte Pin Up Girl palette

I just swatched this palette for Swatch Sunday, so you may be aware that Tanya of I, Redhead sent me this tarte Pin Up Girl palette!

I hadn’t bought the palette when it came out in 2014, but Tanya knew I was a fan of tarte‘s blushes so she sent her backup my way! I am so, SO grateful to her for sending it to me – it was a really lovely gesture. And I love the formula of tarte‘s blushes so I’m always happy to add another bunch of them to my collection!

tarte Grav3yard Girl Swamp Queen palette ($59 CAD)

I’ve watched Grav3yardgirl for a few years now, and while I did find her personality a bit of an acquired taste (seriously, how can anyone be that peppy/vibrant/loud all the time??), she’s become one of my favourite YouTubers to just idly watch. I always find myself giggling with her in her videos and it’s nice to be able to tune in to someone who seems to be very comfortable in their own skin (with or without makeup!). However, I held off picking up her collaboration with tarte because I didn’t need another eyeshadow palette.

But as all good makeup lovers are apt to do… I caved. I was particularly drawn to the Dogman and Sassy Bun shades and it was always in the back of my head that I was going to be supporting a YouTuber that I already enjoyed watching. So I picked up the Swamp Queen palette and I’ve been enjoying it so far. It’s not a total knockout palette, but there are some really, really lovely shades in here! If you’d like to see this palette in action, I did do a video tutorial featuring it which you can see right here:

The Body Shop mini body butter in Frosted Plum (free - gift) — The Body Shop mini body butter in Frosted Plum (free – gift)

I got a few cast off products from Julie – I don’t know what it is, but I’ve become such a hoarder with skincare products. I feel like I want all of the body butters, creams, lotions, etc. and when someone’s like “oh you want this?” I’m like yes yes yes, and then I throw it in my closet… only to realize I already had it. So ridiculous. Anyway! This is The Body Shop body butter in Frosted Plum which was limited edition around from around the holiday season. Not sure if they’ll be bringing this one back this year!

Bite Beauty Kale and Squid lipsticks (free – gift)

Julie also ended up with duplicates of Bite Beauty‘s Kale and Squid lipsticks so I said I’d give them a shot. Although they look black in the tube, one is a very dark green (Kale) and the other is a dark navy (Squid). I’ve not worn them yet, but I’m excited to put together some looks with them and see how best they wear!

Milani Amore Metallic Lip Creme in Matte About You (free- gift)

A few weeks ago, Shawna surprised me and handed me this Milani Amore Metallic Lip Creme in Matte About You. She had tried all of the shades about and decided this would work better on me – and who am I to say no to that? I haven’t tried it yet, but be sure to check out her post on these Milani lip products because she’s got some great swatches!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Sweets ($40 USD)

I’m becoming a diehard for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kits you guys… it started with Gleam. And now I’ve purchased Sweets… and I’ve recently ordered Moonchild now too. These freaking highlighters are just so lovely and exciting that it’s really, really hard to resist them!

I’ve been particularly loving Sassy Grape. I had no idea I needed an iridescent purple highlighter in my life, but I now I realize I do! Also, rather amazingly, I was sent TWO of these Glow Kits when I only ordered one. Since this was shipped to the US, and then brought back to Canada for me (thanks Shawna!), I wasn’t going to bother shipping it back to ABH since paying for return shipping is kind of stupid when it was their mistake in the first place. INSTEAD, you guys will profit off it because I’ll be doing a giveaway for it in the next month or so. Why so far away you ask? Because there’s ANOTHER giveaway I already have planned for my YouTube channel tomorrow to celebrate 1k subscribers!

201608_wibtm_anastasiabeverlyhills_neutrogenahydratiNeutrogena Hydrating Wipes ($8.99 CAD)ngwipes — Neutrogena Hydrating Wipes ($8.99 CAD)

I’ll never understand why these Neutrogena Hydrating wipes are so much more expensive than the regular Neutrogena ones… BUT they are my absolute favourite, so I always wait till they go on sale before I pick them up. (They’re usually priced around $13 CAD!)

Too Faced x Nikkie Tutorials - The Power of Makeup ($68 CAD) — Too Faced x Nikkie Tutorials – The Power of Makeup ($68 CAD)

We all know I’m a Too Faced junkie at this point – so I’ve just accepted that I’m going to end up buying every palette they release, regardless of whether or not I’m dying for the shades. So, I picked up the Too Faced and NikkieTutorials collaboration “The Power of Makeup” mid-month.

I’ll be brutally honest about this… I love watching NikkieTutorials, and I love Too Faced, but this collaboration has left me totally underwhelmed. There’s nothing about this eyeshadow palette that screams “Nikkie” to me. The purple mascara is a weird choice – even if she says it’s her favourite colour, I can’t think of a time when she’s ever used coloured mascara. The eyeshadow shades are a weird combinations for her (in my opinion) and they swatch really poorly (swatch post coming soon). I’m glad it came with a black Sketch Marker because I do quite enjoy that product (my review on other shades cane be found here) and I am happy to own the glitter “Gliterally” – although, if you remember the Too Faced Glamour Dusts… this is the exact same as Blue Fire. Sadly, I didn’t collect them all so I don’t have a full size of Blue Fire, which is why I’m happy to own this one.

Anyway, all this to say, I haven’t actually put this palette on my face yet, so maybe I’ll like it more in when I actually use it… but yeah… not my favourite release by Too Faced sadly.

And that’s it… anyone else getting super excited about the upcoming holiday palettes and collections? September/October is the BEST time of the year in the makeup world as far as I’m concerned! 😀