Haul time! Here’s the makeup I amassed throughout December – many of them thanks to family members! <3
Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons ($59 CAD)
I’ve become so obsessed with Too Faced that I actually got up at 4 am to order the Chocolate Bon Bons palette on launch day. No, I’m not kidding.
Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons ($59 CAD)
And I’m glad I did it too because the palette promptly sold out by the end of the day! Unfortunately, it took a bit longer to get to me due to a hold up at the post office in the adjacent city being rammed with boxes, but hey, I’ve got it now! I’ve already done swatches which you can see here. A Challenge Week will be forthcoming, but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait till January for it!
Neutrogena Hydrating Wipes (~$9 CAD)
Are you guys even interested when I buy makeup wipes? Here’s yet another package of NeutrogenaHydrating wipes – once again purchased when they were on sale.
Nemo hanging around as I take my photos!
Awwww Nemo’s taking a peek while I shoot photos.
Frozen Lip Balm (gift)
This one was a joke gift in my stocking, but I had to include it anyway. Frozen lip balm! (And it’s not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be!) There’s tiny flecks of glitter in there as well!
Charlotte Tilbury – The Rebel (gift)
Helllloooo gorrrrgeous! This is the Charlotte Tilbury “The Rebel” quad. I’ve loved my Vintage Vamp quad so much that I wanted another one to add to my collection (pricey little buggers) and my husband was kind enough to gift me one!
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipstick in Lost Cherry (gift)
Until now, I had held off trying out Charlotte Tilbury‘s Matte Revolution lipsticks because I just didn’t want to fall in love with a lipstick that costs almost $40! I put Lost Cherry on my wishlist and also got it as a gift. I loooove that colour!
Makeup Geek – Duochrome pigments + eyeshadows and a few random shadows
And lastly, I put in an enormous Makeup Geek order in November and it only just arrived this month. (The USD exchange rate was not only brutal, but I also got drilled with a customs charge as well. Ugh.) I picked up the entire Duochrome pigment and eyeshadow bundle ($150 USD) and four of the normal shadows that I hadn’t gotten around to picking up yet (Baby Face, Morocco, Pixie Dust and Shore Thing – $6 USD each).
Tell me – what’s the one item you bought/received in December that you loved the most?
This past year, I chose ten products I wanted to finish up and get them circulated out of my collection. They weren’t necessarily products I disliked, just that they were old enough that I needed to finish them and move on.
Here’s how I did:
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light (January 2015)
I started out with a relatively brand new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light. I had used it a bit, but not with any kind of regularity. (And no, I didn’t notice myself look ethereal at all!)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light (December 2015)
And here’s the usage after a year of dipping into this product.
Things I’ve learned:
I don’t need or want powder on my face.
It makes my foundation look too cakey when applied overtop.
It also takes me forever to get through a powder!
Although I didn’t use this daily, I did apply it frequently enough throughout the year. I expected to be done with this product since I know people finish up powders relatively quickly, but nope! I’ll keep plugging along with this product, but since I noticed no difference in my skin with this ambient lighting powder, I’m unlikely to buy another one. I also don’t think I’ll be picking up ANY face powders at all since I just don’t need it on my face.
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Beige (January 2015)
The Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Beige was a bit of an unfortunate choice for this project. I’ve grown to really dislike the Color Tattoos because they make my eyelids look kind of crepey. I had expected I could at least get through this tub though since it’s such a neutral colour that it could be used as a base.
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Beige (December 2015)
Alas, no. Although the Color Tattoos have EXCELLENT staying power (seriously, I went swimming in the ocean with them on before and they stayed put) I just don’t enjoy using them. This one got so stiff over the course of the year that I just gave up on it. It’s now gone straight into the garbage. 🙁
MAC eyeshadows in Club, Fade, Cork and Print (January 2015)
I have a few MAC shadows that are quite old, so I figured it was time to move them out of my collection.
MAC eyeshadows in Club, Fade, Cork and Print (December 2015)
I managed to completely finish Club! Woohooo! Fade actually crumbled and fell apart on me, so I just pitched out the remains. Cork and Print however… while I used them a bit, it wasn’t enough to finish then. I’ve recently recommitted to wearing Cork more often through my crease now I’m hoping to kill that one over the next few months! Using Print again reminded me a lot of my early twenties since I wore it a lot back then.
Revlon lipgloss in Papaya (January 2015)
This RevlonPapaya lipgloss is such a beautiful colour – but I’ve had it for a few years now, so it was time to move on. They also don’t make this line of glosses anymore (which is a damn shame!) so it’s not like I can even encourage you to go buy it!
Revlon lipgloss in Papaya (December 2015)
Unfortunately, despite using this guy consistently, he’s still kicking out product! It’s getting a bit sparse through the tube (you can see the cracks of the product separating from itself) so I at least know I got through a bit more of it. But the smell has gone a tiny bit off so I’m just straight out pitching it now.
Boots No7 Instant Radiance foundation in Cool Vanilla, Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundations in 52 Vanilla and 51 Light Vanilla (January 2015)
This was an ambitious move for me. I decided I wanted to get through three foundations this year (I only chose one last year!)
Boots No7 Instant Radiance foundation in Cool Vanilla, Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundations in 52 Vanilla and 51 Light Vanilla (December 2015)
And finish all three I did! The Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla was the first to go since it’s more of a summer shade for me. Once that was done, I started in on Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 52 Vanilla and once that was done I cleaned out the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 Light Vanilla.
I was so surprised I got through all of these foundations because I’m not a daily foundation user. I loved these so much and I have actually repurchased them (sooooo what was the point of the Use Up? lol). You can see all three foundations mentioned in my recent Empties video.
So that was it for 2015! All in all, it wasn’t hugely successful. I got through about half of the products I wanted to get through, so that’s not amazing. Although I love watching “Use Up” projects, I don’t think it’s a viable thing for me anymore as a blogger. I try out so many products now (both a blessing and a curse) that it makes it near impossible to stick with even just ten products throughout a year. I hope you enjoyed my Use Up 2015 roundup, and since I do love reading about them, please tell me what products you’re trying to use up!
This was the first Inglot and palette and the shadows have remained some of my favourites! I got this palette in Dublin while on vacation in Ireland several years back (before Inglot was in Toronto) and I was soooo excited to finally get my hands on these raved about shadows. They do “normal” shades too, but I can’t speak highly enough about their colours. They’re pigmented, easy to work with and they’re the shadows I always go back to when I need colour that just WORKS. AMC Shine 15 and Matte 382 are my absolute favourite colours of eyeshadow – EVER. You can see my other Inglot mattes-only palette here.
Paula’s Choice has recently released the Resist Skin Firming Line Minimizer to help smooth out the fine lines on our faces. It is a “silky, fast-absorbing, skin-firming serum uses advanced technology to visibly improve fine lines, wrinkles and loss of firmness, especially around the mouth and eyes.”
Paula’s Choice Resist Skim Firming Line Minimizer
Intended for all skin types, especially for those who are sensitive to products containing retinol, the Line Minimizer contains an amino acid complex that revs up cellular metabolism which stimulates collagen production and elastin repair.
Paula’s Choice Resist Skim Firming Line Minimizer – applicator
The delivery system is really quite nice. The tube comes with a push button at the base which pushes the product down the needle nose and out onto your hand. The tube is completely opaque, so you can’t see how much product is left inside, but the opacity helps keep the product safe from the light.
Clear and not sticky!
I applied this product nightly for three weeks straight as the last product in my nighttime routine. A pump and a half was enough product to completely saturate the outer corners and underneath my eyes, cover my forehead, and even a bit of my smile lines near my mouth. It sank in quickly and never felt sticky on my skin.
Zero use versus three weeks of use
See a difference? Unfortunately, I don’t. If anything (and this could be the lighting) the lines underneath my eyes are slightly faded, but my crow’s feet are actually stronger. (The sharp indentation you see above my crease is a decades old scar, so ignore that.) I tested this for three weeks straight without missing a single nightly application, so I’m kind of sad about the results. At $50 USD per tube, I can’t tell you that this worked on my skin. However, Trysh of Prairie Beauty Love did have good results though, so be sure to go read her post on the Line Minimizer!
The product featured in this review was provided for consideration.
Yesterday, on Christmas Eve, we traveled from Toronto all the way over to Wisconsin for the holidays. We drove (well, I’m writing this in advance and yet I’m referring to myself in the future… so this is weird) the 11 hours or so it took to get to Wisconsin and brought the cats along with us. By the time you’re reading this on Christmas Day, we’ve hopefully made it safe and sound and I don’t want to strangle Kolme (she’s a howler when we travel). We’ll be staying with my husband’s family near Madison for Christmas and New Year’s, and I *pray* they get snow because Toronto sure doesn’t have any!
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow and Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons
Two of the palettes I’m bringing are the brand new Too FacedChocolate Bon Bons and my Charlotte TilburyFilmstar Bronze & Glow.
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow and Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons
The Too Faced Bon Bons is a bit of a risk because I’ve barely played with the palette yet so I don’t really know what kind of looks I can come up with. It’s quite neutral which at least makes it fairly easy to play with while on vacation. The Charlotte Tilbury duo is going to be my only highlighter and bronzer on this trip. I like bringing more expensive products to use around Christmas time because it makes me feel kind of fancy. 🙂
House of Lashes falsies in Noir Fairy and their lash glue
And of course, what’s the holidays without some dramatic lashes? I’m bringing along my Houses of Lashes lash glue and a pair of their lashes in Noir Fairy. They’re already cut down to size since I’ve worn them before so I needn’t worry about trimming them while on vacation.
Illamasqua Skin Base in 6.5 and the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
I say this every time I bring foundation on vacation, but I’ll say it again regardless… I haven’t a clue if I’ll even wear these. I’m not generally in love with foundation as I find I just want to tear it off my face after about 8 hours or so (it has nothing to do with the foundations thesmelves, just the general feeling of having paint on my face). I like the Smashbox primer because it’s tiny and works well, and the IllamasquaSkin Base is lovely to wear but doesn’t get enough use in my collection so I thought I’d bring it along as well.
The Body Shop – Shimmer Spray in Silver
And what’s the holidays without a little bit of shimmer spray?? Smells like vanilla and spews out silver shimmer… I loooove it!
Clarins Rosy Nude, MAC Russian Red, Too Faced Melted Berry and Bite Beauty’s Maple Agave Lip Mask
I never ever feel like I bring enough lip products when I travel because I swear I’ll get there and wish I brought different items! My ClarinsRosy Nude is a perfect neutral shade for every day wear, MACRussian Red is a holiday staple for me, as is my Too FacedMelted Berry. The Bite BeautyAgave Lip Mask in Maple is along for the ride to keep my lips hydrated and because the scent is so stinking delicious!
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper, H&M Beauty lip primer, Make Up For Ever Glitter (25), MAC Brick lip liner, Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel crayon in Blacquer and Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch
Random assortment of items here… My Kat Von DTattoo Liner in Trooper is a surefire liquid liner for all my travel purposes. I’ve got an H&M Beauty lip primer in there, a Make Up For Ever glitter (hello New Year’s!), MACBrick lipliner, Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon in Blacquer and my favourite Make Up for EverSmoky Stretch mascara.
Another bit of a risk here… two medium to deep-toned blushes and no basic pink! TarteExposed has gotten a lot of love from me over the years (I’ve even hit pan on it!) and it a foolproof shade to match with the neutral eyeshadows I’ve packed. And of course, there’s my beloved CliniqueCola Pop. I can’t believe I haven’t worn the flower embossing down a bit more, I wear it constantly!
And all of that is crammed into a medium sized Sephora makeup bag. Merry Christmas everyone!
