What I Bought This Month – April 2015 Haul

April 27, 2015HaulsAveeno, ColourPop, Garnier, House of Lashes, Illamasqua, It Cosmetics, Kat Von D, Lavanila, MAC, Maybelline, Milani, Neutrogena, NYX, Sonia Kashuk, Tarte, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Vaseline, Wet n WildChelle

Oh god. My wallet. It hurts.

I knew this was going to be not only a super exciting month, but also a seriously spendy month. Not only was I in the US for a week, but there was also the Sephora VIB sale AND Makeup Geek was launching ten brand new foiled shadows (which, although I’ve ordered them, they won’t be here in time for this month’s haul, so you’ll see them all next month).

Buckle in. This is a long one.

Colour Pop Super Shock Shadows in Heat, Sunnies, Juicer, Animal, Erotic, Drift and Bae ($5 USD each)

First up was Colour Pop. I asked my parents-in-law (who reside in Wisconsin) if they would mind receiving a makeup order and then bring it to Florida where we would be vacationing with them mid-month. They consented, and this saved me a huge amount in shipping (it was free, versus the $40 I would’ve had to pay to ship it to Canada!). I opted for a lot of bright, warm shades since that’s just my “thing”.

Colour Pop Rebound quad: One & Done, Too Soon, Ex, Adios ($20 USD)

I also snagged the Colour Pop Rebound quad because the shades just looked gorgeous and they had some neutrals which I hadn’t really added to my order yet. Too Soon is likeToo Faced‘s Pink Sugar (from the Semi-Sweet palette) but far more pigmented.

Aveeno Positivel Radiant Daily Moisturizer ($15 USD)

Unfortunately, once I got to Florida I realized that I had completely forgotten my moisturizer. I snagged Aveeno‘s Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with sunscreen at Publix because I always default to Aveeno if I can purchase it!

Vaseline Spray & Go in Cocoa Radiant (~$8 USD)

Another necessity out in Florida. I hadn’t packed any kind of body moisturizer and I knew I was going to need something to soothe my skin after being out in the sun for so many hours a day. I’m not a huge fan of aloe vera scented anything, so I picked up the Vaseline Spray & Go Cocoa Radiant because I’m already a huge fan of the scent, but I’ve also been wanting to try this spray stuff out. And frankly, I think it’s amazing. Super handy for vacation and light enough to not cause you to stick to everything.

Neutrogena MoistureSmooth in Papaya ($4.75 USD)

I’m not a huge fan of these chubby style lip products, but I’ve heard EmilyNoel83 rave about these for years so I figured I should at least try one out. It’s… okay. It has a very (bear with me on this one) 80s plastic doll smell. If you grew up in the 80s and ever had My Little Ponies that also came with some kind of weird perfume, that’s what this smells like. It’s kind of a plastic vanilla with a fruity-twist scent. Very weird.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup in Buff ($15.49 USD)

Another a “YouTuber made me buy it” situation. I’ve seen Amarixe wearing this over the last several years and since Neutrogena makeup isn’t available in Canada, I picked this up at Walgreens in Panama City as soon as I saw it.

Another brand I don’t have easy access to in Ontario! Walgreens had a small-ish display of Milani stuff, but enough items for me to pick through. I picked up their eyeshadow primer because neither my Urban Decay nor my NARS (alone) can seem to prevent my shadows from creasing anymore. I’ve used this three times and so far so good! I’ll have to use it more heavily to see just how long it holds up.

Milani Bella eyeshadows in Taupe, Navy, Rouge and Copper ($4.59 USD each)

I had to really restrain myself with the Milani Bella eyeshadows. In the end, I picked a really weird random assortment of them. I’m fairly certain the grey one is Taupe, then Navy (I don’t know why I keep buying blue eyeshadows… I don’t think I even wear them that often), Rouge (because hello – red. Except it’s not red, it’s… magenta) and Copper.

One of the first things that was on my list of things to buy in the US was this Milani blush in Coral Cove. I mean, how was I going to say no to that? A beautiful coral shade pressed into the shape of a rose – stunning! Even more astounding is that this blush contains something ridiculous like 8 or 9 grams of product. That’s ENORMOUS!

We popped into Ulta at Pier Park in Panama City Beach, and while I was unimpressed with some of their brand selections (no Becca, no Lorac, barely any Ulta-exclusive kits), what I was happy with was their NYX display seemed to be relatively well stocked. NYX has been replicating a lot of Anastasia products lately, and I want to see how they compare. I snatched up the Tame & Frame in Blonde which looks gloriously grey. I hope it’s a good match for my brows – the grey looks better than the “pea soup” colour that usually gets assigned to blondes.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe ($9.99 USD)

Another very similar item… NYX‘s Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe looks like the right tone for my brows. I’m eager to see how it compares to its Brow Wiz counterpart. The packaging is absolutely identical!

I’ve seen a lot of YouTubers go on about the IT Cosmetics CC Cream (in particular, Vintage or Tacky) so I grabbed Fair since it was the closest to my skin tone. I think it’s a hair TOO light, but the Light shade was so dang dark that there’s no way I could carry it off without a tan.

However, then the Shopping Channel had a $50 rebate for new customers, so I signed up for that and picked up the IT Cosmetics CC Cream in Light as well. Hilariously, the going price for the Canadian version was also $38, although in Canadian dollars. This makes the Canadian version a much better buy since the exchange rate is just flat out balls right now. Light is way too dark for me right now, but I think it’ll fare well in the summer months.

Sonia Kashuk Eye On Neutral 02 Palette (~$5 CAD)

With Target leaving Canada, we had a few opportunities to go dumpster diving at insane prices. I didn’t manage to find this one myself, but Julie snatched it up at a Target that still had a lot of remaining stock. The Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral 02 palette was one I had always wanted to purchase, but couldn’t really justify spending $20 on it. Imagine my surprise and pleasure when the clearance price was something just shy of five bucks! Huzzah!

Dear Shawna got us into the L’Oreal warehouse sale (this girl knows how to warehouse sales right), and while I didn’t really pick up many items, I did grab a few. First up was the Garnier Smoothing Cream Cleanser because I’m always interested in different face washes. I don’t have sensitive skin, so I’m pretty much free to try out whatever I want!

Also of interest to me at the warehouse sale was this Nourishing Cleansing Oil, also by Garnier. Aside from makeup removers, I’ve never really used anything oil based on my face so I’m curious to see how this plays out.

Maybelline Mega Plush mascara in Emerald Velvet ($2 CAD)

This thing. This thing is gross. Maybelline‘s Mega Plush mascara in Emerald Velvet just looked nasty on my lashes. I didn’t like the wand, I didn’t like the colour and I didn’t how it looked on me. I used it once and then threw it out. At least it was only two bucks!

You know you have good friends when they can pick you up an eyeshadow and know you’ll love it. Once again Julie pulled through and picked me up MAC‘s Strike While Haute which came out with the Red, Red, Red collection last year. I’ve only used it once, but it’s bright red and matte, and therefore I love it.

As beauty bloggers are apt to do, we buy products that we use once and then decide just aren’t for us. I already had the Urban Decay Electric palette in my cart for the Sephora VIB sale, but when Julie found out I was going to buy a new one, she offered up hers to me for $20. I was elated! It’s in near new condition and she was generous to offer it up for such a great price!

Frankly, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to buy it. Those shades are right up my alley!

Wet n Wild palettes in Embrace Obscurity and California Roll ($4.99 CAD each)

A new launch from Wet n Wild saw the release of these pretty palettes. I’ve had a bastard of a time finding these in stores (they’re at Rexalls in Ontario), but… okay it feels like this entire post is about how Julie is my makeup supplier… she once again tracked these down like a bloodhoud for me. California Roll is my favourite so far – you cancheck out swatches for it here.

Too Faced Sugar Pop palette ($38.25 CAD sale price)

Alright… we’re getting down to the end, I promise… Sephora’s VIB Sale was also this month, which meant… I saved money right? Uh sure. Sure I did…

After watching a few tutorials on the Too Faced Sugar Pop palette, I dropped it into my online cart without a second thought.

There will be an upcoming Challenge Week using this palette, I just gotta get my ducks in a row since we’re moving apartments this week so everything is everywhere at the moment!

Too Faced Melted lipsticks in Strawberry and Coral ($21.25 CAD each – sale price)

Sephora’s sale is also a great time for me to add more Too Faced Melted lipsticks to my collection (I really do want to own them all). This time I snagged Coral (I’m long overdue on buying that one) and Strawberry. They’re both just as glorious as the other shades I own – I’m so happy to have them!

Tarte – Natural Beauty ($26.35 CAD – sale price)

Do you ever feel you’ve been wanting a product for so long that, for whatever reason, you put off buying it? I don’t even know what the reasoning is for that, but that’s the case with this Tarte Natural Beauty blush. I’ve wanted to pick this up for… going on four years now? I just never got around to it. I love how red it looks in the pan, but it goes on the cheeks in that perfect “I’ve been out in the cold weather” look. Gorgeous shade.

Lavanila perfume in Vanilla Grapefruit ($59.50 CAD – sale price)

I completely ran out of my bottle of this stuff, so I had to buy another. Lavanila‘s Vanilla Grapefruit is one of those scents I just feel I could drink in day after day. I’m pretty sure I overdo it when I apply this to myself, but my god do I ever love the scent!

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper ($19.55 CAD – sale price)

Another replacement item. Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper is almost my perfect liner, but not quite. It’s certainly the easiest to use – since it’s a pen style liner with a brush tip, this makes it perfect. What takes away from that perfectness is the fact that it’s not QUITE matte enough. It has a very slight sheen to it which has a tendency to pick up shimmery shadow from my lid and dull the colour of the liner. But that brush tip though… more companies need to get on this bandwagon. Felt tips just can’t compare.

I placed this order at the very end of March and couldn’t believe how long it took to get to Toronto. (Something like four weeks…) Duo lash glue just hasn’t been cutting it for me lately so I decided to go with the much raved about House of Lashes. Since I was already placing an order for the lash glue, I grabbed two pairs of falsies as well. Noir Fair($14), Bombshell ($7) and the lash glue ($8).

Another freebie from Julie. I haven’t had much luck with Illamasqua‘s shadows in this format, but I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes.

And a bunch of free Sonia Kashuk brushes because… why not. (and oh hey, another one from Julie)

Holy god… I’m done. No more! I hope you enjoyed my ridiculous month of purchases!

As a note, all items featured in any "What I Bought This Month" haul are products I either spent my money on, or that friends and family have given to me. They will never include items that were sent for consideration by PR.

Swatch Sunday: Wet n Wild California Roll Palette

April 26, 2015Makeup, SwatchesWet n WildChelle

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Wet n Wild released a few new limited edition palettes for Spring 2015, calling the whole collection “Silver Lake”. Frankly, I have no idea what “Silver Lake” refers to, but a quick Google search says it could be a neighbourhood in Los Angeles.

Anywayyyyy, I was struggling to find these in Canada, although I’d heard they were available at Rexall. Julie from Swatch and Review managed to hunt down the entire collection not once, but TWICE for me, and man am I ever glad she found these.

Up first for Swatch Sunday is California Roll. Enjoy!

(Neon) Pastels!

April 23, 2015Makeup, TutorialsChelle

I hit up Workaday Ramblings yesterday for a guest post that was intended to be pastels, but kind of ended up being neon pastels. I’m okay with this, and you should really mosey on over there to check out my post!

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CBB Guest post: Sakura inspired FOTD

April 22, 2015MiscellaneousChelle

Hi everyone, I’m MizzJ from JustJ.ca, a Vancouver based beauty and lifestyle blog! I’m really happy to guest post today for Chelle for this month’s CBB guest post theme, which is pastels. I love doing makeup look posts, so of course I had to attempt doing one for Chelle, who is renowned for her eyeshadow prowess! Since Chelle is such a pro, I knew I needed to up my makeup game, so I decided to do a look inspired by one of my favourite spring flowers: sakura.

I’m very fortunate in that my street is lined with cherry blossom trees and right now, it’s literally snowing outside with pink petals! So romantic right? To create this look, I also took inspiration from a few Asian beauty trends, namely dewy skin, under-eye or “Momoko” blush, and gradient lips. These trends are all designed to give the wearer that fresh-faced, innocent look and is perfect for capturing that pretty, glowy spring feeling.

For my pastel/sakura inspired look, I decided to capture the pinks and greens of the cherry blossom tree. The focus here is the eyes, but also on a bright pop of color on the cheeks. After two failed attempts, here is the final look!

And now, here is how you can recreate this at home…

Face

Caption: Guerlain Meteorites Perles les Blush Angelic Radiance | Paul & Joe Moisturizing Foundation Primer N in 03 Creme | Make Up Forever Pro Sculpting Duo in Pink Beige | Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer in Creamwhip | Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Dim Light — Guerlain Meteorites Perles les Blush Angelic Radiance | Paul & Joe Moisturizing Foundation Primer N in 03 Creme | Make Up Forever Pro Sculpting Duo in Pink Beige | Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer in Creamwhip | Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Dim Light

The key here is to create a flawless, radiant base. I started off by using a moisturizing primer, like the Moisturizing Foundation Primer N from Paul & Joe; this primer contains a hint of shimmer and provides a smooth base for makeup. Next, I applied a full coverage foundation to smooth out any bumps and cover any discolouration. TheBeyond Perfecting foundation + concealer from Clinique is perfect for this purpose and photographs beautifully. Instead of setting this with powder, I wanted to keep the dewy thing going by instead dusting my face generously with the Hourglass Ambient powder in Dim Light.

The last two items I used here for my face was blush and highlighter, which I applied after I did my eyes in case there was fallout that I need to clean away. For the blush, I really wanted a rosy-pink color that emulated flushed cheeks and the Guerlain Meteorites Perles les Blush Angelic Radiance fit the bill. To create this youthful, Japanese blush look, generously sweep the blush right under the outer-half of your eye, sweeping it up and around to your temples and always keeping it at the top or above your cheekbones. Lastly, sweep a shimmery highlighter along the tops of your cheekbones to provide light and to eliminate any blush that may have crept downwards.

Eyes

Revlon Photoready Eye Art Lid + Line + Lash in Fuschia Flash | Jill Stuart trio | Urban Decay Naked 3 | Bourjois Trio d’Ombres a Paupieres in Les Verts | Almay Intense i-color eyeliner in Purple amethyst | Lancome Definicils waterproof mascara

Next is the funnest part of doing makeup – the eyes! First, I applied Revlon’s Photoready Eye Art Lid + Line + Lash in Fuchsia Flash all over my lid; it’s a frosty cream shadow that doubles as a great base. Then, I took the golden shimmer shade Trick from my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette and applied it from lash line to just above the crease. Next, I needed to apply my green accent, so using my fingers, I liberally applied the middle shade from the Bourjois Trio d’Ombres A Paupieres trio in Les Verts to the outer-half of my eyes. I’ve always loved how Temptalia lines the bottom rim of her eyes in a contrasting colour, so I decided to do that here, with a bright purple liner from Almay. I then went over that liner with a lilac glitter shadow from the Jill Stuart Eternal Platinum trio palette. Lastly, I topped off my peepers with two coats of black mascara.

Lips

Annabelle TwistUp lip crayon in Sorbet | Bobbi Brown lip gloss in Crystal

Last, but not least, were the lips. To create a gradient lip, blank out your lips with concealer; I just used the leftover bits of foundation on my buffing brush to do this. Then, very carefully, dab on a strawberry coloured lipstick to the centre of your top and bottom lip. I’d recommend using a lipstick brush for this as it’s pretty tricky to keep the color just to the center otherwise. Finally, top lips with clear gloss, again using a lip brush and working from the outside in, so as not to smudge your colour. This was my first attempt at creating a gradient lip and I found it pretty tricky, but the overall effect is so pretty, I’m definitely trying this again.

I hope you enjoyed this look! Have you tried any of these Asian makeup trends before? If so, I’d love your tips and don’t forget to visit me as well on my blog!

Chelle’s Aside:

Isn’t MizzJ’s eyeshadow application beautiful? I love how it just whispers spring to me. However, one of the most standout parts of this look has to be the undereye blush. I *love* how this looks on her! It’s so different to how I apply my own blush – I really want to give this technique a shot. It may not come out nearly as lovely on me, but hey, at least I’ll be trying something new, right?

Totally agree about the contrasting colour on the lower lash line as well. I’ve seen more and more people doing it lately and I feel it adds depth to any look.

Thanks so much for putting together such a beautiful look for my blog today!

Review: Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo

April 20, 2015Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesMake Up For EverChelle

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During the Make Up For Ever Spring 2015 product launch event I went to, we were kindly gifted one shade of the Pro Sculpting Duo. I chose Duo #1 which is described as a Pink Beige. The other option is Duo #2 which is more golden.

Encased in a solid compact with a handy mirror, the Pro Sculpting Duo is split roughly down the middle; one side has an orangey-brown sculpting shade and the other a pearlescent white-pink highlighter. The compact contains 8 grams of product, which is a little bit shy of the typical 10 grams average for a compact of this size. However, that may have something to do with the fact that this product comes from a gel-to-powder formula (I believe it goes on the terracotta plate as a gel and then is baked into a powder formula). It’s also talc-free.

Of course, one can’t get over how gorgeous the product is. Give us beauty consumers a two-colour product with a print, and you’ve pretty much got us cornered!

Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo #1 – close up

Ugh I can’t. So gorgeous.

Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo #1 – swatches

So how does it play out on the skin?

Sculpting Shade

Well, the sculpting shade is just… too orange. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to sculpt their faces with an orange shade – it’s just not how contouring works. Even worse is that it has a sheen to it which does nothing to help sink your cheekbones in, or recede areas of your face. If you want to contour, you need to be using shades tinted grey as that’s what a natural shade creates on your face.

It does, however, work as a bronzer. While it is still rather orange for my tastes, you can blend this in, or use a light hand to get the shading you want. I focus on the high points of my face, the areas that get the most sun, such as the back of my cheekbones, my temples and forehead, and along my jawline and nose.

Highlighting Shade

This is where the duo really shines! The pink-beige shade is hard to describe, and the swatch really doesn’t do it justice because it is GORGEOUS. If you have any experience with MAC’s Vanilla pigment, this is rather similar, just without the yellow flecks. It’s creamy to the touch, smooth blending with a pinky-white sheen. It’s unlike anything I have in my collection, which surprised me, because highlighters don’t tend to be particularly unique on the whole. (I’ve heard Duo #2 is a dupe for MAC’s Whisper of Gilt, if you’re interested!) The pigmentation on this is very strong, so go easy if you’re not looking to be super highlighted, but if you love a solid glow to your skin, this one’s for you!

Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo #1 – applied to the face

Here’s what it looks like on my face. As I said, I won’t use that sculpting shade to contour my face, but I will use it as a bronzer. I stuck to the areas of my face that get the most sun, choosing to blend it down slightly on my upper cheekbones (it’s not directly UNDER my cheekbone though). The highlighting shade was applied directly to the tops of my cheekbones. It really stands out and adds a beautiful amount of luminosity to my cheekbones.

Final Thoughts

I’m confused by the sculpting shade, especially from a brand that definitely knows how to do makeup right. If you ignore the fact that you’re encouraged to contour your face with it, you can definitely use this as a glowing bronzer for the skin. I love how it looks on my face to make it seem like I’ve gotten way more sun that I actually have.

The highlighter is what really makes this compact for me though, it’s beyond gorgeous and looks stunning on my face. In fact, I keep swatching it on my finger just to keep looking at the different facets to it. I honestly think the whole compact is worth it just for the highlighter alone, but if you can use the bronzing shade, all the better!

Kolme’s having fun playing around with the brush