Tag Archives: Duo

Empties – February through September 2015

October 21, 2015Empties, MiscellaneousArdell, Barry M, Benefit, Bioderma, Boots No7, Bourjois, Clean & Clear, CoverGirl, Dermal Therapy, Duo, Embryolisse, essence, Femme Fatale, J. Cat Beauty, Jealous Body, Johnson's, Kat Von D, L'Oreal, Lavanila, Make Up For Ever, Marcelle, Miracle 10, NARS, Neutrogena, Nivea, Olay, OPI, Pixi, Pür Minerals, Revecen, Tarte, The Body Shop, Too Faced, Urban DecayChelle

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These Empties posts fill me with dread. Made worse by the fact that I haven’t done an Empties post since January, so that means I’ve got 8-9 months of garbage to talk about. This type of post isn’t even something I enjoy reading on other peoples’ blogs because it’s soooo cluttered with deodorant, toothpaste and shampoo. (Sorry guys.) But let’s be real here… no one cares if you finished up your deodorant.

With all of that being said, I do get asked for Empties posts and I do see it come up in search terms for my blog, so I thought I’d keep going with them. I do approach my Empties posts with the mentality of “if I wouldn’t put it in a monthly haul post, I won’t include it in an Empties”. So this is primarily makeup with some skincare. Enjoy!

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Duralash by Ardell: These single lashes are great for fluffing up your lashes without adding too much “fakeness” to them. I finally ran through the whole package and decided to chuck them. Repurchase? Yes

Ardell Demi Wispies: I got a lot of uses out of these (maybe 7-8?) and really loved wearing them. They recently started to not stick to my lash line, I think due to glue build up, so I had to chuck them. Repurchase? More than likely, but not anytime soon since I’ve got a bunch of House of Lashes waiting for me.

Femme Fatale lashes in Catwalk: I was sent these and absolutely loved them. They’re soft and gorgeous (full review here). However, I don’t know if I was too rough with them, but after the third time I wore them, while I was pulling the glue off the band, a chunk of the lashes just fell right off. So now they look patchy and I’d rather not deal with them. They were gorgeous when I used them though. Repurchase? Unlikely. At the elevated price point, I don’t think a section of lashes should be falling off the band.

J. Cat lashes in EL13: These came in an Ipsy bag and I really enjoyed them. Easy to wear and just the right amount of oomph. Repurchase? Maybe, but I don’t even know where you can get this brand.

Revecen lashes in 6: THESE ARE FUCKING GARBAGE. They’re super plastic (like, they even look shiny), the band doesn’t bend and the edges would ping off my lash line. Repurchase? NO. Get the hell out of here you garbage lashes. Ugh.

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Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original and NARS Smudeproof: The Urban Decay one used to be my holy grail primer. It would keep my shadows in place without creasing and I loved it. Then, oddly, about a year and a half ago, it just stopped working. It’s like my eyelids adapted to the formula and decided to overpower it. Now it’s crease city if I use this primer by itself. However, I have noticed that if I layer it with the NARS Smudgeproof base it works very well. The NARS one won’t work on its own for me either though which is kind of shocking since EVERYONE raves on about it. Repurchase? Possibly, but I’d have to buy them together, which is just kind of silly and expensive. Right now the Milani primer is working just fine for me.

Duo lash adhesive: I used to love Duo, but I’ve found lately that it’s just not sticking as well as it used to despite the tube being relatively fresh. I think I finished about half of this tube before I gave up on it. Repurchase? Nah, I’ve moved on to House of Lashes glue.

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Barry M Nail Paint in Diamond Glitter: All finished up! I use this kind of silver/disco glitter polish exclusively on my toes at all times (and have since my teens). I loved this brand so I’ve actually had three bottles of this. I will say though that it tends to peel off in rather large chunks so I’ll probably move on to a different brand soon. Repurchase? I already have another back up bottle I’m in the midst of using right now!

OPI Nail Lacquer in My Boyfriend Scales Walls: I got 75% of the way through this bottle before it got too goopy to use. So handy to have a white nail polish in your arsenal for french tips and gradients, or even just wearing it on its own. Repurchase? I can’t since this one was limited edition. The OPI formula was great though!

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Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper: This is the absolute best liquid liner on the market. The brush tip makes this so, SO easy to use and I love that the formula is water resistant (it may say waterproof, but I wouldn’t say it’s totally waterproof). My only beef is that it’s not truly matte since it has a bit of a sheen. If they could only just make it totally matte this thing would be utterly legendary. Repurchase? Yes, absolutely. I already have another one cracked open!

Benefit They’re Real Push Liner: BE GONE DEVIL. This thing is an effing disaster to use. Chunky, not smooth and hard to apply. I’m so glad I got a sample size as I would’ve hated to pay full price. Repurchase? BAHAHAHAHA. …No.

Tarte gel liner in Black: Loved this so much. It stayed soft and creamy for over a year and I actually ran through the entire pot of it. Super rich in pigmentation and so very easy to apply to the lid. Repurchase? Eventually, but I’m already working through MAC’s Blacktrack fluidline and I have an Inglot black gel liner waiting in the wings… so it could be years before I purchase this one again. I do really, really love it though!

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Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream Kiss: I loved the pants off this lip butter! I loved the scent and the texture of it so much that it became my nightly balm. It worked well to heal my lips overnight and kept them very supple. Repurchase? I’m working through the Macadamia one right now, but yes, eventually!

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Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara: This gave me soft and fluffy lashes. Great formula! The only downer for me is the damn brush – I hate the double bubble. 🙁 Repurchase? I wouldn’t buy full size just because I never have to with all of the minis going around. I’m currently using another mini of this right now.

pur minerals Big Look waterproof mascara: A waterproof mascara is always nice to have on hand, but this one wasn’t my favourite. It added enough volume, but it made my lashes feel crispy. Repurchase? Nah, pass.

essence Lash Princess mascara: This one gave me a ton of volume, which is not something I expected from such an inexpensive mascara. I even liked the shape of the cobra wand since it made it easy to apply. (Full review here.) Repurchase? I would, but not in the near future as I’ve got a backlog of mascaras at the moment.

CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara: This used to be the be all, end all mascara for me. I used it for a year straight and loved it. I found this tube wasn’t as great as I had remembered, which made me a little bit sad. Still, a great drugstore mascara. Repurchase? Yes, but not right now.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara: This is it folks. This is my holy grail. Smoky Stretch gives me the BEST LASHES. The formula stayed quite wet for months which is something I personally enjoy in a mascara. (Full review here.) Repurchase? Yes, absolutely. I’ve got one in my Sephora cart right now just waiting for the November VIB sale!

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Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation in 52 Vanilla: I finished it and now I want more. This foundation is the absolute best. It smells amazing and provides just the right amount of coverage for my tastes (light-medium). The shade range isn’t extensive, but it works for me! (Full review here.) Repurchase? YES! A wonderful blogging friend was in England recently and picked one up for me!

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer: This is an oddly pink toned primer that I got in an Ipsy bag a while back. I didn’t notice it doing anything amazing really. Repurchase? Nah.

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Lavanila Vanilla Grapefruit perfume: I freaking loved this scent so much. I remember using it a lot when I went on vacation to Prague last year, so whenever I wear it now (I got another one) it reminds me of that awesome vacation. It’s a very sweet, candy-like smell, so use it sparingly when you first start wearing it. Repurchase? Yep, I’ve already cracked open a new bottle.

Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black: I don’t typically include little samples in hauls/empties, but I loved this perfume so much that it actually lead me to purchase the full size bottle. It’s not a typical “me” scent, since I tend to prefer aquatic/water scents (not that the Lavanila one is anything like that either) but I still really, really enjoy it. Repurchase: Yes, I think I’m always going to have a bottle of this on hand now.

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Bioderma Crealine H2O: Always a winner. I keep a bottle in the bathroom and one by my makeup table because I love it so much. I use it to clean up makeup mistakes, remove makeup and to refresh my face if it’s feeling grungy. This stuff is fantastic. Repurchase? Yes, definitely!

L’Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Gel: I saw this at a drugstore in Prague last year and since it wasn’t available yet in Canada, I decided to purchase it. I really didn’t like it though – it’s awkward to use (since it’s a goopy gel) and it didn’t do a very good job of getting my makeup off. I was really happy when I finished the damn thing. Repurchase? Not a chance.

Marcelle Gentle Make-Up Remover for Sensitive Eyes: This is my favourite makeup remover ever. I’ve easily gone through over 30 bottles in the ten years I’ve been using this makeup remover. There is nothing better on the market that I’ve ever experienced. 100% worth it. (Full review here.) Repurchase? Absolutely. I have another bottle already open and three more (they were on sale) sitting in my closet ready to be used.

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Dermal Therapy Heel Cream: I have gross heels – they crack and get dry. Yum, right? This stuff is freaking magic on them and actually heals the deep cracks. Much love. Repurchase? Yes, I already have another tube open.

Nameless tub on the bottom left: My friend Alison made this awesome body butter for me and I finished it all up! Repurchase? It was a gift and only she makes them!

Miracle 10 Light Serum: This is a gel type facial moisturizer that I wasn’t in love with. The scent is overly medicinal and it wasn’t enough moisture for the winter months. Definitely more of a summer moisturizer. Repurchase? I wouldn’t buy it, but I do have another bottle because of a blogger swap. So I suppose I like it enough to use it again, but it wouldn’t be my first choice of moisturizers to spend my money on.

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre: When I first got this a few years back, I didn’t think much of it. It’s a simple moisturizer that doesn’t smell like much, what’s there to fall in love with? But I kept going back to it, and buying it times and time again. This is my fifth tube and I’m still using it just as much as ever. Repurchase? Yep! Already have another one waiting for me.

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Jealous Body Scrub: I was sent this, but there’s no denying the amazingess of this coffee and coconut scrub. It smells like a highly caffeinated dream and does wonders at restoring moisture to your skin. (Full review here and here.) Repurchase? Yes, definitely.

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The Body Shop Shower Gels in Pink Grapefruit and Fijian Water Lotus: The Body Shop can do absolutely no wrong with their shower gels. The Pink Grapefruit scent has been a favourite of mine for something ridiculous like 15 years and I still love it! The Fijian Water Lotus is a new one to me and my mom gave me some for last Christmas. I love the watery scent of it. Repurchase? Yes! And definitely yes to both scents. They’re wonderful.

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Johnson’s Baby Shampoo: Oh crap, I was totally bitching about shampoo empties was’t I? Bahahah. WELL, I use this as a cleanser for my makeup brushes so I’m basically telling you how awesome the shampoo is for my brushes… that’s different right? 😉 Repurchase? Absolutely and I already have!

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Makeup Removing Wipes: My favourites are the two on the left – Neutrogena‘s Hydrating wipes, but I’ll use the Boots No7 ones as a stop gap if I need to. Repurchase? The Neutrogena ones for sure as they’re the most hydrating/wet ones I’ve found and work the best.

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Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser: I don’t have an acne problem, but I do use the Clean & Clear products because I love the scent, texture and feel. Plus this cream one has a nice icy feel to it so I find it highly enjoyable. Repurchase? Yep, already have a new one!

Miracle 10 Cleanser II: This was a nice cleanser. Nothing miraculous, but hey, it did the job of keeping my face clean! Repurchase? Unlikely – Miracle 10 products are very expensive and since I don’t have problems with my face I tend to just stick to the cheap stuff.

Olay Fresh Effects Out of this Swirled!: Ugh, I hated the scent and that just ruined it for me. It’s a fine grit scrub that worked well enough, but I hated the artificial scent of it. Repurchase? Nope!

Annnnd DONE! Wow. Nine months of empties all wrapped up. And, tragically, my empties bin is already filling up again. Ughhhhh. I may stick to doing this twice a year because that was far too lengthy of a post for my tastes. If you made it this far though, kudos to you!

Travel Makeup Bag: Christmas 2014

December 17, 2014Makeup, Miscellaneous, VacationAnastasia, Benefit, Boots No7, Bourjois, Duo, Elizabeth Mott, Femme Fatale, Makeup Geek, Manhattan, Tarte, Too Faced, Wet n WildChelle

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It’s that time of the year again! I’m packing up shop and heading to Ottawa for the holidays this year. As I’m writing this, Toronto is awash in rain, rain and more rain. I’ve had enough of it – gimme some snow!

I’m hoping Ottawa is inundated with snow and I can get out to the mountains (which are larger than Toronto’s Blue Mountain mole hill) and snowboard. Lately it feels like I’m the only person who likes snow in this city. When you grow up in Ottawa, you kind of just learned to live with it I suppose. Since I now live and work in Toronto, I feel like everyone here hates the snow. It’s pretty clear the city hates it too because it sure as hell has no idea what to do when it snows. Snow tires? Hah no. Ploughing? Hah no. Wear appropriate clothing? Haaaaaahaha… No.

So anyway. I’m going to Ottawa. And here’s the makeup I’m bringing.

This year I gave up on on trying to figure out which pre-packaged palette to bring and instead opted for the Makeup Geek Z-palette I’ve put together over the last year or so. I usually (very sadly) default to neutrals on vacation just because it’s easy, but there’s a chance I’ll be meeting up with Kalyn and goddamn I am not showing up to meet that woman wearing neutrals. As everyone else has said… these shadows are phenomenal.

Easy one here! Last year’s holiday palette from Tarte has four blushes and a bronzer and it’s in super slim packaging. This has become my “go to” for taking with me to travel since it’s such a no brainer.

Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla and Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 Light Vanilla

Neither of these colours match my skin tone right now, but I think they will if I mix them together. Boots No7 Instant Radiance Foundation in Cool Vanilla is slightly too dark and the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in 51 Light Vanilla is too pale. I’m sure they’ll work out together somehow, I’ll just have to tweak the ratio a bit.

This is if I even wear foundation though. I hate the stuff really – it makes my skin itch and feel uncomfortable, but it looks soooo much better in pictures when I use it. I also like to put it on if I know I’m going to be out for a very brief period… that way I get to come home and wipe it all off. Stupid gunk.

Too Faced Melted Berry and Wet n Wild 910D/Red Velvet

Too Faced Melted lipsticks are forever in my heart, so I’m not going anywhere without one of them. Melted Berry has been ma jam lately, so that’s in the mix. And since it is Christmas after all, I’ve decided to sashay away from MAC‘s Russian Red for a while and use Wet n Wild‘s 910D/Red Velvet. It’s bright and more luminous, and I suddenly feel the need to be slightly electrifying with my lip colour.

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False lashes are mandatory celebratory wear for me so I’m bringing along my current favourites: Femme Fatale lashes in Catwalk.

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And lumped together are my potted products. I’m going risky and bringing only my Manhattan Eyeshadow Base. I say risky because I usually bring two primers to MAKE SURE nothing freaking moves on my eyelids, but this one seems to have been holding steady lately so Imma give it a shot. Tarte‘s gel liner is my current black liner staple (and I’m somewhat close to finishing it). And lastly, is Anastasia‘s Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde cuz without it I only have half-brows and that’s not a good look on anyone.

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Last up are some randoms. I keep meaning to use Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass because it’s a great “I’ve been outdoors in the cold” shade and it’ll double as a lipstain. I’ve also got a mini size of Benefit‘s concealer I want to try out(not that I ever wear concealer…) and Watts Up because that highlight is amazing. For mascara, I’ve got Benefit‘sThey’re Real and some Duo lash adhesive for my falsies.

I’m also a dumbass because I forgot to include some vitals that aren’t pictured. They are:

MAC Prep + Prime for lips
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper
And whatever lipbalm I grab on my way out the door.

C’est tout! What are you guys up to for the holiday season?

Travel Makeup Bag – Heading off to Prague & Vienna

September 10, 2014Makeup, Miscellaneous, VacationAnastasia, Benefit, Boots No7, Duo, essence, Kat Von D, MAC, NARS, Nivea, NYX, Sephora, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Wet n WildChelle

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Tomorrow I’m heading off on a week and a half vacation with a very good friend of mine. Several months ago we decided to go on vacation together and we picked Prague as our destination of choice. We’ll be in Prague for about seven days, but I’ve also extended my trip by a few extra days so that I can visit Vienna with an old friend of mine that lives in Germany.

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I’m changing things up this time a little bit and bringing a (mostly) all-in-one face palette. When I was looking through my choices of palettes to bring, almost everything was either all neutrals or all brights. I didn’t want to travel with an all neutral palette yet again (I get too bored) but bringing an all brights palette isn’t the best of ideas either.

So when I was perusing my palettes I realized that my best option was going to be Too Faced‘s A few of my Favorite Things palette (from their holiday 2013 collection). There’s enough mix of colours in this palette to satisfy me on holidays and it’s got two blushes and two bronzers as well. Most of my powder bases are completely covered with this!

The only downside is the palette is freaking huge which makes it slightly inconvenient. Thankfully it actually came with a large makeup bag so I’ll be using that for this trip as well. I have to say that I’m incredibly nervous about damaging this on vacation. The palette was limited edition and I’ll be heartbroken if I bust this or lose it while on vacation.

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And of course I’m bringing my eye primers – NARS‘ Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base and Urban Decay‘s Primer Potion in Original.

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And one pair of falsies for certain special occasions while on vacation (we’re planning to go to the Opera and get all fancy!). These are Sephora‘s Tempting lashes with some Duo eyelash glue.

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I’m also bringing along Anastasia‘s Brow Wiz in Ash Blonde/Taupe because it’ll be quick and easy to apply (versus my Dipbrow pomade).

Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper is also coming along for the ride because of its easy application. I’m a winged eyeliner freak, and while I prefer gel, this is far less fussy while travelling. I love that it has a brush tip and not the regular foam/felt tip applicator that most automatic liquid pens have.

My mascara of choice is the Urban Decay Perversion sample that I received in my August 2014 Ipsy bag. This stuff is absolutely wonderful. Really black, wet formula and does wonders for my eyelashes.

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I’m not even sure I’ll wear these, but they’re good to have just in case. For foundation I have my beloved Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla. It’s the darkest foundation I own but it’s still a touch too light for me right now. Nothing a little bronzer can’t fix though!

For any blemishes when I want to look flawless, I’m also bringing along essence‘s Match 2 Cover! concealer. Having two shades in this package is incredibly handy for custom mixing a shade to my current skin shade.

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In an attempt to possibly counterbalance my precious eyeshadow palette, I’m bringing some of my absolute cheapest lip products: Two Wet n Wild lipsticks (910D and 903C) and a NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu.

Just some essentials for my lips:

MAC Prep + Prime for lips to keep my lipsticks from bleeding outside my lipline and to increase lipstick longevity. (This product is absolutely holy grail status.)

MAC Brick lipliner for the red Wet n Wild lipstick. While the lipstick doesn’t necessarily need the liner since it’s pigmented enough, it’s just nice to have something to help clean up the edges of a red lipstick.

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And lastly, a Nivea lip balm in Milk & Honey for when I inevitably end up with chapped lips (thanks airplane air) and a bite-size Benefit Watt’s Up! cream highlighter.

I’m actually quite proud of this makeup bag. I think it’s the right choice for a “longer” (~12 days) European vacation without being overly excessive in the product department. I think the Too Faced palette really made it a lot easier since it alleviated the need to bring a bronzer and some blush options.

By the way, if you’ve been to either Prague or Vienna, I’d love to hear any of your recommendations for places to visit!

Empties – February till April 2014

May 7, 2014Empties, MiscellaneousAdidas, Benefit, Biore, Blistex, DERMAdcotor, Duo, Fortune Cookie Soap, Garnier, H20, Lush, MAC, Marcelle, MUA, NARS, Neutrogena, Physicians Formula, Pop Beauty, Too FacedChelle

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I hadn’t planned to do an Empties update for another month but this bag was getting way too full and I didn’t want the post length to be too ridiculous. So here we go! Makeup first because I know that’s the interesting stuff.

Not one, but TWO eyeshadows done! Can I get a “HELL YES!”? The top right was MAC‘sHaux, my oldest eyeshadow. After 19 years, I can finally retire it , but it has definitely had a good long life. The bottom right is MAC‘s Brule. Brule only took me about 3 years to finish up as it was my daily browbone highlight.

Repurchase? No, but not because they were bad, but because I have a great many other shades that are near identical. Plus I clearly didn’t like Haux that much if it took me 19 bloody years to finish it up!

MUA Matte Foundation in Shade 1 Soft Sand

I really liked MUA‘s Matte Foundation at first – their Shade 1 Soft Sand was a great match for my skin and it went on my face really well… but the niceness stopped about an hour after application. It started out looking really good, but this foundation eventually dissolved into a greasy mess by the end of the day or night. I’m not even prone to oil but this certainly induced it! I went through about half the tube, so I definitely gave it a fair shot, but I decided this wasn’t worth finishing when I had other products I much preferred.

Repurchase? Definitely not.

Another “meh” product from MUA. (So far, the only thing I’m liking from this brand is their eyeshadows.) Their BB Cream in Light was overly thick and not much fun to wear. It had more coverage than I expected (which may be good for some people), but for me it looked like I’d applied a paste to my face. I just never fell in love with it after using half the tube so I decided enough was enough and chucked it in the garbage.

Physicians Formula Eye Booster in Ultra Black

I’m not sure why this hasn’t been included in an empties post earlier, because I’ve been done with this liner for a very long time. Physicians Formula Eye Booster liquid liner inUltra Black made me fall in love with brush tip pen liners (NOT felt tip – those are the devil). Very black and easy to wear although slightly lacking in the waterproof department. I’ve since heard that the Ultra Black shade has gone slightly grey which is a bit of a disappointment. This, thankfully, was a liquid liner that didn’t seem to have the horrible reflective properties of other liners (I’m looking at you MUFE Aqualiner).

Verdict: I wouldn’t repurchase this right now as I’m firmly attached to my gel liners, but I would recommend it to others.

l-r: Duo eyelash adhesive, Pop Beauty Fuchsia Freesia, Too Faced Better Than Sex

Duo eyelash adhesive is my staple eyelash glue. This tube is very old (~3 years) and needed replacing.

Verdict: Forever repurchase

As I said in my Ipsy Haul for February 2014, Pop Beauty’s Plump Pout in Fuchsia Freesia smelled bad. Well, it turns out there was a bit of a to do with Ipsy and Pop Beautythat month and I could’ve gotten a replacement for my rotten smelling lipgloss. It’s a shame that I didn’t, but I’m not using this sucker and it’s going straight into the garbage.

Verdict: Just based on the toxic scent and how the whole thing was handled (poorly and secretively) I’ll be avoiding this brand.

Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara: Loved this stuff, but hated the wand. The formula of the mascara is fantastic, but the wand made it really, really annoying to apply. There’s nothing easy about an hourglass shaped wand!

Verdict: Won’t rebuy – the formula isn’t worth the hassle of the brush.

Blistex‘s Lip Medex is like medicine in a tube for your lips. Nothing heals my parched, dry, cracked lips like this stuff does throughout the cold winter months.

Verdict: Love it and will repurchase it in the winter.

Marcelle Gentle Make-Up Remover for Sensitive Eyes

Marcelle‘s Gentle Make-Up Remover for Sensitive Eyes is a forever favourite. This is the best makeup remover I’ve ever purchased and it works wonders on waterproof makeup. I usually wait to buy this on sale and then get a bunch of them all at once.

Verdict: Repurchase most definitely

Clockwise starting at the top: Marcelle Cleansing Cloths (x2), Garnier Moisture Rescue, Neutrogena Hydrating, Neutrogena

Marcelle Cleansing Cloths are adequate, but nothing to write home about. They only remove waterproof makeup “so-so”.

Verdict: No repurchase

Garnier Moisture Rescue wipes: Useless and stinky. Dry and irritating. YUCK.

Verdict: Never, EVER repurchase

Neutrogena All-in-One Makeup Cleansing Wipes: These are okay, completely satisfactory, but I bought these by accident when I thought they were the same as:

Neutrogena Hydrating Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths: These are holy grail. Not buying any other makeup removing cloths after trying these. They’re wetter than any other cloth I’ve tried and they actually remove waterproof mascara well.

Verdict: Would repurchase the Neutrogena Hydrating wipes

I love Lush‘s Honey I Washed The Kids soap, but the darn thing just runs out way too quickly. It’s Raining Men is their shower gel equivalent and it such a better investment in terms of money. This stuff lasted me absolutely forever (about a year, using it intermittently with other washes and soaps) and easily outdid the longevity of the bars of soap. This smells like honey and caramel and *edible*. To confirm: It is NOT edible, in a moment of weakness I tested it with the tip of my tongue and it tastes like soap. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible!

Verdict: Definite rebuy!

l-r: Fortune Cookie Soap: Native Nectar Body Wash, Venus Fly Trap Perfume Oil, Make it Rain Whipped Cream

Fortune Cookie Soap Native Nectar Body Wash: A very liquid body wash, but lovely nonetheless. It had small shimmer particles in the product, but they didn’t stick on the skin (so it just looks pretty, really). It has a very clean coconut smell – very lovely.

Verdict: Would repurchase

Fortune Cookie Soap Venus Fly Trap Perfume Oil: This stuff is amazing. It smells like sickly, sweet flowers but not in a revolting way. It doesn’t smell like old lady perfume and it’s pretty light and not cloying (as in it won’t give you a headache with its thickness). I never, ever thought I’d like a scent like this (FCS indicates that it has “Bergamot, narcaisse & musk lurk beneath delicate notes of water orchid, sparkling lemon & pink jasmine.”) but this is just beautiful.

Verdict: Would repurchase

Fortune Cookie Soap Make it Rain Whipped Cream: Love this so much! The formula and it does feel like whipped cream on the skin. I also really, really love the scent. I’ve heard some people say it smells too much like musk, but I actually get a very clean, very laundry scent out of this.

Verdict: Definite repurchase

DERMAdoctor wrinkle REVENGE: Completely forgettable in every way.

Verdict: Would not purchase

Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser: I don’t have acne problems (and this contains salicylic acid to help with breakouts) so I can’t really say if this helped combat anything, but it did feel nice on the skin.

Verdict: Purchase if on sale

Benefit The Porefessional: I genuinely do not get the hype with this product. It seemed fine as a primer, but nothing earthshattering.

Verdict: Would not purchase

H20 Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment: I don’t even remember this stuff, so it definitely couldn’t have been amazing.

Verdict: Would not purchase

H20 Aquafirm+ Micro-collagen Moisturizer: Can’t remember this one either.

Verdict: Would not purchase

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska Light2: Quite liked this one actually. I got enough out of the foil packet for a single use and it smoothed on nicely and had light coverage, which was nice because it didn’t cover my freckles (which I like). [Click for a pic of the foundation on my face.]

Verdict: Will consider purchasing when I finally run low on other foundations.

My friend Ali made this wonderful Orange Whip body butter for me for my birthday. I used up the whole jar really quickly and loved it to pieces.

Verdict: No need to repurchase, I’ll just poke her when I need more!

Monumental effort here – I finished a perfume! I really liked Adidas‘ Pure Lightness. Fragrantica.com indicates that it has “Top notes of melon and red apple; middle notes are jasmine, magnolia, violet and lily-of-the-valley; base note is musk”. But to me, this just smelled aquatic. It’s light and crisp and has quite decent lasting power.

Verdict: Would repurchase

Travel Makeup Bag – Off to Baltimore and New York City!

March 12, 2014Makeup, Miscellaneous, VacationBenefit, Duo, Laura Mercier, MAC, NARS, Nivea, NYX, Revlon, Tarte, Too Faced, Urban Decay, yabyChelle

Tomorrow morning I’m off on a much needed vacation to visit some friends in the US. I’ll be headed to Baltimore for six days first and then back up to New York City for five.

Nemo’s reaction to being left alone again…

In Baltimore I’ll be visiting a close friend that I’m eager to spend more time with. We’ve signed up for the Charm City Shamrock 5k run on Sunday and I’m excited to look as ridiculous as possible with the green hair extensions I’ve picked up and as much glitter as I can find. There’s a chance I’ll get to visit Washington D.C., but that isn’t set in stone yet.

In New York City I’ll be visiting my old university roommate (and it’s frightening to think that we lived together ten years ago…) and seeing another old friend from my teen years. For shits and giggles, I also signed up for a 10k run on Roosevelt island while I’m there. Until recently, I used to visit New York City every year so I’m anxious to go back!

And not to mention… I am *seriously* excited to pick up all the makeup I can get my hands on for the far cheaper prices that they have in the US!

So let’s take a peak into what I’m bringing on vacation this time.

201403_travel_makeup_bag2

Once again, the bag I’m taking with me is from MAC‘s Liberty of London collection (2010). I love this bag, and until it frays and falls apart, I’ll be using it!

Palettes – Laura Mercier Artist (2013), customized MAC quad and Tarte Off The Cuff

I’m bringing along Laura Mercier‘s Artist palette (2013) instead of my usual Urban Decay Naked. I’m doing this primarily because my Naked palette gets enough travel mileage and I think the Artist palette has a bit more selection for looks since there’s far more matte shades.

Tarte‘s Off The Cuff palette is an easy one – four blushes and a bronzer without the need for bringing multiple bulky compacts.

The green MAC quad is for St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll definitely want to go all out with green everything so I plopped in a few shades (Juxt, Bio Green, Golden Olive pigment andClub) so I can be as festive as possible!

I kept the lip products fairly simple since re-applying lipstick on vacation is mostly just frustrating to me. One lipstick (Revlon‘s Fire and Ice) and MAC‘s Prep + Prime for lip to prevent feathering should I decide to actually wear the lipstick. The NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie is for when I want something easy to wear. And finally, I picked up a Nivea lip balm in Milk & Honey specifically for this trip because I didn’t actually own another stick lip balm and I didn’t want to carry around a potted product as they don’t sit easily in my pockets. Lip balms are an absolute must for me when I travel.

MAC Prep + Prime for Lip, Nivea Milk and Honey, Revlon Fire and Ice, NYX Vanilla Cream Pie

It doesn’t look like many lip products really… but I know I won’t wear much else even if I were to bring a few more.

NARS Pro Prime Eye Primer and Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original

Double primers you ask? Yep. I swore by Urban Decay Primer Potion for years, but it recently started creasing on me (much to my horror). I tried the NARS one and it *also* creased on me. If I double up and use them both on my lids then the creasing stops, so… double primers from now on.

I haven’t used it much, but I packed Benefit‘s Watts Up highlighter simply because it’s a sample size product and fits easily in my bag. The sheen of this highlighter is quite similar to MAC‘s Soft and Gentle.

The craft gems are for the St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5k race a friend and I are doing in Baltimore. Although the gems aren’t green, they’re what I had available, and I’ll definitely be plastering my face in them for the run!

yaby foundation in Buff, MAC Blacktrack fluidline, duo lash adhesive and Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara

More tiny products! The yaby foundation in Buff is a good shade for me right now and the tube is tiny so that was an easy one to pop in. I don’t expect to be wearing much foundation, but it’s nice to have in case I decide I want to wear some. Too Faced‘s Better Than Sex mascara is a deluxe sample size and I’m hoping to finish this one up on the trip. I’m slightly worried because it’s not waterproof and the weather forecast looks positively schizophrenic for the next few weeks. :s

The Duo lash adhesive is for the gems (and by looking at that package, it definitely needs replacing). And lastly, my beloved MAC Blacktrack fluidline. My liquid liners just weren’t working out the way I wanted them to and even though it’s slightly more work (have to bring an extra brush and all), the end result is far better.

That’s everything I’ve stowed away in my makeup bag for my trip! Blog posts will continue while I’m gone as I have them sitting in queue ready to go live on the usual schedule (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays). Take care everyone. 🙂