Since I have been rediscovering eye shadows, I've also been rediscovering MAC.
It has been a long time since I've had a significant swatch-fest at a MAC counter, but a recent visit reminded me that there's more to the brand than lipsticks and Fix+.
Don't get me wrong, their constant release of new and limited edition collections has grown tiresome for me, but they do have some great permanent products.
While I was at the MAC Pro store, I decided to make myself a little quad. I wish I had known they were planning to release six and nine pan pro palettes because I definitely would've picked one of those up instead. At the time, only two, four and fifteen pan palettes were available. Two was definitely not enough and fifteen was too big and I hate seeing a half empty palette... so I settled for a quad.
Nonetheless, I'm very happy with the custom palette I created with these shadows:
All that Glitters — a pinky beige with gold pearl (very pretty alone or layered)
Wedge — a matte beige taupe (makes a good transition colour)
Woodwinked — a warm brown with gold pearl (all over shadow or layered)
Espresso — a deeper matte warm brown (for blending or for the crease)
As you can see, I gravitate towards warmer shades. I forgot how beautiful MAC eye shadows were. They blend nicely, they are long-wearing (especially with a primer) and there is a nice range of colours to choose from. There are a few more on my list to get, but I'm happy with the looks I can create with these.
Some exciting news: MAC Pro Palette Refill Pans have decreased in price! I didn't know until I popped into the store. They used to be $12 CAD, but now they're $8 CAD. Also, if you're interested in the making your own palette, here are the prices:
$10 CAD for the 4 pan palette (what I picked up) / insert comes with it
$10 CAD for the small palette (holds 6 eye shadows or two blushes) / inserts go for $1 CAD
$10 CAD for the medium palette (holds 9 eye shadows) / insert goes for $2 CAD
I also picked up some eye brushes because my collection of eye brushes is quite sad. I picked up the quintessential MAC 217 ($30 CAD), it's great for blending or for placing colour. MAC 239 ($30 CAD) for placing colour on the lid. Lastly, the Sephora Collection Pro Airbrush #31 ($27 CAD) for blending in the crease—it also makes a great eraser for little mistakes.
Let me know what your favourite MAC eye shadows are! x
It's Chic Week at Sephora. I love events like this because it's a great time to repurchase or to try out new high-end products at a little bit of a discount (a 15% discount, in this case).
I didn't really have a concrete shopping list planned, but there were a couple of things I wanted to check out (though I didn't end up getting any of those products). I dropped into Sephora on Saturday for a browse (both Yorkdale and the Eaton Centre) and here's what I picked up.
Aside from the Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream, everything else was basically an impulse buy. Especially the Urban Decay De-Slick & the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser. I'm such a sucker for those buckets of mini and travel-sized goodies near the registers.
The highlight of the haul is probably the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. I've been hearing a lot of buzz around it and I didn't really think I wanted it, but I snatched it up anyway. It was the last one left & there's an added desire when something's in high demand.
There were a couple of shades that I swatched & liked, but I went with Dim Light to start. Dim light is described as a "neutral soft beige that provides a perfect balance of warm and cool tones to blur imperfections." How do you say no?
I've worn it a couple of times and while I'm still experimenting with different application techniques, I'm liking it so far. Expect something more substantial in the future.
Did you get anything during the sale? Please let me know! The event is on until Monday, April 22nd -- still have time to go back :) x
I'm rediscovering MAC. Last year, I bought my first MAC blush in really long time (i.e., years)... Now, every time I pass a counter, I always end up leaving with an item (or four).
I recently picked these goodies up at the Bay (I'm there way too often). I received a $20 cash card in the mail to spend on a beauty purchase of $100 or more. The letter said it was for "preferred customers" but I think that's just a gimmick to make us feel special and to get us to spend more money.
But hey - I guess it worked because I ended up using it at the MAC counter. I picked up two blushes and two lipsticks for myself, and a lipstick (in Lovelorn, not pictured) for my mum.
Let's start with the blushes. I am a huge fan of sheertones. They're pigmented & buildable. My favourite part is how foolproof they are. Apply a little, apply a lot, it still looks great.
Pinch O Peach is a beautiful matte peachy-pink. I originally had my hand out for Pink Swoon but then I saw Pinch O Peach and I fell in love with the glow it gave my complexion.
The other blush I picked up was Peaches. It doesn't look like much in the pan, but it looks great on. It is a true matte peach. Again, it looks amazing with my complexion. I will be doing a post on how they look on, swatches don't really do them justice.
Pinch O Peach
Peaches
Now the lipsticks, both of which are Lustres.
Lustres are my favourite MAC finish. They're comfortable on the lips, good pigmentation, buildable, and they have a slightly glossy finish.
See Sheer was my first choice. It's a pretty coral pink. I've been wearing it daily for the last week now. It's a great every day shade. A very natural wash of colour.
Lustering is a fun (but sheer) pink. It's a great summer colour and it really brightens the face.
See Sheer
Lustering
I have my eye on some Amplified lippies next. Vegas Volt for one. I've been meaning to get it for months now.
Like I mentioned in a previous post, I did a little cross-border shopping. I didn't go overboard.. mainly because of time constraints. I'm quite happy with what I did get though. And I'm happy with the money I saved! Everything is just cheaper in the US, it's worth the drive and the occasional long wait at the border.
Most of what I got was beauty related. Surprise, surprise. It was just such a better deal, I couldn't help myself. Just for giggles, I'll list both CDN and US prices where applicable. Almost like rubbing salt in the wound of how much Canadian's get ripped off sometimes.
Sephora Instant Moisturizer ($12 US / $14 CDN) - I've heard good things about Sephora's skincare line, so I figured I'd get a little travel size to try it out. So far, so good.
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler ($28 CDN) - I actually bought this from Holt Renfrew. I hear it's very hard to find these in the US ever since Sephora stopped carrying them. They're iconic. I don't think I need to elaborate.
YSL Touchè Éclat ($40 US / $50 CDN) - I am going to give this another go! I don't remember what shade I got last time but I went with #3 this time.
Laura Mercier Lush Nectarine ($24 US / $30 CDN) - This is a repurchase. I adore this peachy shade.
Tarte Blissful ($25 US / $33 CDN) - I love these Amazonian Clay blushes, the hardest part about them is deciding which shade to pick up next. I went with Blissful this time. It's a warm peachy shade. Can you see a trend?
Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel ($38 US / $48 CDN) - My mom uses this and loves it, so I picked up. It feels lovely under the eyes. I am really enjoying the feel of gel undereye creams. I also have a de-puffing gel from Origins that I like.
Origins Charcoal Mask ($23 US / $27 CDN) - This is a repurchase and it's great. It makes my skin look so clear and feel so refreshed.
Tarte Blush / Bronzer Duo ($15 US / N/A CDN) - This was one of those impulse buys Sephora tempts you with while you wait in line at the registers. I thought it was such a good deal that I had to get it. It comes with two travel sized products: a bronzer and an Amazonian Clay blush in Dollface.
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Romance ($32.50 US / $39 CDN) - This one is a bright pink. It doesn't have any shimmer, but it still has that glossy finish.
Clarisonic Mia, welcome to my face! I finally picked up one of these. I had the original Clarisonic, but when it came to repuchasing, I went with the little sister, Mia. For a couple reasons, first, I used the original Clarisonic for about a year before I realized there was more than one speed and after I discovered that, I didn't even use it. Secondly, I like the portability of the Mia. Much more travel friendly. Plus, it was less expensive at $119 US / $139 CDN. Win, win.
I picked up a Fossil watch. It's in the style Stella and it's two-toned: Rose Gold & Greige metal. I was going to purchase a very similar watch (right down to the same two-tone colours) from Michael Kors, but then I remembered that Fossil makes Michael Kors' watches. Plus, the watch I purchased was on sale & only came to $57 (taxes included). Quite a leap from my original choice for $300.
Lastly my evil eye fave. I purchased a new Pandora charm. My first charm in what feels like forever. At least 6 months. I chose the evil eye because I love how it looks and I love the colours. I've been wearing it as a necklace lately. It looks great alone like this or with other charms on a bracelet.
That's it for now, I will try to have swatches / reviews of some of the products soon! x
It was 20x the points at Shoppers Drugmart the other day, so naturally I had to partake. Here's a little peek at the goodies I picked up.
I am loving (most) everything I picked up. The miniBioderma cleansers are perfect for traveling! Sometimes you can get them as a bonus gift with a purchase of the bigger bottles, but I wasn't as fortunate so I had to purchase them separately.
I repurchased my current favourite sunscreen from La Roche Posay. Now, it doesn't specify that it's meant for the face, but I only use it on my face. I go for a drugstore brand on my body.
I finally picked up a Bourjois blush. The one I really wanted, #54 Rose D'Or, was sold out, so I picked #95 Rose de Jaspe instead. I like it so far, the colour is beautiful and the application is great. There isn't a lot of product in these little pots though. A little over two grams for $19! Unsettling when you consider how much they cost in the UK.
The Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals All-Over-Face-Color in Rose Radiance is one of my favourite products. I mainly use it on my cheeks, never really all over the face because of the pinkish hue. Nonetheless, it it leaves your skin looking lovely and glowing. I decided to pick up another All-Over-Face-Color, this time in Pure Radiance. It's a golden tan-ish colour with shimmer and it does not disappoint. Makes your skin look glowy and healthy (read: purely radiant).
Now, it's not a moisturizer. It's kind of a hybrid between a lotion and a serum. It leaves your skin with a matte finish, perfect for under makeup. Beware, this is not for dry skin! It's moisturizing but not nearly enough to keep dry skin hydrated throughout the day. One thing that irks me is the size/price. It is $27 for 30ml. I'll probably go through this within two months, tops.
I've never been one for a full coverage concealer, but now I see the draw. I've been using the Shiseido Natural Finish Cream concealer in #3 and I love it! This creamy concealer masks pretty much anything. I've been using it over my acne blemishes (I always get discoloration after a pimple, no matter what) and it works wonderfully! Full coverage and great lasting power. Downside is that it only comes in five shades -- not a great colour selection.
The Vichy NormaDerm Active Anti-Imperfection Concentrate was my only quasi-regret. It contains salicylic acid and it is supposed to visibly reduce any breakouts. Not the case for me. It didn't make the breakouts worse, but it didn't help the situation either. One thing I did like about this treatment is that it reduced the redness of my blemishes. It has a greenish tint to the cream, which helped with the inflammation.
I fell in love with this colour as soon as I saw it on display. It's a bright, wearable fuchsia. For some reason, I have been obsessed bright lipsticks lately. I like that you can apply a little for subtle colour or layer it for a bolder look.
Plus, that packaging for the Rouge Allure lineup (which is priced at $40) is beautiful! You click the gold base and the lipstick pops out from the sleek black case. It's my favourite lipstick packaging save for the Guerlain Rouge G.
I forgot to swatch this but I will feature it on a FOTD soon.
Chelsea is from the Knightsbridge collection and I was kind of disappointed with this. It looks amazing in the tube (bright, vibrant, pigmented) but it's very sheer on the lips. It has no shimmer and hardly any colour. It's not what I had expected but it still looks great over Kensington.
Glossimers (which are priced at $31) are my favourite glosses -- they work so well with my lips. They apply beautifully and the're non-sticky.
I think I am going to put myself on a spending hiatus.
After March 3rd, that is. I'm going to a makeup event at Holt's for the release of the Knightsbridge collection from Chanel. I have been eyeing the Brompton Road blush for a couple weeks now -- though I'm not sure how well it will work on my tanner complexion (also the price makes me a little squeamish).
Anyway, here are a few things I picked up from my wishlist:
* Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream No.23 (Natural Beige)
I purchased this from Beauty Credit at New Century Place in Markham (398 Ferrier St). Thank you, Sam, for recommending!
I am really enjoying this BB Cream (much more than any of the Western one's I've tried). It looks really light when I first apply it. Then after a few minutes, it just blends perfectly with my skin. It offersminimal coverage... But it's enough considering it's not a foundation.
* Chanel Blush Horizon (Limited Edition)
Adore! I am such a sucker for coral anything. To me, this blush is quite unique. On my paler (and I use the term pale loosely) days, it adds a bit of colour to my cheeks. On the other hand, when I'm a bit tanner, it's more of a pretty highlight and it adds a really nice luminosity to the cheeks.
* Bioderma Sebium H2O Cleanser
My combination/oily skin is singing praises for this cleanser. I've only been using it for the last few days but I can already see an improvement in my skin's oiliness. I.E., my skin feels normal! Not too dry and not too slick.
It adds such a beautiful glow to my face. The consistency is my favourite thing about this product: not quite a liquid but not a powder. It has such a velvety smooth finish.
It's just as beautiful as I remember, plus it's quite handy. I've already used it several times -- the downfalls of sporting a bold lip, I suppose. At least now I have a luxe compact to do it in.
Left to right: all colours swirled together, just the pink half, and just the peach half. Apologies for the rushed swatches :).
I really broke Project 10 Pan. I'm a little disappointed in myself because I was doing so well. It all went downhill after those Revlon Lip Butters came out.
So, I want to share with you some of the products I just couldn't resist buying.
1. butter LONDON Nail Polishes
I was browsing Glymm's Beauty Boutique last week and realized I had accumulated a few points. So I decided to spend them on some nail polishes. butter LONDON retails for $17 so I got quite a discount on them by using my points. I picked up 8 shades, including the limited edition 2011 holiday set.
Tart with a Heart (limited edition) is a very pretty glitter polish with a clear base. I love how the glitter changes colors depending on the light.
Fairy Lights (limited edition) is a pretty metalic lilac color. I love the sheen on this.
The Black Knight (limited edition) is a gorgeous black glitter polish. I don't own any glitter polish with a black base so I was excited to get this. If you're not a fan of black, I would still recommend this because there's lots of colourful glitter that tone down the dark base.
Primrose Hill Picnic is a lovely hot pink color.
Tea with the Queen is perfect if you're into mannequin hands. It's a beautiful nude that leaves your nails looking warm, not dead.
HRH is a beautiful royal purple color! I can't believe I don't have a color like this in my collection.
Rosie Lee is another glitter polish. It's like a rosy pink color that I'm loving. It has a clear base but because there's so much glitter, it can cover your entire nail for an opaque look.
Snog is similar to Primrose Hill Picnic. To be honest, I had a hard time telling them apart in the pictures (the trick is that the bottles have different coloured writing). However, in person, Snog is much more of a fuchsia color than a bright pink.
I also got a few GWP. They are three products from Princepessa: a hand creme, body lotion & body wash. They smell really lovely!
2. butter LONDON Nail Foundation Flawless Base Coat
This base coat from butter LONDON is really great! I love how it leaves my nails looking even, and for lack of a better word, flawless. I prefer this over the OPI Ridge Filler, which works great, but the greyish color does not look natural on the nails. I got this from the Bay at the Eaton Centre and it retails for $21, so it's a little pricey for a base coat.
3. Nicole by OPI Texture Coat
I have no idea what has gotten in to me, but I have been craving to own a white shatter polish for the last few weeks now. I have this nail design idea imbedded in my head that I think would look amazing. I heard a lot of good things about the texture coat so I decided to try it out. Around $7-$8.
4. Onyx Professional Soy Nail Polish Remover
This is my new favourite nail polish remover! It doesn't have that strong acetone smell, it doesn't leave my nails feeling dry, and it remove polish quickly (even glitter). When I use this, it leaves my nails and my cuticles feeling oily and moisturized. Love it. Retails between $2 - $3.
5. Benefit Hoola & Dallas
I bought a couple boxed powders. I already own Hoola and I've just recently hit pan on it. It's one of my favourite bronzers.
Dallas is one of the boxed powders I don't have in my collection (until now). For some reason, I always thought Dallas was a really dark bronzer but it's not. It's a rosy blush/bronzer that I have been really loving.
Also the box powders I purchased are still the old packaging (the ones where the lid comes off completely). The new packaging actually contains less product than the old packaging (but you still pay the same price).
Let me break it down for you...
Benefit Hoola = $36 Old Packaging = 11g of product New Packaging = 8g of product Benefit Dallas = $36 Old Packaging = 12g of product New Packaging = 8g of product
So if you can find the old packing, I'd recommend getting it instead. The added mirror in the new packaging just isn't worth 3+ grams less of product.
6. theBalm Mary Loumanizer
I've been on the hunt for a new highlighter and came across this one from theBalm. First, the packing and the name are so cute! The color is even better. It's a shimmery, golden ivory color. Amazing as a highlighter. This isn't the highlighter for you if you're looking for a natural glow because it gives your skin a shimmer. I still love it though. Plus, it's very pigmented. Purchased from Rexall Plus and it retails for $31.
7. Vasanti Cosmetics Brazilian Bronzer
Loving this bronzer. It is much warmer than Benefit Hoola and it has a velvety finish on the skin. It goes on very smooth and adds a very warm glow to your skin. Not a fan of the scent though. I'm not sure if it's just mine, or if it is the cardboard packaging, but it's not very appealing. I found this at Rexall Plus and it retails for $25.
Left to Right: Benefit Dallas, Benefit Hoola, Vasanti Brazilian Bronzer
8. Bare Minerals Rose Radiance
One of my favourite blushes. This is the third time I've repurchased this, which is saying a lot because this lasts for a long time.
It gives my cheeks the perfect rosy tint, as if I've just come inside from the cold. I love it. Purchased from Shoppers Drugmart and it retails for $24.
9. Warm Vanilla Sugar Fragrance
I love Bath & Body Works. I can never leave there without getting something. My last trip was no exception. This is one of my favourite scents from B&BW. It makes me feel warm & cozy inside. I love the mixture of vanilla and sugary sweetness. Love.
10. The Body Shop
I bought a few things from the Body Shop, some things for me and some as gifts. I got this Vitamin C Facial Radiance Programme set. I really only wanted the Vitamin C Skin Boost serum since I'm running low; however, the store I went to was sold out and this was the only other alternative.
I've been using all three products for a couple days now and my skin has been feeling smoother and looking more even. I think the microdermabrasion scrub might be a little too abrasive for my skin. Other than that, it's a lovely trio. It retails for $45.
I also picked up some mini body butters and lip balms as stocking stuffers. Shea Butter is my current favourite. The mini body butters were 2 for $10 and the lip balms were 3 for $10, I believe.
11. La Roche Posay Effaclar K
I heard a lot of good things about this, so I decided to try it out. My skin is in need of a little boost. My T-zone is getting out of control with shine and my pores are growing as I type. So hopefully this delivers. I purchased this from Shoppers Drugmart and it retails for around $26.
That's it.
I filmed a haul video but it's taking forever to export so I decided to do a blog post first. The video should be up soon though.
Have you purchased anything recently that has excited you? Let me know!
AleezaBlogger
A Canadian beauty and lifestyle blog where I share my love of style and beauty. I've spent years trying to curate my favourite beauty products (and personal style). It's evolving everyday and I hope you enjoying coming along on this journey.
