Is exfoliating your body part of your routine?

Do you exfoliate your body? How often? Do you moisturize after? Exfoliating your body is just as important as exfoliating your face.  It doesn't take long nor much effort to do so.  Just exfoliate your body once or twice a week.  If you don't want to continuously spend the extra dollars on tubes of exfoliating scrub, just run to the dollar store or Wal-Mart and grab yourself a loofah.  While you're in the shower and smearing yourself with body wash or gel, take your loofah and scrub away the layer of dead skin cells.  Don't be scrubbing vigorously until your skin turns red, just go scrub back and forth two or three times.  Personally, I think the crucial areas to scrub are the upper arm area where I would get little bumps from the in-grown hair and the legs, especially if you have stretch marks.  Why loofah the stretch mark areas? Well the stretch marks exist because your skin is dry and lacking moisture.  So as you may or may not know already, exfoliating the layer of dead skin cells can trigger the growth of your next layer of skin cells AND it allows better absorption of the moisturizing product you put on.  Right after you hop out of the shower and towel-dried your body, cover your body with a moisturizing cream or lotion - my personal preference: body butters.

PS: Hand wash your loofah once in a while to avoid bacteria build-up.  ;)

Makeup Removal

From the time I knew how to apply makeup (I was probably around grade 8 or 9) until now, I think there has been - at most - a handful of times that I didn't wipe off my makeup, nor cleanse my face and went straight to bed.  BUT I haven't skipped this important process for a looong time.  Even during my undergrad years, no matter how late I came home from studying or partying, I'd remove all my makeup, cleanse my face before going to bed.

My recent makeup removal routine has been a two-step process.  Here's a little experiment I did so I can share with you, blog readers, on the effectiveness of Bobbi Brown's Cleansing Oil.

I've done a review on the Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil last September.  I'm still on that same bottle of Cleansing Oil with one-third of the bottle left.  But I thought this little experiment I wanted to share could be an additional review on BB Cleansing Oil and my makeup removal routine.  Anyways, here's how I remove my makeup after wearing it for 6 - 7 hours.  Most of my makeup has melted off already.  Oh and don't mind my greasy hair and my minor breakouts.  =\

 Left: Before removing makeup ; Right: After removing makeup

Before makeup is removed

After using Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil

 I take 2 pumps of Arumee Pro-Moist Cleansing Milk and massage it into my face

Dirty tissue with wiped off Cleansing Milk from my face

Washing my face after using Cleansing Milk

Ta-da! My face is makeup-free and feels smoooooth.  =)
Clearly, BB Cleansing Oil did do its job - in terms of makeup removal.  But if you zoom in on that dirty tissue, you can see there is still very little - what looks like - foundation on there.  Oh and may I add that I definitely did wear mascara, eye liner and eye shadow, but BB Cleansing Oil has taken that off already.

Haul: Cosme-de.com

I have another haul here.  This time it's from an online shop called Cosme De Net Co. Ltd.  I find this company is much like SaSa or Sephora, but CDE is a smaller company with a limited beauty supply and variation.  I find them frequently running out and replenishing their stock.  Now the only thing I have a problem .... ok, maybe not problem, but more annoyed ... with this online shop is how fast things go out of stock.  I guess they don't stock up a lot in case their stock doesn't get sold as fast, and they'll end up getting stuck with the old stock.  Also, depends on what you're looking to get, some things may be a little overpriced - i.e. brands we can easily find in North America - more specifically, MAC, Bobbi Brown, etc   
I made my order on Monday, June 6 and received it today (Friday, June 10).  Considering CDE is based in Hong Kong, I find its overseas shipping is super fast.  I expected it to take about 2 weeks, but I got it within one week.  In addition to fast shipping, my order came with tracking.  For those of you who, just like me, feel more secure ordering online when your items are trackable, it's a bonus.  Also, the extra thing I find great about CDE is it accepts PayPal.

Overall, I find they put a lot of care into packaging.  Everything I bought was bubble wrapped individually.  The outside box was packaged sleek and clean.  =) So I'm really satisfied with my purchase.

Anyways, here is what I ordered from CDE and their prices:
1.  Dr. Scholl MediOtto Sleep and Slim Long Socks --- $31 USD
2.  Dr. Scholl MediOtto Slimming Leggings --- $34 USD
3.  Vitacreme B12 Regenerative Cream --- $33 USD (but they have an additional 20% discount this month so it came up to $26 USD)

Basically, I spent a total of $91 USD.  They offer free shipping.  =) I didn't have to pay customs when my package arrived at my door and they do require signature confirmation.

Now about the products, I'll definitely do reviews on these products after a good long use.  I've done a little research on these Dr. Scholl MediOtto products and most say they work really well - some say temporarily, others say they have long-term effects.  But either way, I'll know after trying them out for a good month or so.  =D

Shop for premium cosmetics at COSME-DE.COM. Free Shipping on all orders!!

Random Rant about My Clarisonic

I haven't done a random rant for awhile, but anyways.  So I think it was last week or maybe two weeks ago, I was taking a shower and usually, while I shower, I do my normal skincare routine.  Right after I scrub in the shampoo in my hair, I let it chill in there while I cleanse my face.  Unfortunately, while I was scrubbing in the shampoo, I accidentally knocked over my Clarisonic sitting on the ledge and man, did I ever regret not being careful! It made a loud thump when it fell and I was thinking, "Oh shit, I broke my $250 Clarisonic!"  So I was testing it out to see whether it was still working.  *Sigh* It was.  But it was making a loud vibrating noise.  ='(  So I'm like, "ok whatever, it works."  But now, every time I walk into the shower and use it, I just get more and more annoyed at the fact that it was in perfect condition before and now it's flawed! Errr! So now, I'm sitting here with a dilemma.  Should I call up Clarisonic and get that loud noise fixed, even though it still works? Or should I just let it be? I bought it in January of 2010 and I believe the Clarisonic Classic's have a two-year warranty, so I'm still good for 6 months.  Well that's if they would classify my case as under the warranty.  Oh man, I hate it when I'm so careless...  it's just the consequences that follow with the many problems!

Review: Avene Cleanance Anti-shine Purifying Lotion

Ok, so I bought this bottle of Avene toner back in from Shoppers Drug Mart.  Initially, I walked into SDM to look for a solution to the mini bumps near the bridge of my nose and the large pores.  So the beauty consultant at the Beauty Boutique suggested to me this product.  At that time, I stopped using toner for awhile - after noticing the Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Refining Softener Enriched N was drying out my skin, well, plus the cold winter weather.  Anyways, I stopped using toner in my skincare routine and that mistake cause the mini bumps and enlarged pores on my face, near the bridge of my nose.  =(
So the beauty consultant recommended this Avene Cleanace Anti-Shine Purifying Lotion after noticing the enlarged pores and shiny T-zone. =T  Now I've never tried any Avene products before this.  And neither have I heard of any product being outstanding.

Cost:
$24.50 CAD + 13% tax = $27.69 CAD

For skin type:
Oily, blemish-prone sensitive skin

Application:
After cleansing my face with a cleanser, I take a cotton pad and first go over my T-zone area.  Then lightly go over the rest of face and neck.  This product is made of a bi-phase formula, that's activated via shaking.
 
The smell:
There is a slight fragrance scent to it, smells like a floral scent.  It gives me a refreshing and clean impression.  Not irritating or overpowering.

What it claims to do:
"With a very high content of Avene thermal spring water, Cleanace Lotion contains specific active ingredients that gently purify the skin as well as matifying powders to absorb excess of sebum and provide long-lasting anti-shine effect.  Cleanance Lotion tightens the pores and leaves the skin clear, purified and matified."

Results:
I've tried toners and astringents before and they both give me a stingy feeling.  But surprising this product didn't AND it appears to have shrunk my pores.  After using this for the past 3 months and now that I've got 1/5 left of the bottle, I'd like to say that I was satisified with the results.  Though I'm not super happy.  I see less little bumps but they're not gone, even after 3 months of using it everyday and I'm almost done the bottle.  I did use this during those chilly winter-to-spring months.  Therefore, I believe the season has a role in the performance of this product.  I felt it worked best during the chilly season/months compared to the warmer weather.  For the last few warm weeks, it seems to work or rather showed that it worked best when I first apply it right after cleansing my face.  So it appears to have matified my skin, but after a few hours, my T-zone area gets shiny again and my pores didn't really appear to have shrank.  Therefore, I would have to disagree on the "long-lasting" effect.  It's not as effective during the warmer days.     
Also, I'd probably have to disagree on the type of skin this product works best for.  I'd assume it works best for combination skin rather than oily skin.

Product: Avene Cleanance Anti-Shine Purifying Lotion
Rating: 3 / 5

Pros:
- It worked during the cooler season - did give me the purified skin-look
- Minimized the bumps on my face
- Matified my T-zone area for a short period of time
- Doesn't dry out my skin
- No stingy or irritating sensation
- No overpowering scent

Cons:
- Doesn't work well in the warmer season
- Didn't make all my bumps go away
- No long-lasting effect
- Way over priced for its not-so-consistent results

Haul: Macadamia Natural Oil Gift Set

I just got back from the gym, got a slight headache and super tired.  But, I thought I should still post this up as I just bought it today at Trade Secrets.  They have them in full-sized individually packaged, as well as gift sets.  The gift sets has a higher value than the price it's sold at.  They had a variety of gift sets with different products and/or different sizes.  But I chose this one over the others because I've read many good reviews about the Deep Repair Masque and this gift set happens to be the only one with a tub of it.

What products are in this gift set?
1.  Rejuvenating Shampoo (10 fl. oz. / 300 mL)
2.  Healing Oil Treatment (1 fl. oz. / 30 mL)
3.  Deep Repair Masque (8.5 fl. oz. 250 mL)

Cost of gift set?
$ 47.95 CAD + 13% tax

I've def failed to check the individual prices of these products.  But I'll def update them when I get the chance! Though I did check the Deep Repair Masque one, it was $28 CAD for the 250 mL one and $46 CAD for the 500 mL. 

Anyways, I bought this gift set before going to the gym and thought I might as well try the masque while I shower.  I shampooed and conditioned my hair prior to applying the masque and hopped into the sauna (heat is not necessary for this masque, but giving it a shot won't hurt).  I don't expect it to work miracles after the first use but I definitely felt a difference while rinsing it off my hair and after my hair air-dried.  It definitely tamed down the frizzes.  However, there are still some frizzes, so I'm not saying it has an immediate miracle effect but it feels and looks like it works!

I've seen Winners sell the Rejuvenating Shampoo in 300 mL for $19.99 CAD.  I haven't seen them anywhere else.  If you have, comment below and if you know the price of it, mention it as well! =)

Review: Body Shop Body Butters

I love The Body Shop body butters! I'd choose body butters over hand lotion any day.  They may be 3-4x the price of regular drugstore hand/body lotions but they work so much better.  IMO, definitely worth the price.  Plus, they smell great.
I've finished the Burity Baby and Cocoa body butters.  They smell great and not irritating to me.

The consistency:
Depending on the type of skin you have, they range from normal skin to very dry skin.  Correspondingly, body butters for very dry skin tend to be thicker in consistency; and body butters for normal skin tend to have a less thick but not runny consistency.

The after-feel:
Definitely doesn't leave a sticky feeling behind.  I can feel my hands/body are moisturized and I wouldn't use the term "greasy" or "oily" feeling either - just moisturized.

The scents:
Out of the ones I bought, my favorite is the Strawberry body butter but the sad part is that it's not for very dry skin.  I find these scents are not irritating.  I bought the Jolly Orange one during Christmas so they don't have it in stores right now, but IMO, it's skip-able.  I'm def not loving the scent, just trying to hurry and finish it.

Application:
I tend to apply them throughout the day whenever I feel my hands need moisturizing.  But I find that it's really important to apply any lotion/body butters/cream after washing hands - otherwise it's not as effective.  Therefore, after showering, it's best to apply it all over the body.
I tend to use the body butters for very dry skin on my body and the normal skin ones for my hand.

Thoughts:
Overall, I find The Body Shop body butters are great.  I haven't found a better brand of body butters or hand cream.  I've tried L'Occitane hand cream before - yes, a lot of people rated this as a great product, but for its price and results, I find Body Shop body butters cost less and work better.  I've tried the Strawberry body butter from Wal-Mart; uh, not great at all.  I managed to finish it, but trust me, def not an alternative to the Body Shop one.  The after-smell that the Wal-mart one leaves is not that pleasant.  Plus, the quality isn't that great either.  I've also tried the Crabtree & Evelyn hand therapy and seriously, I still think The Body Shop body butters are better.  So until I can find something to top this off, it'll be The Body Shop body butters at the top of the list.

Price:
$ 6 CAD for 50 mL tubs
$ 18 CAD for 200 mL tubs
$ 25 CAD for 400 mL tubs

Product: The Body Shop body butters
Rating: 5 / 5

Pros:
- super moisturizing
- makes my hands soft to the touch
- no cuticle problems
- decent price

Cons:
- nothing I can think of

Review: Covergirl Lashblast Volume Blasting Mascara

I've been using my CoverGirl Lashblast mascara for almost 2 months.  Unfortunately, it's definitely not one of my favourites.

Application:
I almost always curl my lashes before applying mascara - unless I feel lazy or in a rush.

What it claims to do:
"Get a blast of lush, volumized lashes! LashBlast’s patented volume-boosting formula and patent-pending brush are designed to max-out each and every lash, leaving you with the ultimate big lash look."


Thoughts:
First, I think the brush is too thick and bulky to get around to the shorter lashes at the inner corners of my eye.  Next, I find the mascara formula doesn't help hold up my curled lashes.  I noticed around 3 hours after application, my lashes have lost its curl and poking straight out.  To me, I want my mascara to be able to hold up the curls and last all day.  My ideal mascara is to be able to curl my lashes without needing a eyelash curler.  Therefore, since this mascara can't hold up the curls, it really is no use to me. 
Now I don't have a problem with smudging and it doesn't clump my lashes.  Also, it doesn't get flaky.

In terms of the package, I like how the brush doesn't create a mess at the opening - unlike some of the other mascara brands I've tried.   

Product: CoverGirl Lashblast Volume Blasting Mascara in Black
Rating: 2 / 5

Pros:
- Non-clumping
- Smudgeproof
- Doesn't flake
- Separates the lashes pretty well
- Great packaging design

Cons:
- Brush is too big to get around to shorter lashes
- Mascara formula doesn't hold up curled lashes

Haul: Shiseido / NARS warehouse sale - May 2011

I have yet another haul from the Shiseido / Nars warehouse sale.  I thought I wouldn't be able to make it.  But fortunately, my friend's bridal shower started later during the day.  My mom and I went this time and we got there pretty late =( and ended up waiting 2.5 hours in line.  Anyways, my haul is way smaller this time.

First is the Shiseido stuff.  They had limited stuff from the Pureness line at this sale, which was a little disappointing.  I was looking forward to get the Moisturizing Gel-Cream but they only had the lotion version.  So I had to resort to this instead.  This cost me $22 CAD before tax, compared to $40 CAD MSRP.

Next, I got the Balancing Softener, which cost me $16 CAD compared to $29 CAD MSRP.

I also got another Hydro-Powder Eye Shadow in H8 Bare Pink.  It cost me $8 CAD compared to $28 CAD MSRP which is such a deal!

Finally, I got a white / floral makeup bag for $2.  I'll be leaving for Las Vegas in a few months so I thought this makeup bag was a great size to go traveling with.  The best part of it is the bag is reversible, so I can flip the bag inside-out.

Next I got 3 NARS different gift sets.  Each cost me $25.  I just thought they'd be great gifts.  I think they were selling these for $25 and $35 at the last warehouse sale - so def a great deal to pick up! They normally retail in the $50 USD range.

Coming up: Shiseido warehouse sale

Are you going to Shiseido Warehouse Sale next weekend on May 14th and/or May 15th? I believe the VIP day for the sale is May 13th but I don't have tickets so it'll be May 14th for me - maybe.  My friend from university is having a wedding shower on that day.  So I don't know if I'll be going to the SWS.  Anyways, here's the info in case you're looking forward to go!

When?

May 14th & 15th, 2011

Sat 9AM-5PM
Sun 9AM-3PM

Where?

Shiseido Warehouse Sale
303 Allstate Parkway
Markham, Ontario

Preparation tips?

Food! Go to a drive-in fast food restaurant on your way there and get breakfast!

Trust me, you'll be starving!

Be there early - I'd say at least 1 hour.  The earlier, the less time you'll have to wait to get in once it hits 9AM.

Haul: Lisa's Cosmetics warehouse sale

Today, I've finally got time to stop by Lisa's Cosmetics and do a little bit of shopping.  I didn't get as much this time around.  There's really nothing I'm dying to get my hands on.  I usually pick up a few tubes of Smashbox Photofinish Light Primer but I've recently stopped using it.  I've still got one last tube to finish off but I've been holding it off and using my Fusion Beauty one.  My goal was to keep my subtotal below $100 CAD, at $98.94 CAD before tax.

Where?

1380 Rodick Rd

Days left of the sale?

May 7-9, 13-16

Saturday: 9AM - 6PM

Sunday: 10AM - 6PM

Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 10AM - 8PM

 I didn't spend any money on perfume this time around.  I was tempted to get Vera Wang's Princess perfume set but I smelt it again today and I'm not loving it.

For myself, I picked up these three things.  I mainly wanted the two eyebrow razors in the La Cross Perfect Eye Kit.  They had it sold separately but it made more sense - financially - to pick up this kit because the two razors cost $1.99 while $3.99 for the kit with 5 different things in it.  I believe this kit retailed for $8 CAD in drug stores.  Plus, I can use the eyelash curler pads as replacement pads for my Shu Uemura lash curler.  ;)
Next is the Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss - True Color in Hype.  This cost me $5.99 CAD, compared to $22 CAD MSRP.  I don't recall seeing this colour there before but it's my alternative Smashbox lip gloss to my Pixel one.
The final makeup product I bought was the Smashbox blush in Aperature.  I chose it because I like the peachy mauve colour.  This cost me $7.99 CAD, compared to $25 CAD MSRP.

Now these are skincare products I bought for my mom.  It's an Elizabeth Arden skincare set with no specific name to the set.  It's contents: 60 capsules of Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules Intensive Treatment for Face and Throat, 7.5 mL of Ceramide Plump Perfect Ultra Lift and Firm Moisture Cream SPF 30, 7 mL of Ceramide Plump Perfect Ultra All Night Repair and Moisture Cream for Face and Throat, and 7 mL of Ceramide Plump Perfect Ultra Lift and Firm Eye Cream.  This cost me $46 CAD compared to $88 CAD MRSP.
Next is the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Purifying Toner that cost me $17 CAD compared to $33 CAD MRSP.  Sadly, they jacked up the price for this.  The last time I got this for my mom, it was $15 CAD like I listed from my previous haul from Lisa's Cosmetics Warehouse sale.  =(

 Finally, the yummy goodies. =D  My favourite out of all Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolates is the Fruit & Nut.  ;)  Too bad, I'm on a little-to-no-chocolate diet right now so these chocolates will def be devoured by my family.  =\
The Nestle Swiss Milk Chocolate cost me $5.99 CAD, whereas the Cadbury ones cost me $4.99 CAD each.  IMO, not a bad price for its quality and superpack size.  ;)

Review: EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balms

A little more than a month ago, I picked up three EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balms - Summer Fruit, Honeysuckle Honeydew and Sweet Mint.  I haven't opened the Sweet Mint one, but I can only assume the results are just as great as the other two I've already opened and have been using.  I've stopped using Vaseline as a lip moisturizer/conditioner since then.

Thoughts: 

My first impression of EOS lip balms after first applications was not that great.  My first thought was the waxy feeling on my lips and it didn't feel moisturizing like the feeling you'd get from Vaseline.  Vaseline gives me that slippery feeling on my lips but these lip balms don't.  After using it for around two to three weeks, I definitely noticed the improvement.  My lips weren't peeling.  They were smooth and I didn't feel the urge to constantly reapply it to moisturize my lips. However, the scent of these lip balms do make you want to reapply.

The smell:

Summer Fruit smells fruity.  It's not a strong scent so it's not irritating.

Honeysuckle Honeydew smells like sweet melon.  Again, not a strong irritating scent.

Now the one downside for this product is there's no mechanism or a way to twist up the lip balm when I'm nearly done it.

Product: EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balms - Summer Fruit & Honeysuckle Honeydew

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Pros:

- Moisturizing/conditioning

- No slippery feeling

- Paraben-free

- Petrolatum-free

Cons:

- Doesn't twist up

Review: B. Kamins Bamboo and Rice Facial Polisher

This is definitely one of those GWP that I've never expected to be love using.  Usually, I don't expect much out of samples and GWP because I think they're usually products that are either new and need to draw people's attention or they're products rated as not-so-good and companies need to get rid of them.  But for this product I have to say "O-M-G".  Ok fine, maybe I've exaggerated a bit there.  But honestly, I did feel a difference the first time I tried this exfoliating product.  Again, keep in mind these are thoughts of my own. So what may work on me, may or may not work well on you.  My skin leans more towards to not-so-sensitive side but I do have Rosacea cheeks.

The consistency:

It looks creamy but not thick.  Feels light.  There are little crushed up pieces of rice that does exfoliating job.

The smell:

It's got this minty sort of smell.  It's not irritating, but not the most pleasant smell either.  It's tolerable.

Application:

I squirted about a dime-size out on my 3rd and 4th finger and in circular motion, I rubbed it first around my nose and worked my way out.  After a good 2-3 minute rub, I cleansed my face with warm water.  Then carried on with my usual skincare routine - toner, hydrating serum, and moisturizer.

What it claims to do:

"A gentle, polishing, textured cleanser which helps to clarify and refine sallow, thickened, sun-damaged, mottled or acneic complexions.  Combines, natural fine-milled bamboo, tiny rice beads, our super-moisturizing Bio-Maple(TM) compound and gentle tensio-active sudsuing agents for a luxurious at-home spa experience.  Helps to exfoliate dead skin cells, refine pores and improve skin texture for a more even and brillant complexion."

"For all skin types.  A clarifying treatment"

End results:

My skin felt softer, seemed brighter.  I don't have prominent hyperpigmentation from sunspots or blotches of darker spots but I do have a few sunspots / brown spots and it doesn't seem to have helped diminish its appearance.  Maybe with longer use of it, but for now, I don't see a difference.  I do use it on and off.  The lady at Murale who included this product in my purchase told me to use it every other day, but I haven't which would probably explain why I don't see a difference in diminish/reducing appearance of sunspots.

Since my skin felt softer, clearly the product does what it claims in terms of "exfoliate dead skin cells."  I also did notice my pores near my nose have been less prominent, so it did do it's job in the "refine pores" department.  And finally, I do see the brightening complexion result.

Product:  B. Kamins Bamboo and Rice Facial Polisher

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Pros:

- Skin brightening

- Skin feels soft

- Refines pores

Cons:

- Haven't seen the effect of clarifying and refining sun-damaged areas

Review: Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss True Color in Pixel

I've had this Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss True Color in Pixel for quite a few years now - maybe 3 years? Anyways, I've got to say that this is one of my fave nude lip glosses.  It's got tiny sparkles in it, but they don't bother me at all - unlike the MAC ones that feel chunky.  I'm not really into lip glosses that draw too much attention to my lips filled with sparkles.  I like how it does not have that sticky feeling.  I feel like once applied, my chappy peeling lips are covered (near flawless) AND it moisturizes my lips.

The site claims, Lip Enhancing Gloss True Color have "vitamin E and sunflower seed oil" that "nourish with a touch of creamy color and soft radiant shine" and the "velour wand perfectly contours lips."
The vitamin E and sunflower seed oil might explain how I feel about its moisturizing effects.  It softens and conditions my lips.

Plus, I love the colour.  It's a great nude pink colour for me.  I guess more of a peachy pink.

Now the downside of this and probably with every lip gloss is how it wears off so fast.  I'd say after 30 mins, the lip gloss will wear off - even when I don't eat or lick my lips.  So constant reapplication is needed to achieve the consistent results.

Product: Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss True Color in Pixel
Rating: 4 / 5

Pros:
- Great colour
- Nourishing, conditioning, moisturizing
- Helps fix chapped lips
- Camouflages my chapped lips
- Non-sticky
- Tiny sparkles

Cons:
- Not long-lasting at all

Before

After

Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss - True Color in Pixel

Haul: @Sephora - B. kamins, Dior, Tarte

Yesterday, I stopped by Sherway Gardens and Yorkdale Mall to go to Sephora and make good use of their 15% off sale.  =)  But oh dear, I def made some major damage to my wallet yesterday.  Then again I'll def stop spending for the next month or so.  I may be going to the next Shiseido warehouse sale and the Lisa's Cosmetics sale, but even if I go, I'll probably not spend anything on myself.  Anyways, back to what I spent on yesterday.

I originally wanted to pick up the Fusion Beauty Anti-Redness Primer but I tried it on my hands and it doesn't really neutralize the redness as well as the Makeup Forever one.  For some reason, I never thought of picking up a bottle of Makeup Forever Green Primer when I was Sherway Gardens.  So by the time I went to Yorkdale's Sephora, they didn't have any left.  =(  I might pick up a bottle the next time I go by a Sephora.

Anyways, I def did pick up the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Blissful.  This cost me $33 CAD but with additional 15% off, it came up to $28.05 CAD.  I chose Blissful over Tipsy because the colour is more settle and not too corally.  As much as I love coral, the colour just doesn't look too flattering on my skintone.  =(

Next I bought a Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in 256 Negligee Pink.  It's a pretty nude pink, very glossy and no shimmers.  I've never owned any Dior lip products so I thought I might as well splurge a little money on a Dior lip gloss.  It cost me $31 CAD but with additional 15% off, it came to $26.35 CAD.

Finally, I picked up a B. Kamins skincare set.  LOL I think I'm starting to love their products because of the Bamboo & Rice Facial Polisher.  The makeup artist @Yorkdale's Sephora recommended me this product because she saw me picking up a jar of Nurture Me by Ole Henrikson that is designed for rosacea cheeks - in other words, my broken capillaries.  She recommended I'd try out the B. Kamins because it's more of a complete set that will last me a month to try out and she gave me a small sample of the Nurture Me cream.  But I mainly got sold by the B. Kamins set because she put on the 'Soothing Skin Concentrate' on my hand and because it's teal-coloured, I immediately saw the difference it made.
Anyways, this skincare set cost me $65 CAD but with additional 15% off, it came up $55.25 CAD.

In additional, the cash gave me some samples - Dior One Essential and Lancome Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate.  She asked if I wanted to redeem a 500-point perk.  I had to decide between a Boscia skincare set and a Smashbox makeup set.  So I decided on the Smashbox one.  =)

All in all, like I said, my shopping trip has majorly damaged my wallet.  I'll have to build some self-control for the next month or so.

SO, reviews will def be coming soon.

Haul: SDM Dior

Yesterday, I went to Sherway Gardens intentionally to go to Sephora to get some of my wishlist products.  But as I walked out of Sephora, I saw a SDM so I decided to walk in and ask them what skincare product they'd recommend to help with the broken capillaries on my cheeks and skincare that could prevent and correct the little wrinkles I have under my eye.  So the guy there was really helpful and explained that broken capillaries are more visible under the skin because I have a thin top layer of skin.  He recommended me this Ultimate Wrinkle Correction Serum to increase the skin density to help with the wrinkles and broken capillaries.

I also took advantage of the SDM promo where you spend over $50 and you'd get 20x SDM Optimum points.  Overall, I spent $130 CAD and using a gift card with $5.16 left on it, I spent $141.74 CAD.  Quite expensive for a skincare product, but I never know whether it'll work unless I give it a try.

And because they were having a Dior promo, they gave me a gift bag full of sample goodies - Dior Multi-Perfection Serum, J'adore perfume, Dior Addict 2 perfume and Diorshow Mascara.

The extra sample I have is Dior Hydra-Life cream that I got when I went to the Bay at Yorkdale mall.  I used it this morning and it feels great on my skin.  I might be getting this after I finish my Shiseido Brightening Moisturizing Cream.

Haul: B. Kamins

A few weeks ago, I spent ~$80 at Murale on B. Kamins skincare products.  B. Kamins is a Canadian brand skincare company.  Their rep used their machine to analyze my skin and she told me I have a lot of dry skin - which I find totally true.  Part of the reason for my dry skin is the winter weather and the daily use of Shiseido Brightening Cleansing Foam.  I'm still have my small tube of Cleansing Foam from the Shiseido Skincare set I reviewed a few months ago.  But I've only been using it once every week since then.  Now onto my purchase.  I bought the Vegetable Cleanser for $38 CAD and AHA+BHA Daily Peel Pads for $59 CAD.  Since Murale is a Shoppers Drug Mart company, they accept SDM Optimum card and I redeemed a $30 value of points. =) So it lowered my cost to $79.61 CAD.

As a side gift, they gave me a full-sized Bamboo and Rice Facial Polisher which would normally retail for $45 CAD.  Oh and she gave me a sample-sized tube of Maple Body Lotion.

I haven't used the two skincare products that I bought, but I did use their gift products.  I can already tell you I am super surprised at the Bamboo and Rice Facial Polisher - I'll write a review on this soon.  ;)
But in terms of the Maple Body Lotion, I'm not too fond of it.  Its scent is a little too strong and it lasts a long time on my hands.  It is moisturizing though.  However some people may not be bothered by the scent as it is more of a baby scent.

Sephora 15% off Sale?!

Click and print off image to get your discount @Sephora, beauty insiders!

Well well, another sale going on @Sephora that is just going to leave me no choice but to surrender my wallet.  Ugh! I always get this sense of guilt when I spend too much and I know I should be saving! I really do have respect for those who can resist temptation! Anyways, onto what I will be interested in getting on this shopping trip.

1.  Fusion Beauty Anti-Redness Primer
2.  Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Tipsy and/or Blissful  OR any natural blush I can find
3.  YSL Touche Eclat - I really want this but I'm going to need some more convincing to justify buying this.

Review: Crown Brushes

A little more than one month ago, I bought crown brushes from a shop called Jordane Cosmetics.  Prior to purchasing, I did my research.  I've read all sorts of good and bad stuff about the crown brushes, so I was really eager to try them out and see for myself.  I bought 4 brushes and have been using them since.


The Kabuki brush SS016 (Syntho) cost me $19.12 CAD.  IMO, the price is so-so.  It's not too expensive but it's not cheap either.  I like how the brush is soft, which is expected from a synthetic brush.  I've washed it at least 5 times with a bar of soap and probably 1-2 pieces of hair fell out.  There wasn't a distinct smell when I first bought it.  I use this brush to apply my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish powder and MUFE HD microfinish powder.  It's a great brush to apply both powder as it picks up the product quite well.  It does leave a very nice finish.  Now the one problem I have with it is the size.  I kinda wish I got the flat top kabuki brush.  Compared to the surface area that a flat top kabuki brush covers, this rounded one doesn't cover as much and actually needs a bit more work to buff in the powders on my skin.  Plus, it's a harder to get in areas like the sides of your nose, which the flat top kabuki could probably do better.  I just feel like I could have got the flat top kabuki to work a lot better and efficient, which makes me feel like I should drop by Jordane Cosmetics and get one the next time I'm in the area. 

Product: SS016 (Syntho) Deluxe Ultra Soft Kabuki Brush
Rating: 4 / 5
Pros:
-  Bristles are very soft
-  Buffs powder into the skin quite well
-  Picks up product
-  Few to no hair fall out

Cons:
-  Covers a small surface area
-  Hard to buff certain areas

The Contouring Blush brush C405 (Studio Pro) cost me $8.99 CAD.  I think this brush is affordable and worth it.  It's made of natural hair, and it's soft.  It doesn't feel scratchy on my face.  I did experience some hair fall outs and one or two pieces of hair stick out (but it won't come out).  IMO, I think the size is perfect.  I don't own the MAC angle brush but I have seen it in stores and I think this MAC dupe is smaller.  Compared to my MAC 168sh, the bristles of the MAC dupe is way softer.  The ferrule and handle doesn't feel like they're cheaply made, like it's not falling apart.  When I first bought this, it did have a smell and it still kinda does but not noticeable.  In terms of application, I only use it for blush so far.  I've only used it with my MAC blush and it doesn't pick up a lot of the product.  However, I can use this brush to build up the colour on my cheeks.  As a matter of fact, I've been using the MAC Briar Rose from Venomous Villains collection which is a colour that's vibrant and stands out.  I don't like applying a whole lot of this colour on my cheeks because then I look like a clown.  I just lightly apply some on, which this brush can do really well, as it doesn't pick up that much product.  Then again, I think it's the quality of the MAC blush.  I've tried to swatch it on my finger and not even my finger can pick up the colour that well.

Product: C405 (Studio Pro) Contour Brush
Rating: 5 / 5
Pros:
-  Soft bristles
-  Great size
-  Overall brush is not bad quality, so it's worth it
-  Picks up the right amount of product

Cons:
-  Nothing I can think of

The C213 (Studio) Chisel Mini Smudger Brush cost me $2.39 CAD.  I've used this brush to smudge out my eyeliner and apply eyeshadow close to my upper and lower lashline.  The brush smudges out eyeliner quite well.  It also picks up eyeshadow pretty well.  It's not scratchy so it doesn't irritate my skin.  I haven't experienced a hair fallout from this brush.  I like how small its size is, it makes it easier to work with.  The handle and ferrule are not fragile, so it's pretty sturdy.

Product: C213 (Studio) Chisel Mini Smudger Brush
Rating 5 / 5
Pros:
-  No hair fallout
-  Picks up product
-  Smudges eyeliner, not harsh on the eye 


Cons:
- Nothing I can think of

Finally the last brush I bought was PP27 (Perfectly Pink) Bullet Crease Brush that cost me $2.63 CAD.  It's a great brush for the crease, as it's bristles are cut with a pointy edge.  Unfortunately, this brush was not as soft as the others and there were fallouts.  More fallouts than the other ones.  I believe they are natural bristles.  Again the handle and ferrule are held together pretty sturdy.  It has no problem picking up eyeshadows.  It's a great size brush for the crease, as it's not quite meant for blending out shadows.

Product: PP27 (Perfectly Pink) Bullet Crease Brush
Rating: 4 / 5
Pros:
-  Great size
-  No issue with picking up product

Cons:
-  Not as soft bristles
-  Hair fall outs

Overal review of Crown Brushes

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Pros:

-  Brushes are way more affordable

-  Good quality

-  Very few to no hair fallouts or bristles breaking off

-  Great alternative to MAC brushes

-  Offers a large selection of brushes

Cons:

-  No major cons I can think of

Haul: Ardene Jewelry

Ok, honestly, throughout high school I didn't like purchasing jewelry from Claire's or Ardene because I felt their quality wasn't that great and I preferred real jewelry - i.e. gold, silver, platinum, etc - because they were worth it.  But after going through university and under the influence of friends, I changed.  Every time we had a themed party, we'd hit the road and bus to a closeby Ardene and pick up some jewelry or accessory to accessorize ourselves for the themed party.  And sometimes, we'd go there just to buy some stylish jewelry.  So this trend just grew on me.

Lately, I've been reading fashion blogs and noticed the trend for rings.  Rings that are big, bulky and makes a statement.  I'm kinda liking it.  So I went to the mall yesterday and there was an Ardene, so I went in and found some rings that I find I could wear with majority of my clothes.  I have to choose rings with care because I have small and short fingers so if I wear big bulky rings, they could potentially make my fingers look even shorter.  LOL Like I don't know what it is, but my fingers decided to stop growing after grade 7.  =|

Anyways, Ardene always have pretty good deals.  For their rings, they were 3 for $10. Sunglasses were 3 for $15.  Bracelets, necklaces and earrings were 3 for $10.  And I think hair accessories were 5 for $10.  Plus, they accept SPC (Student Price Card) which is a discount card that you can present to numerous stores to receive a discount, along with your student card if they ask for it.  Some places don't ask for it, but I was carded yesterday.  The girl probably thought I was too old to be in school.  LOL You get 10% off your purchase, so for me, as opposed to $10, I got a $1 discount and paid $9 plus tax which came up to $10.17 CAD.

The sad part of these rings is the discoloration after long use.  But I guess it's wear and tear, so after long use, the shiny silver coating deteriorates and turns dull.  Then again, I don't think I'll keep them around once it does turn dull.