Sephora Favourites Give Me More Lip set || Unboxing & Swatches

I recently bought this year's Sephora Favourites Give Me More Lip set with my friend Brit, just like last year, and once again, we decided to film opening it up and swatching it for you guys!

From the looks of it, the set is sold out, at least online at Sephora.ca, so I'm not sure if they will be restocking, but hopefully they will, so you can get your hands on it, if you're interested!

Also, below the embedded video, I've done a bit of a breakdown on the sizes of the products included and tried to figure out what each piece is worth compared to the full size option, to see what the approximate value of the box is!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Product Size/Price Breakdown (All prices in CAD unless stated)

1. Ciate Liquid Velvet in Risque

Full size product — .22 oz. (Doesn't seem to be available from Sephora.ca) | $19 USD

2. Nars Lipstick in Scarlett Empress

Full size product — .12 oz | $34

3. Smashbox Be Legendary in Magenta Matte

Full size product — .1 oz | $23

4. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Streak

Full size product — .09 oz | $26

5. Bite Matte Creme in Cognoc (full size = .05 oz @ $28)

Sample size — .03 oz | ~$16.80

6. Kat Von D Studded Kiss in Homegirl (full size = .1 oz @ $26)

Sample size — .04 oz | ~$10.40

7. Fresh Sugar Tulip Tinted Lip Treatment (full size = .15 oz @ $26)

Sample size — .07 oz | ~$12.13

8. Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Peony (full size = .4 oz @ $25)

Sample size — .16 oz | ~$10

9. Lancôme Lip Lover in 355 Framboise Etoile (full size = .14 oz @ $30)

Sample size — .1 oz | ~$21.43

10. Buxom Lip Cream in Berry Blast (full size = .14 oz @ $23)

Sample size — .07 oz | ~$11.50

11. Clinique Chubby Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Super Strawberry (full size = .1 oz @ $20)

Sample size — .04 oz| ~$8

12. Buxom Lip Polish in Sophia (full size = .15 oz @ $23)

Sample size — .07 oz | ~$10.73

13. Tarte Energy Gloss in Clear (full size = .27 oz @ $23)

Sample size — .05 oz | ~$4.26

14. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Le Rouge in No 1 (full size = .13 oz @ $39}

Sample size — .03 oz | ~$9

15. Laura Mercier Creme Smooth in Milkyway (full size = .14 oz @ $32)

Sample size — .07 oz | ~$16

Approximate total value of this set — $232.25

232.25 - 70 = $162.25 worth of savings

Granted, the above math is kind of more for fun than anything, it is interesting to look at the price per ounce of these products, and just what supposed value you are getting in this set! Assuming you could buy these minis separately, you'd save more than 150 bucks by buying them in this set, which is pretty crazy, in my opinion.

Anyway, too long, didn't read or watch, I think this set is pretty great, and a lot of fun, especially if you have a friend you can split if fairly with, like me and Brit, with our differing tastes! Also, pretty great, if pricey gift!

Let me know if you got this set already, what your thoughts were, and if you are sharing it with someone else or keeping it all to yourself! =)

Thanks for watching!

Simple Daytime Makeup Tutorial {Video}

First part of my Day to night makeup tutorials; second video will be up on Monday!

Your choices, as always: click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Thanks for watching!

My Current Skincare Products {video}

For something a little different, here's an overview of all of the skincare products I currently own and use, and sorta mini-review things. Enjoy!

Your choices: click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Thanks for watching!

GRWM #7: Lazy Summer Day Makeup {Video}

Last summer makeup video for the year! Super simple and quick, but I think it's still pretty cute and fun!

Your choices: click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Thanks for watching!

Daytime Smokey Eye Tutorial ft. Naked3 {VIDEO}

Looking for more ways to use your Naked3 palette and justify that pricey purchase? Here's what I'm calling a daytime smokey eye look, since it's darker than my usual everyday eye shadow look. Maybe it will be some kind of inspiration for you!

As always, you can click here to watch in HD, or watch below in the embedded player:

Thanks for watching!

August favourites

I apologize for the shortness of my Back to School series thus far, but I promise there will be at least 2 more posts coming for that, one here and one on my other blog, so check back for those. For now, though, it’s almost the end of the first week of September, so it’s time for my August favourites! I had quite a few listed down for this past month, but I weeded it down to six beauty items and three non-beauty. As usual, let’s start with my beauty favourites.

1. Make Up Forever Foundation:

As you know if you saw my IMATS haul post, I got this at Vancouver IMATS in July. I haven’t been using it every day, but I do really love the staying power, as well as the look and feel of it on my skin. It’s a bit pricey even with the IMATS discount though, so I’ll likely make sure to make this bottle last as long as possible!

2. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Topcoat:

I got this to try out partly because it’s several dollars cheaper than Seche or Out The Door, and also because I’ve heard good things. Honestly, I’m not sure that I would bother buying the other ones, since this dries really fast, shiny, is chip resistant, doesn’t have a strong odor, doesn’t shrink or look streaky, and, as mentioned, the price is great! I’m overall very happy with this purchase and have nothing bad to say about this product thus far.

3. Too Face Milk Chocolate Soliel Bronzer:

First of all, isn’t the packaging on this just beautiful? I’m pretty much in love. Plus, when you open it, the delicious scent of chocolate wafts out. Not only does this product give a really nice light bronzed look, which is great for my pale skin, but throughout the day I get random wiffs of chocolate, so how could that ever be bad? If this product looks a bit too light for you, there is also the regular Chocolate Soliel option.

4. Red Cherry Lashes –Demi Wispies

This is both surprising to me and not surprising at all… at the same time. I’m not surprised that I love these lashes because of the multitudes of other girls who adore this style. But at the same time, looking at them in the package, they look like a mess! On the eyes, though, they end up looking shockingly natural, if naturally my lashes were long, thick, and black. Basically, I’m in love, and the Red Cherry lashes are both cheap and really lightweight (read: comfortable to wear and easy to apply). Definite favourite!

5. Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze:

I honestly don’t know why I never picked up one of these sooner! I’ve been wearing this one a lot lately, since it’s a great colour for a one-shadow look, either as a wash of colour, or built up on the outer corners and more sheer on the inner corner for added dimension. Its also a pretty good base, but the colour is so pretty on it’s own, and it stays so beautiful for so long, that I don’t really like using it as a base for other colours. I would love to pick up more of these shadows!

6. Clinique Clarifying Lotion for Dry Combination Skin:

I really like this toner, a lot more than my last Clinique toner, which was for acne-prone skin. This one is much more gentle, and doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight and dry. Instead, this one has menthol in it, so it leaves my skin feeling cool and refreshed. It also has witch hazel which helps to tone while also helping skin retain moisture. And it doesn’t have a very harsh scent. Really everything about it is a positive for me!

Non-Beauty Favourites:

1. Rainbow Unicorn Attack 2:

This game is bloody awesome. It’s really simple in concept—you are a unicorn, you run, jump, and dash through the map avoiding and destroying obstacles while acquiring tears which are the game’s monetary system—but also quite challenging, since the game is constantly changing. Also, you use your money to buy upgraded unicorn parts. My unicorn is the screenshot above. He’s pink, and I love him. You should get this game. (It’s available for both IPhone and Android, but it’s also very graphic-heavy, so slower or older phones might lag a bit.)

2. My New Phone – The Google Nexus 4:

Maybe I should have put this first on the list, as it’s the reason I can play RUA2, but meh. As you can see in the above picture, the back of this phone basically sparkles in the light. Yeah. Also, it’s really light, fast, smart… everything that a smart phone should ideally be. My last phone was at least 2 years old, so I’m really enjoying having something new, shiny, and basically top-of-the-line, at least for now =P. I also finally just got my case in the mail today, so I’ll be a little less paranoid about dropping him (the phone’s name is Jarvis, if you’re curious).

((Gold star to whoever can figure out which of the pictures in this post were taken with my phone’s camera!))

3. Frozen Grapes:

Image from AskMerriAuthor.Tumblr.com

These are such an awesome, simple, refreshing warm-weather treat (though that won’t stop me from eating them when it’s cold out). One thing that I don’t like about buying grapes is that they tend to go soft before I finish them, but when they’re frozen, they’re not getting soft any time soon! Basically, these are like little self-contained popsicle balls, but much healthier than a popsicle! I definitely suggest getting some grapes and giving it a try. It’ll work with whatever colour grapes you prefer, but my favourite are the red ones, like in the picture.

***

And that’s all for this month! Let me know about your favourites in the comments below, as well as your thoughts about anything in this post or if you have any post recommendations or requests!

Thanks for reading! =)

Mini Clinique Skincare Haul

***I’m posting this up instead of my July favourites post, which isn’t done yet, because I have too many assignments due to take the time to write up my favourites post right now. Instead you get this post today, and I’ll post my favourites by the 9th. Hope you don’t mind!***

Apparently I’m a little bit of a brand-whore when it comes to skincare…

Clinique and I have had a good relationship when it comes to skin for a long time now. I used to steal my mom’s Clinique toner, for example, when I was in highschool. To be fair, she didn’t use it much herself. A lot of other products end up being too harsh or not harsh enough, but it’s really easy to find good Clinique products, so I pretty much always feel like it’s worth it. My last toner was the Clinique Acne Solution version, and I’ve also had both the acne clearing concealer, and the spot treatment gel. I’m almost out of that toner, with maybe one more use left, though it’s a little harsh for my skin now, whereas my skin used to love it. (To be fair, I bought that one almost 2 years ago now!) This time I picked up the:

Clinique Clarifying Lotion for Dry Combination skin:

This comes in a variety of formulations for different skin types, but I picked the dry combination one even though I don’t usually have dry skin because I figure this way it won’t try to strip my skin of all its oils. I really like this one so far; it gives my skin a cooling, almost minty feel, without making it feel tight like some toners do.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel for Combinations Oily to Oily skin:

For a moisturizer, to replace my Sephora Instant Moisturizer, which I’m almost out of, I decided to try this. Partly because it’s $7 cheaper, but the exact same size and from a more reputable brand. It also, coincidentally, takes less of this product to cover my face than the Sephora one! I got the gel, rather than the lotion, for the opposite reason to how I picked the toner formula… I figure a moisturizer for oily skin is less likely to make my skin feel oily! So far, I’m really liking this moisturizer, since it has very little scent, and it soaks into my skin really fast, so I’m not shiny and greasy for a long time after like I felt with the Sephora moisturizer.

***

And that’s everything! What are your favourite skincare products/brands? Do you like Clinique as well?

Thanks for reading!

Face of the Day // How Much Does My Face Cost?

A few days ago I had tons of time to do my makeup and take pictures before I went out. It was probably a class day, since I’m usually rushing out the door other days, and my makeup ends up looking a lot simpler. So I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to show off an casual, fairly natural/everyday type of makeup look for me.

Whole picture:

The eyes:

And all the makeup and brushes I used:

As you can see, I did pretty much everything in this look, though I have used more at one time before. Anyways, when I add up how much this look cost, I’m going to be estimating my prices, since I can’t remember exactly, obviously, for each product. For stuff I can’t remember at all, I’ll google it.

Up first…

Face/Skin Products:

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Ivory = $10

Veil Illuminating Complexion Fix Concealer = $38 (but I won it)

Used on eyes and under-eyes, and for blemishes that aren’t acne related.

Clinique Acne Solution Clearing Concealer = $19

Shiro Cosmetics Fatality Finishing Powder = $10 (plus shipping)

ELF Blush in Candid Coral = $3 (plus shipping)

Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Bronzer in Natural Glow = $22

For contouring under jaw, below cheekbones, temples, forehead, and sides of nose.

Face product total: $102

Lip Products:

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Sugar Plum = $6

Mine looks funny and has a weird cap because this was in the staff room with a bunch of other testers that my last job was trying to get rid of before they closed. I believe it was free.

Mai Couture Social Gloss in Femme Fatale = $25

This colour is really dull and (in my opinion) ugly on it`s own, but over this too-dark-for-the-season lipstick, it makes a great colour.

Lip product total: $31

Eye/Eyebrow Products:

Essence Get Big Lashes Waterproof Mascara = $5

NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencil in Light Brown (I think) = $5

BA Star glitter glue primer = $9

Used as a primer under my eyeshadow

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Perversion = $23

On the lower waterline.

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette = $7 (or 4 pounds in the UK. I won this in a contest.)

I think I used two colours out of this palette for this look: The dark bronze colour, second from the right in the top row, and probably the second from the left in the bottom row.

Eye product total: $49

Brushes:

ELF Kabuki Face Brush = $6 (plus shipping)

Used for finishing powder, and softening my bronzer

Real Techniques Contour Brush – and –

For my bronzer.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush = $20 (Set price; I bought these brushes as part of the Core collection.)

My foundation brush.

ELF Blending Brush = $3 (plus shipping)

I’m guessing the price, since it looks like they don’t sell this brush anymore. I use it for my blush.

ELF Studio Contour Brush = $3 (plus shipping)

ELF Essential Smudge Brush = $1 (plus shipping)

Brush total: $36

***

And my total cost for this whole look?

$218

That’s a lot of money, and that doesn’t include shipping on anything I bough online! That said, you also have to remember that very little of every product is used each time you use it, and I didn’t buy all of these products in one shot. Still, I think this was a fun exercise to see how much I really spend on makeup!

If you also want to do this, let me know in the comments, and link me to your blog post or youtube video. I’d love to see how you do! Thanks for reading!

December Favourites

As promised in my November Favourites post, I’m going to try to keep this one a little shorter, though that shouldn’t be too hard, because my favourite products don’t usually change too much month to month.

1. Glitter polishes:

I’ve got a bunch, some new, some old, and I wore them almost all month. It might be because of Christmas, but no matter the reason, here are the glitter polishes I’ve been loving this past month:

1. a gold glitter polish by Fascino (which is a brand I’ve only ever seen at a mini kiosk in Richmond Centre mall) called only #65
2. Yara by Zoya, which is almost a military green, but with beautiful gold shimmer. Not sure it counts as a glitter polish, but it is really sparkly!
3. Silver by Billie Cosmetics, which is a cheap, low quality dollar store brand, but a great colour for layering.
4. a bronze glitter, also by Fascino, this one is #66
   
   
5. Star Light by L.A. Colors, a holographic glitter which I’m absolutely in love with, even though the quality isn’t great. It can make any manicure which is looking a little dull look completely fresh!
6. It’s Bouquet With Me by Sephora by OPI, which is a purple and holographic glitter polish, which could only be better if it had a slightly more opaque base colour
7. and a chunky black and silver glitter from Fascino (they were 3 for $10 when I bought them), #68

2. Bath and Body Works hand sanitizers:

From Left to right: Apple Wreath, Chocolate Chunk Cookie, Caribbean Escape, Blue Raspberry, Vanilla Sprinkle Cookie, Island Margarita, Angel Cookie, Winter Cranberry.

I meant not to repost things that I mentioned last month, but this is a little different. Free $5 coupons to Bath and Body Works were being given out a few weeks ago in front of La Senza at Richmond Centre mall, and coincidentally, sanitizers were on sale for 8 for $5! So, for only a penny, I walked away with a BUNCH of lovely smelling sanitizers.

3. Sephora shadow in Aspen Summit:

This little shadow came in the birthday gift from Sephora in 2010, but I didn’t really start using it until recently. It’s just a simple white shimmer powder, and  I’ve really been liking it lately as a highlight just under the arches of my eyebrows and at the inner corners of my eyes. It also looks really cool if you use it from the lash to crease, and then use Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Deviant along the lash line.

4. Clinique Acne Solutions products (technically #4-6):

I have the Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion, Clearing Concealer in Shade 01, and the Spot Treatment Gel. I absolutely love this line, all of the products work really well. The toner isn’t too drying, and also has a powder in it (that you have to make sure is mixed in before you use it), which is supposed to help absorb oil and decrease shininess.

The concealer is wonderful, because I always feel bad putting makeup on zits, since I know it will only make them worse. Instead, this product helps to cover up at the same time that its trying to get rid of acne. Best of both worlds!

The Spot Treatment gel is great for using at night, or on any little bumps which aren’t red and don’t need covering. I’m also pretty sure it is a little more affective than the concealer, since it’s only job is to fight zits, and doesn’t contain makeup.

The active ingredient in all three products is salicylic acid, which I find works a lot better on my skin than benzoyl peroxide. Both the spot treatment and the concealer are 1% salicylic acid, while the toner contains 1.5%. While these are pricier than Clean and Clear or Clearasil, I personally think its worth the extra money, as the Clinique tends to work a lot better for me.

7. Ole Henriksen Truth to Go Wipes

My final product for the month are these Ole Henriksen Truth to go Wipes. You might notice that my package is looking a little battered, but that is because these are about half gone, and I’ve also taken them with me on a few occasions where I was sleeping the night not at home. These are great, for travel or for home, because they are for all skin types, gentle, moisturizing (as it says on the package), and also remove makeup really easily. And as a bonus, they smell great! I love these for all those reasons, plus, I can be really lazy when it comes to washing my makeup off at night, so if, instead of going to the washroom, and using makeup remover,  face wash and water, I can just scrub my face with one of these cloths, then I am way more likely to do the job.

One downside is these are a little expensive for what they are. I’m not sure if I will repurchase them when I use up the rest of mine, because they cost (if I remember correctly) about $17 here in Canada, and you only get 30 wipes. One cheap, but not as awesome alternative are the Balea 3 in 1 cleansing cloths from Shoppers Drug Mart, which are about $10 and you get 60 wipes. They definitely get the job done when it comes to makeup removal, but they do lack the great scent and the anti-aging promise of the Ole Henriksen wipes.

So what were your favourite things last month? Let me know!