Sephora Favorites Collection!

Sephora recently released a few of their holiday gift sets and a lot of Sephora Favourites packages are already out as well as some other great brands I am absolutely dying to try. We all know I am a sucker for value sets and if theres a time to get them, its between now and Christmas. Check out some of the products I have my sights on!

Sephora Favourites Beauty Unmasked

Price: $37.00
Consists of:
– 1.7 oz Origins Clear Improvement™ Active Charcoal Mask To Clear Pores
– 1 oz Boscia Luminizing Black Mask
– 0.5 oz Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask
– 0.5 oz Glamglow Thirstymud™ Hydrating Treatment

Already love the Origins mask and have been wanting to try both the Glamglow and Boscia masks so this seems worth it to me!

OR

Gift Sexy — Glamglow

Price: $76
Consists of:
-1.7 oz THIRSTYMUD™ Hydrating Treatment
– 0.5 oz SUPERMUD™ Clearing Treatment
– 0.5 oz YOUTHMUD™ Tinglexfoliate Treatment

I have been eyeing Glamglow products foreeeeever, since you hear anyone that can afford them rave and rave about their products. I’ve just always felt $76 was way too much for a mask….so if there is a deal to try all three I may have to pounce on this chance!

Sephora Favourites Superstars

Price: $90
Consists of:
– 0.003 oz Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown
– 0.25 oz Benefit Cosmetics POREfessional
– 0.05 oz Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Mascara In Jet Black
– 1.7 oz Bumble And Bumble Surf Spray
– 0.34 oz Chloè by Chloè Rollerball
– 0.4 oz Formula X Nail Color in Ignite
– 0.08 oz Fresh Sugar Rosè Tinted Lip Treatment
– 0.5 oz Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
– 0.16 oz Nars Cosmetics Blush in Orgasm
– 1 oz Smashbox Cosmetics Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 35 in Light
– 0.016 oz Stila Cosmetics Stay All Day® Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner In Intense Black
– 0.05 oz Urban Decay Eye shadow in Sin

I am on the fence for this value set. There are some things I’ve definitely been wanting to try, some I already have, and others I have no desire or already know won’t go with my colouring….but I guess that is the beauty of this type of value pack. Whether I am sure or not right now, all I know is I keep finding myself back at the site staring at this so we will have to see!

Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Price: $67
Contains:
-0.11 oz Cheek shades in Luminous Flush (champagne rose)
-0.11 oz Incandescent Electra (cool peach)
-0.11 oz Mood Exposure (soft plum)

Are you serious?! Just recently I bought the Ambient Lighting highlighting palette and as I was contemplating I said “I really wish it was a blush palette.” Turns out I love my other palette so it worked out for the better, but I am most certainly going to have to get my hands on this!

Naked Basics 2

Price: $35
Consists of:
-0.05 oz in Skimp (pale nude satin)
-0.05 oz Stark (nude-pink matte)
-0.05 oz Frisk (warm gray matte)
-0.05 oz Cover (muted red-brown matte)
-0.05 oz Primal (muted brown matte)
-0.05 oz Undone (deep, smoky brown matte)

I am borderline obsessed with my Naked Basics, easily my favourite palette. Easy for travel, so versatile and so buttery. So I have been back and forth on getting the 2nd version since they seem so similar…but they AREN’T similar, and why not get something you know you are absolutely going to love!

I also definitely would have gone for the Draw the Line and the Lash Stash as well but…I recently bought those! haha

So those are what is on my wish list (so far!) Looking to be a good Christmas! haha What is on your wish list from Sephora’s value sets collection?

“August” Favourites!

So I realized I’m pretty late on the whole August favourites type post, so I was originally planning on skipping it…but then I thought, reading everyone else’s favourites are the posts I most look forward to, and it’s my blog so…..heck, why not?!

August was my “this is the last of summer so live it up” month, and my favourites revolved around that.

I tried to wear bright colours (loving on the mint and coral) and show off my tan as much as possible. Heading out of town for a wedding, I got these gorgeous bangle bracelets ON SALE from Aldo Accessories, and I have gotten compliments on them every time I wear them. I am just obsessing over coral, mint and gold right now so any outfits I can wear this with you know that I am!
Aldo Bracelets

Tarte’s Lights, Cameras, Lashes Mascara
Next, I picked up the Lash Stash pack last month from Sephora (most amazing deal by the way) and have been using Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes…and am obsessed! I have been asked twice if I am wearing false eyelashes. I love how much volume it is giving my lashes, but not clumpy or spidery like Too Faced’s Better Than Sex can sometimes do. Still in love with my Too Faced mascara, but am loving Tarte’s for work.

Revlon Nail Polish — “Teak Rose”
I’ve mentioned before I am a sucker for Revlon nail polish. I just think it has amazing colour payoff, dries fairly quickly and doesn’t chip, all for a great price. I recently picked up Teak Rose and I am IN LOVE. It is a fairly warmed toned dusty rose, that is an absolutely gorgeous colour without being too dramatic. I have so many outfits that go with this polish and I know it looks delicate and pretty and chic!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
I actually almost returned this in the first week I got it…if I lived near a Sephora, I would have. I just did not think this was doing anything for me, and after experiencing Laura Mercier’s highlighter, I wasn’t sold — especially with a price tag like this palette has. But I continued to wear it, and it continued to grow on me….and now if I forget to put it on in the morning, I really notice that glow from within look is missing. It just gives the skin an overall beautiful glowy look — thats totally natural looking. My favourite of the palette is by far the middle shade, Incandescent.

Smashbox Eyeliner
With recently picking up Sephora’s Draw the Line eyeliner value set, I figured I should probably use up other liners I have first (I am a liner hoarder, I will admit) so I have only begun to use Smashbox’s black crayon eyeliner…and I love it! Great colour pay off, and I use it on the waterline and it sticks all day. I often veer away from wearing crayon liner at work for fear of panda eyes, but this stuff stays put!

Every Day Office Makeup

When looking at your whole beautiful makeup collection, sometimes it can be really hard to pin point what your everyday makeup is.

You may factor in that every now and then you wear this primer…..

….orrrrr for days you’re a little more glammed up, you’ll wear this lipstick….

…and you know, you do rotate what eyeliner your using sometimes…

But now that I start work at 7:30 a.m. and bring my travel bag of makeup and quickly put it on right at my desk more often than I’d like to admit, I’ve stripped down to what products I absolutely need on the regular that make me feel confident and ready to face the day!

Shocker #1 — no tinted moisturizer. A staple for me on nights out, but I like to let my skin breathe — at least for the summer while I have a natural tan going on, it takes less time in the morning.

I start with (most mornings) Tarte Amazonian Clay bronzer, or if I’m up for contouring, benefit Hoola bronzer. I use my real techniques multi-task brush for this.

I follow that up with my beautiful, Nars Amour.

I then put on the Revlon Colorstay concealer to cover those purple bags. Definitely needed for that 6:30a.m. wakeup.

Next, Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pencil, followed by my Body Shop brow gel.

Then I follow with my Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette for highlight, used with my Body Shop slanted Kabuki brush.

Onto the eyes, I use Urban Decay’s Naked palette, shades W.O.S. and Naked 2 OR Lancome’s Positive Matte for the base. If I have time in the mornings, I opt for the Naked 3 palette, but it usually comes down to Naked Basics right at my desk! haha

I then line the eyes with either my L’Oreal Paris Lineur Intense Carbon Black liquid eyeliner or if I am going for a smaller cat eye, my Stila black liquid liner.

Shocker #2 — Not usually sporting pencil eyeliner at work. As much as I love my Urban Decay Perversion, I just don’t want to have to worry about raccoon eyes that I usually have by the end of the day!

Last of the routine is my fabulous Tarte lights, camera, lashes mascara.

Finish the look off with the lip colour of the day and Voila! my every day office wear makeup!

Sephora Favourites Lash Stash Review

As much as we all love Sephora, it can be a bit pricey. Of course, you are getting grade A, quality stuff — but for a price. I am here to tell you about a steal of a deal that I think everyone needs to jump on.

Enter: Lash Stash. Can I say a total of 6 mascaras in one deal is a Holy Grail? Cause this package is. You are getting amazing brands, that provide amazing, long lasting, dramatic lashes, for an amazing price.

The kit consists of 5 miniature sized well respected mascara brands; bareMinerals’ Lash Domination, blinc, Lancome’s Hypnose Drama, Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes, and Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara. 

With the Lancome and Too Faced mascaras already being my top two favourites, I was already sold. For $30 you are getting five great mascaras, and although they are miniature sized I personally have been able to use those smaller sizes for the allotted 3 months you are suppose to without drying out at all. 

….But wait. There’s more. You also get a voucher for one full sized mascara of your choice from the samples. So not only are you getting 5 small mascaras that last a long time on their own, but another full sized…all for the price you’d basically pay for one full sized. 

bareminerals Lash Domination = $23.00
blinc mascara = $30.00
Lancome Hypnose Drama = $31.50
Too Faced Better Than Sex = $30.00
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes = $24.00

Sooo 30 ÷ 5 = $6.00 (less than most drugstore mascaras) PLUS one full sized high end brand mascara. 

Best.
Deal.
Ever. 

Holy Grail Hump Day

Today’s Holy Grail goes to Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara!

I feel like this is almost everyone and their grandmother’s favourite mascara, and for good reason. It truly works wonders!!

I personally use this mascara for parties and nights out with friends — it is so intensely black and voluptuous, I feel like I’d look too dolled up for work.

Because that is exactly what I feel it does, it makes me look so glam! With one coat, my lashes are full, defined, and dramatic. I already have lengthy eyelashes so most mascaras just coats, so I am still in shock every time at how much length Better Than Sex gives them, and thickness! I suddenly look like I have a 100 more lashes and double the size — MULTIPLE times I have been asked by friends when did I start wearing fake lashes? Nope, I just started using the best mascara of all time!!

100% recommend Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara!

What is in my Travel Makeup Bag!

Since I am currently in the process of moving, I figured it was the perfect time to do a post about what is in my travel makeup bag!

Going back and forth between two cities often lately, it is easiest to only bring the essentials. However, with saying goodbye to the place I have lived for the past years comes goodbye dinners, parties, etc. So I still want to look nice!

First off, this is my makeup bag:


My sister is AWESOME and gave me one of my favourite Christmas gifts, a Coach cosmetics bag. In purses/wallets I usually go for neutrals, but I am absolutely obsessed with how vibrant/deep this turquoise is. It easily stands out in my large duffel bags or suitcase, and has big enough pockets to store lots of products for a makeup junkie like me.

(My bag is a bit dirty so I got this picture from online to show the inside!)

Moving on to what is actually in there (makeup only), my essentials are:

• Primer
• Tinted Moisturizer
• Blush
• Bronzer
• Highlighter
• Concealer
• Eyebrow pencil
• Eyeshadow Primer
• Eyeshadow
• Pencil Liner
• Liquid Liner
• Mascara

…Shit, that is a lot of essentials.

Primer & Tinted Moisturizor – laura mercier foundation primer & lightweight flawless coverage tinted moisturizor in Nude

Primer for T-zone: Benefit – POREfessional


Blush – Lancome Rose Romantique Powder Blush

Bronzer – Benefit Hoola

and currently to test Tarte – Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess

Highlighter – laura mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Compact in Highlight

Concealer – laura mercier Undercover Pot

Eyebrow Pencil – Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Brow Pencil in Medium Brown

Eyeshadow Primer – Too Faced Eyeshadow Insurance

Eyeshadow – Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

Pencil Liner – Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Double Ended Eye Pencil in Perversion and Demolition

Liquid Eyeliner – L’Oreal Paris Carbon Black Lineur Intense

Mascara – Two options
1. For daytime: Lancome – Definicils High Definition Mascara in Black

For a night out: Too Faced – Better Than Sex Mascara

This list also doesn’t include skincare products, makeup remover, and makeup tools (tweezers, brushes, etc.) — yep that Coach bag is well used! haha

When it comes to your travel makeup bag, it is important to pick the products you’ve come to know and love. The last thing you need is a blush that makes you look like a tomato or a liner that runs and bleeds all over your face when there are no other options around! If you are going to bring along a new product, make sure you have a backup of another brand you know can take it’s place if need be.

Even if it is just for a couple of days and you don’t really think you need something you normally wear, I recommend bringing it anyway if it’s possible. You never know what might happen on this trip, and could thank yourself later on for having your normal makeup routine around.