Birthday Gifts, Increasing My Makeup Collection

February 7, 2019February 4, 2019 littlebeautyloves10 Comments

I usually don’t share items that I get as gifts on my birthday as a dedicated post but since I’m on a no-buy this year I thought it would be fun to include them since I won’t be purchasing anything myself and posting any hauls. You might see some of these pop up on the blog later on as reviews or empties 🙂

Smashbox L.A. Cover Shot Eye Palette

I’ve reviewed the Smashbox Cover Shot Eye Palettes before that you can read here. I have a total of 4 Cover Shot palettes in my collection and this new one makes 5! The original palettes have 8 shades but this one has 16 shades (9 mattes and 7 shimmers).

This seems to have good reviews online so I’m excited about this palette. I like that there is a range of looks you can create, from smokey to everyday to days when you want pops of colour!

Shoppers Drug Mart Eye Studio Sampler Mascaras

I love these sets as gifts for others so I’m really happy that I received this myself! Basically, you get 9 mascara samples to test out and a gift certificate to trade in for one full size mascara from the 9 you have tried.

It’s a great way to test out new mascaras. I know there are a few in here that I already love, but I am curious about testing out the one from Lise Waiter, Pur Cosmetics and Clarins!

Aveda Stress-Fix Body Lotion

I love the scent of lavender because it’s so calming. A friend of mine is always getting me this lotion because she knows I like to use it in the evenings before going to bed because the scent helps me relax before sleep. It’s also hydrating which is perfect for my dry skin!

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist

This wasn’t necessarily a gift from a friend but more like a gift for myself from BoxyCharm. Through purchases and reviews on BoxyCharm you collect points which you can redeem on their website for makeup, skincare and tools. I had accumulated enough points to trade in for the Tatcha skin mist that I figured why not! I’m excited to give it a try as I know this has a lot of good reviews.

Your Quilt Creations Tripple Zipper Anything. Everything Pouch Bag

When I got this bag I immediately thought it would make a fantastic makeup bag for traveling. I love how there are little zipper and open compartments that can be used to store everything I might need to take with me on a trip. It has these great handles to carry around and it opens up super wide so you can see everything you have at a glance.

You may not know, but I’m obsessed with Batman and DC comics so I thought the design was super cute! I tried to find their store on Etsy and the web but had no luck, but I found them on Facebook. I really think it’s important to support local business owners and this bag is awesome!

Have you tried any of the items above? I’d love to know your thoughts.

Lots of Love,
Dal

Shopping Haul: Tarte Cosmetics 2017 Boxing Day Sale

January 10, 2018January 9, 2018 littlebeautyloves22 Comments

I dread the sales that start after Christmas. Not that sales are bad, but they are so tempting and the last thing I need after Christmas is to do more shopping! I tried so hard not to buy anything but I did end up online shopping for Boxing Day at a few stores. I mostly bought clothing but of course, ended up making a beauty purchase too!

Tarte Cosmetics was offering 25% off everything site-wide (some products excepted, AKA the shape tape) this included their sale items which is where I got my items below.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars

All of the items are from Tarte’s Holiday collection. Unfortunately, the blush palette and glitter liner trio are not available on the Tarte website as of this post.

Artful Accessories Brush Set
Original Price: $57.00, Boxing Day Sale Price: $21.84

These are crazy soft brushes! My sister has a set of brushes from Tarte that she absolutely loves so when I saw that these were on sale I knew I didn’t want to pass up on them. They are vegan, cruelty-free brushes.

They feel comfortable in my hands and I like the density of each brush.

The set includes a powder, foundation, blush, crease and shader brush. It also came with a plastic brush holder which I won’t use because I keep my brushes in a brush roller.

I’ve used the blush brush so far and I like it. I wouldn’t normally use a brush this small but it works perfectly for blush.

Blush Bazaar Palette
Original Price: $57.00, Boxing Day Sale Price: $19.58

I wanted this palette the moment I saw it release. This has 8 blushes and 2 highlighters. The pan size is equivalent to the deluxe size which is perfect for me.

I don’t own too many blushes so this palette is a great way for me to grow that collection without purchasing them individually.

Metallic Treats Glitter Liner Set
Original Price: $38.00, Boxing Day Sale Price: $16.57

I had wanted glitters this year for the holidays. It’s too late to wear at Christmas but I just wanted this set so badly!! These also look to be deluxe sizes which is great because I would probably use them for special occasions anyway.

One end of this has a liquid metallic liner and the other end is a glitter liner. The colours include gold, rose gold and silver.

I have a few weddings/showers/events coming up this year so I am looking forward to using these metallic liners then!

Side Note
I realize that during the Boxing Day Sale, all of these items were discounted more than they are right now (for example, the Artful Accessories Brush set is on sale for $41.00, on Boxing Day it was $29.00) I guess my advice to anyone shopping on Tarte is to be aware of their price fluctuation. I would maybe try shopping during a friends and family sale and definitely boxing day when they are offering better discounts.

Also, Tarte now charges $1.00 for samples. I wasn’t paying attention and actually ended up adding this tiny packet for their maracuja eye treatment to my cart. (funny enough the sample was also 25% off, so I technically got this for $0.75 )

I think I can get two uses from this but it’s very lame that Tarte is charging for samples that I would usually get for free at a beauty store. It doesn’t make sense especially if I’m buying directly from their site. Lesson learned, don’t add any samples from Tarte.

Anyways, that’s what I got! Let me know if you did any Boxing Day shopping and what you got!

Lots of Love,
Dal

September Shopping, Sephora

September 28, 2017September 27, 2017 littlebeautyloves10 Comments

Sooo…yes…I went shopping on Sephora to round out my September shopping. I honestly had not planned on purchasing anything from Sephora, reserving all restraint for the next VIB sale. Alas, the new Kat Von D Limited Edition palette dropped and I HAD to get it!

I’ve always missed out on the Kat Von D Holiday palettes so this year I decided I wouldn’t let it pass me by. The moment this went on sale I purchased it and a few other items. Sephora also had some amazing deluxe samples so I put two separate orders to ensure I got them all.

I have not tried this palette on my eyes yet, but the swatches I did on my arm were super pigmented and the formula felt really soft and creamy. My sister is a huge fan of Kat Von D, so I have experienced the quality of the shadows in her palettes, and these ones were no exception. The colours are out there and feel a bit disorganized in the palette but I’m just excited to try pushing my limits on the eye looks I create. Hopefully, I can get out a review and looks before the palette is sold out!
The next item I purchased is this Grand Cosmetics GrandLash MD Lash Enhancing Serum. I saw this had some really positive reviews on Sephora and thought, why not give it a try. About 5 years ago I used to use Latisse and it made a difference in the appearance of the thickness and length of my lashes. I only used it for about 3 months because it was very expensive. Hopefully, this will provide similar results and I will have extremely long lashes. I’ll definitely do up a post in the next few months to share my thoughts and experience!

Lastly, I picked up Clinique Crayola™Chubby Stick™ Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Wild Strawberry. This was part of Sephora’s “week of wow deals” sale so I got it for $10.50CAD. I think it was regularly $22.00CAD so it was less than half price. I love tinted lippies so I figured I would grab this. I love the red colour.

The deluxe samples offered this last week are amazing! Both Jo Malone and La Mer were offering some items. I love Jo Malone and own some La Mer items my self (both are gifts because they can be super expensive). I picked up Jo Malone’s hand and body wash sample in Wood Sage and Sea Salt. It’s my favourite scent, and I think it is their most popular. I love how Jo Malone is all about presentation, even this sample came in their signature cream bag with black ribbon.

La Mer The Moisturizing Soft Cream is the other deluxe sample I really wanted and the reason why I ended up making two separate orders to get. La Mer is a favourite of many and although I always tell myself I’m splurging on a set of this for my birthday can never really commit because of the high price tag. For example, this tiny 3.5mL sample is actually worth $22.75CAD!!

I also got some of Sephora’s tiny samples, the ones you can choose at checkout. I didn’t share them here because I starting using them before I took photos! LOL. You’ll probably see a few of them in my empties post for this month.

Alright, so this was the last of my hauls for September! I did do quite a bit of shopping but it’s so hard not to be tempted by all the holiday sets out this year!

Have you been eyeing anything from Sephora?

Lots of Love,
Dal

September Shopping, NYX Haul

September 18, 2017September 17, 2017 littlebeautyloves19 Comments

The Labour Day Long weekend was a great time to just relax before the start of the new work week. My work offers reduced hours during the summer and after Labour Day I go back to my normal hours, it really can feel like going back to school sometimes!

Of course, I was bombarded with so many emails to do some online shopping so I did!

Here’s what I purchased off of the NYX Cosmetics website;

Perfect Filter Shadow Palette in Olive You ($22.00 CAD)

I was looking up dupes of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Subsculture palette and the Olive You palette showed up on a few lists. It also had a lot of great reviews on the NYX website so I figured the quality is there too. I love the colours, there are a variety of shades but it still feels pretty easy to put together looks with the different shades. I haven’t used this yet, but initial swatches of some of the colours feel really soft and the pigmentation seems good. I’m excited to incorporate these colours for the Fall and Winter.

Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yogurt and French Fries ($6.00 CAD)

I wanted to try using eye shadow pencils figuring they would be great whenever I wanted to put together a quick look. I have had a bit of time to test the two I purchased out. They are creamy and glide on, the colours are nice and shimmery. I can’t wear them too close to the crease or else the shadow starts to bunch off. I find that they do need primer to help prevent this from occuring but for the most part they work well on me. I wear yogurt all over the lid and then put french fries on the outer edge for depth. It’s a really quick way to do my eye makeup before rushing out the the door.

Lid Lingerie in Nude to Me ($9.00 CAD)

This formula looked really interesting so I thought I would pick up one to try. I have not tried it yet on the eyes but swatching it on my hand I find the colour comes out a bit more sheer compared to the eye pencils and it’s a lot more glittery. On the back of my hand it seems to wear off quite a bit so I will have to test it with a primer/concealer underneath and see if that helps.

As you can probably tell, I think I want to go for more bronze and jewel tones for the Fall. I also just don’t want to make time to apply powder eye shadow so these cream products will be easy one step and go for eye shadow. Plus, I can always use them under shadow to change the effect. I’m sure they would look great with the Olive You palette!

These are the items I picked up from NYX. I think that for the most part, the cost was pretty reasonable for the items I got. I also liked shopping on the website more than trying to shop in store. I find the NYX Cosmetics store to be a bit too hectic and I’ve never liked the selection the drug stores carry so this was just a nice way to go through everything.
I don’t use too much from this brand so I would love to know your favourite. What do you love from NYX?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Sephora VIB Sale Haul because Why Not Go a Little Crazy!

May 4, 2017May 3, 2017 littlebeautyloves23 Comments

I’ve been reading so many Sephora Hauls and salivating at all the beautiful items other bloggers have picked that I felt like sharing what I got too! I’ll admit that April was a bit of a super haul month for me because I also shopped at Tarte Cosmetics and Beauty Boutique.

So Sephora VIB Sale… OH MY GOODNESS I spent way more than I wanted to there, but I’m really happy with what I picked up.

Here’s what I got!Sephora Favourites Quench Your Skin Set
I love Sephora Favourites Sets. I think you get a really good deal with them and it’s a great way of trying new brands. I was originally going to pick up a full size of Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream but then when I saw that I could get a deluxe sample of it and other brands in this set I opted for this. There are other products in here which I know I love including the Glam Glow Glowstarter Moisturizer, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream and the Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil. I liked this set so much I also picked one up for my sister!
Sephora Cleansing Wipes; Rose Cleansing Wipes and Express Cleansing & Exfoliating Wipes
I use cleansing wipes once in a while to remove makeup, usually when I’m not wearing so much heavy eye makeup. I was curious about the rose cleansing wipes since they say that it is hydrating. I’ve used one wipe so far and I think it’s OK. It left my skin a little red but that could have been because of another factor so I’ll try it again and see what happens

The Express Cleansing & Exfoliating Wipes were on sale so I thought I’d just pick them up and figured they might be good after the gym as a way to quickly freshen up.

Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Remover
My most exciting item is the UD Meltdown Makeup Remover. I love the idea of a spray makeup remover and saw that this had a good number of positive reviews so I decided to pick it up. It’s part of a new line from UD to remove makeup. The products in this line are made by Skindinavia and I was surprised this had only three ingredients and water isn’t one of them! It has vitamin E.
Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM Night Serum
This is probably the only product I really needed in my whole haul. I have been wanting to switch up my skin care routine especially at night and this serum looked to be the right fit for me. I’ve used it maybe three nights so far and although I can’t tell you I see a difference just yet I will say that I love the way this applies to the skin. It’s a very thin, oil-like consistency and the dropper is bent so I can easily drop the product directly onto my skin and then massage it in. I’m super excited to see if it makes a difference in my skin.
Milk Makeup Hydrating Oil
I haven’t tried this yet but off the bat I love the packaging. I think I just wanted to try something from Milk Makeup because it seems to be pretty popular and I figured if it’s something that is meant to hydrate the skin it would be good for me. We will see how I like it!

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm
I originally wanted the whole Everyday Agave Collection with the lip scrub & mask as well, but I had surpassed the spend limit I set for myself so I decided to only get the balm. All I’m going to say is that it’s the best thing ever for the lips!
Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Cream
This item was a gift from my sister because she knew I wanted this so badly. She surprised me with it at my work! How Sweet! She even gave me her Sephora canvas bag that Rouge members could pick up if they shopped in store during the sale. This smells incredible and is super moisturizing. I’ve mostly kept this on my dining table to stare at and smell! It’s too precious to me!

There’s my Sephora Haul – I’ll have to get together my items from Beauty Boutique and Tarte and do a collective haul from them too because I did do quite a bit of shopping on both those websites. I’ll also try to review the items I use in the next few weeks as an update on my thoughts of the products.

Did you do any shopping during Sephora’s VIB sale? What did you get?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Sephora Haul: Because I have no self-control!!

February 13, 2017March 18, 2017 littlebeautyloves24 Comments

I started off the year telling myself that I wasn’t going to buy any more beauty items until at least June. Well….that went out the window pretty quickly!

I wish I had better restraint but when I saw the Peter Thomas Roth skincare set I really wanted to get it! So, I allowed myself this one purchase and said I couldn’t buy one more thing from Sephora until their next VIB Sale.

I picked up The Peter Thomas Roth Skin Saver kit because it was on sale and it looked to be good for cleansing, hydrating and protecting the skin. I was mostly looking for a cleanser and moisturizer and figured instead of grabbing each item individually I would just pick up the set as a way to try out the whole brand. Most items had a 4 star+ rating on Sephora (except the moisturizer which only got 3).

Inside the kit;

Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel (125 mL)
Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion with SPF 30 (30 mL)
Cucumber Gel Mask (50 mL)
Firm Peeling Gel (15 mL)
24K Gold Hydra-Gel Eye Patches (1 Pair)

Next, I picked up Sephora’s Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara in brown. I usually get Benefit’s Roller Lash but I didn’t want to spend $30 on a new mascara. This claims to thicken the lashes in one stroke. I’m not super picky about mascara as long as it’s not clumpy.

Then I picked up this Verb Ghost Oil because I’m always on the hunt for oils and creams to tame my frizzy hair. This is especially true since lately I’ve been wearing my hair naturally (no heat styling). This had a 4.5 star rating so I thought it was worth a try. I’ve used it a few times now so I can say that I’m really enjoying it. Compared to my Moroccanoil it feels a lot lighter in texture so I feel like it spreads into my hair easier. Also, I love the light, clean scent.

The best part of my order was picking up a few deluxe free samples. Whenever I shop online I ensure that I check out the page for deluxe samples. If you’ve never taken advantage of this, you are surely missing out, check here because Sephora is always updating the page with sample codes.

At the time I was shopping they were offering nude lip samples and the Bite Beauty Multistick in Almond was the option I chose. I haven’t heard many people talk about them but they do have a high star rating so I said I might as well give this a try. I do like the darker shade which will look good as a lipstick or an eye shadow.

For those who don’t know February is my birthday month so I also grabbed my Birthday Gift. They were offering either Caudalie skincare products or Tarte’s blush and lip gloss set. I have way too many Caudalie products that I use and love so I thought I’d pick up something different.

Lastly, for 100 points I grabbed the Two Faced Sweet Peach Creamy Peach oil in Pure Peach. This lip gloss is infused with peach oil, coconut oil and vitamin E. I have used this a few times and it smells of candy peaches. It also tastes like peaches but I’m not a fan of it. I do like how hydrating it feels. I think it’s very comfortable on the lips.

Well, there you have it. My little Sephora Haul. Have you been shopping on Sephora lately? What’s on your wishlist? Have you tried any of the items I mentioned above? I want to know what you think.

Lots of Luv,
Dal

Beauty: Little Drugstore Makeup Haul

February 1, 2016March 18, 2017 littlebeautyloves17 Comments

I recently went shopping at my local Shoppers Drug Mart to check out their new items. I came back with a few things and thought I’d quickly share since I plan to review the majority of them for future posts 🙂

To start off, I have been on a hunt for new foundation since recently finishing two I own. Shoppers had a sale on the new L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation and I thought I would give it a try. I was really impressed with how nicely this matched my skin tone in the store and I liked that the formula was very thin, great for building up coverage or keeping it light. The next foundation I picked up is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation. I’ve been hearing about this a lot lately on YouTube and beauty gurus rave about the coverage and how well it works for dry skin. This is a bit yellow toned when I swatched it on my hand but I did find that when I blended it on the side of my cheek it matched me really well. I want to also mention here that a week ago I purchased the Vichy DermaBlend Corrective Compact Cream Foundation from Shoppers. (I know. I feel like I over did it with foundation.) I was convinced by the girls at the counter that this would be great for my skin so I decided I’d pick it up. What I loved is that the formula has a built in SPF 30. I plan to review all three foundations in an upcoming post. Joe Fresh has made it’s way from Loblaws to Shoppers (makes sense after the grocery store giant bought it). This display was so pretty I had to pick something up! I grabbed the illuminating concealer because I thought it would be nice to counteract my dark circles. Also, the prices in the Joe Fresh line were very reasonable. There was a small display for NYX, but the duo ended countour and highlighter stick just jumped right at me. I got it in the universal colour. I love how creamy this felt on the back of my hand and how well it blended after I took photos of the initial swatch. I love that the hightlight is not crazy intense, so I’m hoping I get a dewy look from this. I know heavy contouring is out, but I feel like this will help bring some warmth back to my face. Last, but never least, I picked up a new gel eyeliner from essence since I needed to replace my old one. Anyone looking for a good gel eyeliner without breaking the bank needs to give this a try! It’s so good and only costs $3.49!! I also picked up the angled brush because I thought it was super cute! Can’t wait to try all these products out and let you know my thoughts in the next few weeks 🙂

Have you picked up anything from the drug store lately?

Beauty: Little Sephora Haul

November 22, 2015March 18, 2017 littlebeautyloves9 Comments

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Recently, I made a purchase for gifts and items for myself on the Sephora website (it’s so hard not to purchase something for myself at Sephora). I really like shopping this time of year because they have many nice holiday sets and promotions.

What I Purchased

Sephora Favourites Brow Kit

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This was actually gift for my sister. We have both been eyeing kit for a while. This set is the medium/dark colours but there is also a light set. I like that the set includes a small mirror and tweezers, something any brow enthusiast would appreciate. (I had removed the tweezer when I took the photo though :/) Sephora has an array of “Sephora Favourites” kits that make great gifts, and they offered at value prices compared to buying each item individually. (Last I checked, this particular kit was sold out)

Becca Shimmery Trio

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In a previous post I reviewed the Moonstone Shimmery Perfector I mentioned that I would purchase the pressed powder, so when I saw this guy online I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get three shades at one time. This has the ever so popular Champagne Pop and I feel like when I mix it with Pearl I get a really shade that goes well with my skin tone. I also like the Brushed Copper for when I am tanner or to use on my eyes. Compared to the liquid I like this way better!

Becca Shimmery Perfector Opal On The Go

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I think this is a nice little gift set for those who love highlighters. It includes the colour Opal as both the liquid and the pressed powder. Although I’m not in love with the liquid I feel like this packaging is better for application than the tube applicator I had before.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar

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Recently I’ve become more comfortable with eye makeup application, using my Naked 2 palette often in my looks to work. I felt I wanted to venture out and get another palette but not go too crazy buying colours I know I wouldn’t use. Angela at Beauty By The Bunny suggested I give Too Faced Chocolate Bar a try (she’s super sweet and her blog is amazing too). After reading the Sephora reviews I decided I would purchase this and I’m so happy that I did! This has been around for a while now, and it still gets top reviews when it comes to eyeshadow palettes. The colours are perfect for me! It’s mostly neutrals with a few pops of colour shades that are so easy to create colour combos with. I definitely think this is a great gift for someone who is looking for an eyeshadow palette. And yes, it smells like chocolate!

Duo Eye Lash Adhesive

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This one isn’t as exciting but I decided I would purchase the Duo Eyelash Adhesive that had the brush applicator. I wanted to try this one out because I do have issues with using the tubes. With holiday parties around the corner I know a lot of us will want to get glamoured up so don’t forget to pick up an eyelash adhesive with your falsies! haha!

Clinque Moisture Surge

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I ordered this using my Beauty Insider points. My skin is always needing moisture and I’ve been using this one for a bit now and really like it. It makes my skin feel moisturized without feeling overly greasy.

Playful Prep Sample Bag

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One of the biggest reasons why I love shopping at Sephora online during the holiday season is because of their deluxe sample bags! By spending $25 CAD on the site I was able to pick up this lovely. It’s full of some awesome samples, and most are deluxe size. I’m not sure if this exact bag is still offered on the site, but currently they are offering a party mix bag with 12 free samples. I think these are awesome kits to save for yourself or to give to someone else.

What items are you shopping for this holiday? Have you ever ended up purchasing items for yourself when looking for gift for someone else?

littlebeautyloves

I like Makeup and I blog about it!

Tag: Shopping Hauls

Birthday Gifts, Increasing My Makeup Collection

Shopping Haul: Tarte Cosmetics 2017 Boxing Day Sale

All prices are in Canadian Dollars

September Shopping, Sephora

September Shopping, NYX Haul

Sephora VIB Sale Haul because Why Not Go a Little Crazy!

Sephora Haul: Because I have no self-control!!

Beauty: Little Drugstore Makeup Haul

Beauty: Little Sephora Haul

What I Purchased

Sephora Favourites Brow Kit

Becca Shimmery Trio