Sephora Skin Care Purchases

It's the annual Sephora Beauty Insider sale! It's kind of sad that we all loose our minds to save a mere 15%. With all the money we spend a sephora I would think they could fork over more than 15% once a year... That being said, I still take the opportunity to get those products I've been eyeing or things I think are too expensive. Because I just bought a bunch of eyeshadows I didn't need to get any more of those. I just bought new foundation and there was really nothing else I needed. I know, I was so good. My skin has been a bit weird lately. It's been dry and flakey but still very oily. I've also been having a lot of breakouts. So I want to try increasing the hyrdation and using some serums. I currently use cetaphil moisturizer in the morning with Neutragena Deep Clean cleanser and Josie Maran Argan Infinity Cream at night. I like the infinity cream but as a product junkie, I want to try something new! These are a few things I got.

Philosophy Purity Cleaner- I got a sample of this a while ago and didn't like it. It didn't remove my makeup and it didn't lather. I prefer using lathering cleansers as they're more clarifying. However they strip your skin, making them more drying so maybe I'll try something more gentle. I have since added in a step to my routine since trying it, though. I never used to remove my makeup first. I found that washing my face got it all off. I now use makeup remover wipes before washing my face and it's way easier. So now that I remove my makeup first, I thought I would try the Purity cleanser again as a more gentle alternative to the Deep Clean cleanser I use now. The Deep Clean has salisylic acid in it which could be drying out my skin. I find my skin is usually best, with fewer break outs, when I use more gentle products. It smells really nice too.

Philosophy Micro Exfoliating Wash- I recently got a sample of Dr. Brandts Microdermabrasion skin exfoliant and hated that I loved it because it's $90. If you have $90 to spend on face scrub, check it out. It smells like lemon cleaning products, which I love. Anyways, I tried out a few different exfoliators to try to find one similar. It's hard to find one with fine beads but also a lot of them. This one is like a gel cleanser with fine beads and seems pretty scrubby. I'll try this one out and try not to compare it too much with the Dr. Brandts. I'm going to try to get in the habit of exfoliating more. 

Dr. Dennis Gross Clinical Concentrate Boosters- I wanted some kind of radiance boosting concentrate (sounds kind of gimmicky but we all fall for the promises of beautiful skin). I saw these in the store previously (adorable, eye catching packaging) but passed over them, probably waiting for this sale. Dr. Dennis Gross serums go for $80-100 each so I thought this was a nice sample pack for a decent price. To be exact, these are 3, 0.5oz bottles for $63 vs the full sized 1oz for $82. So that's actually a good deal...can't argue with that logic, right? The serums are radiance booster, hydration booster, and purifying booster. These concentrates can be used alone, added to your moisturizer, or added to your makeup. You can use one all over, or use each in targeted areas. I'm excited to try these and have high expectations my face will be a glowing ray of sunshine. 

Tarte Maracuja Oil- I was planning on buying the Josie Maran Argan oil but thought I would try this oil out instead. I love the full sized bottles packaging but couldn't pull the trigger on the full sized, $55 bottle. I figured I would try the small bottle before making the commitment. I don't like the packing of the roller ball for a face oil. I'll already have the concentrate on my face so I'll have to rub it on my clean hands to dispense it. I wish it came in a dropper like the mini Josie Maran Argan Oil. I'll use this as my night time moisturizing as my Infinity Oil is almost out (which has lasted me an entire year by the way). 

Edit: The roller ball is terrible. It actually doesn't dispense enough product and it's annoying to use. The product is nice though, so I think I'll return it and get the full sized bottle.

What are some new products you're adding to your skin care routine?

What Did I Buy At Sephora Today?

I went to Sephora to pick up a new foundation and a nude pencil for the waterline. I knew I wanted to buy the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation because I've heard good things for oily skin types. I had been using the Rimmel Stay Matte but I think it might have been breaking me out. My skins been pretty bad lately so I've stopped using it. It was also a bit too dark for my winter skin. While I was in Sephora I saw the Sephora + Pantone Universe Paint Gloss Trio and thought I would get it to replace some of my lost lip glosses from my trip. I'll do a first impressions on everything below.

Sephora + Pantone Universe Radiant Paint Gloss Trio $32CA

I was attracted to this set because I liked all the colours, but it was the purple colour that really drew me in. The price was good because it works out to just over $10 a gloss when they normally retail for $20. I've never tried them but they swatched really nice. Very pigmented. So I gave them a go, and over all I really only like the purple colour. I wore the purple colour the day I got it and its really nice. Very pigmented, like a lipstick. I had been wearing a pink lipstick which might have changed the colour, but I found the colour to actually be quite wearable. Not too purple but more of a pinky purple. It's smooth with a bit of stickiness. It has that MAC gloss smell which I think is kind of like vanilla or cake. Because these are so pigmented, you do need a mirror to apply them which kind of defeats the point of a gloss in my option (I don't usually wear pigmented glosses). The light pink colour is too light for me (for anyone I would think) but I thought it would be nice as a gloss over darker shades. I haven't tried that yet but I put the purple shade over it and mixed them and that was really pretty. The light pink by itself looks kind of choppy and weird. Not very nice. And the beige colour is too brown for my liking. I tried putting the pink over it but I couldn't make it work. I'll try mixing it with some other lipsticks and see if I can do anything with it.

I picked up the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place foundation ($44CA) in 1W1. I've worn it once and that colour seems to match me quite well. I'm pale and I find a lot of foundations look orange on me so I went with a more yellow toned one. My first impression is mixed. This is not a light-weight, like you are wearing nothing at all foundation. I like full coverage foundations but this one leaves your skin feeling sticky. As in I applied it, set it with powder, and 30 mins later picked up my cat and had bits of fur stuck to my face. Not cool. I've worn another "16 hour" wear or so foundation that was also sticky and it did last a long time on my oily skin so I thought I would test it out before bashing it. I wore this to work on my 12 hour night shift and it actually lasted a long time. My face stayed matte for a lot longer than usual. Not the entire shift but a good 6 hours. The foundation did start to wear off in the T-zone and the chin (resting my chin in my hand frequently) when I got oily but not as bad as other foundations. And my cheeks still looked almost perfect. My contour and blush stayed in place all night. So given the fact that it's so long wearing, I can deal with the stickiness. And that didn't last the whole time, maybe just the first hour or so. It's too early to give an accurate review, but so far I'm loving it.

Sephora Collection Long Lasting Kohl Eyeliner $12CA

After watching spring tutorials, I wanted a skin coloured eyeliner for lining the lower waterline. The purpose of this is to brighten the area and get rid of any redness to really make the eyes pop. I was looking at the Nars larger than life eyeliners but couldn't justify spending $28 on skin coloured eyeliner. It's for the waterline so it's not going to stay perfect all day. Especially for Blinky McBlinkerson over here. It did stay on for 15 hours, but it migrated from the waterline to lash line. Not bad for 15 hours. This pencil transfers really nicely onto the waterline and didn't irritate my eyes at all. I didn't swatch it because you can't even see it and it's pretty straight forward. It serves it's purpose and it was affordable.

What did you buy recently that you're enjoying so far? 

MAC Pro Longwear Lipstick

I was on the hunt for a long lasting lipstick for my vacation in a fun, summery colour. I didn't want a full blown stain or anything too drying and I read online a lot of people like MAC's pro longwear lipsticks so I thought I would try it out. I bought the colour "Love Forever!". It's a very pigmented hot pink/fuchsia, but not too bright (such as "Candy Yum Yum"). It has just the right amount of purple undertones that it is a bit darker and more flattering.

I realize now this picture isn't very good...almost looks red. See swatch below

The formula is very nice. It has a creamy finish with no shine. It is not drying at all. It leaves a bit of a tackiness to it, similar to what a stain might feel like. That doesn't bother me but it is a bit distracting. As far as the overall wear, I didn't find it much different that a regular lipstick. The colour remained bright on my lips for a few hours but came right off after eating and needed to be reapplied. I find a lot of how well a lipstick wears is the application and if done well, any lipstick can last a long time. I didn't use a lip pencil with it and did not notice any bleeding.

The sad thing is that I lost it the second time I wore it on the very first day of my vacation! And not just this lipstick, but my whole bag of lip products I had brought on my trip! It wasn't my entire lip collection (thank goodness) but still a good $100 worth of product, including this very nice, brand new lipstick. Sigh.

Overall, it's a good lipstick and I love the colour. I'm not a very big fan of the regular MAC lipsticks (I know, I know) but the pro longwear is better. That being said, I'm going to go on a hunt for a drug store dupe. If I can't find one, I'll fork out the $21 and buy it again because I do love the colour.

First Impressions: MAC MSF from "A Fantasy of Flowers"

MAC has a collection out called "A Fantasy of Flowers". It is a small collection and like the name would suggest, is bright, fun colours for spring. I can't review the whole collection because I only bought one item. The lip products in the line though, look right up my alley.

I originally wanted to by the mineralize skinfinish in Soft and Gentle. I've heard good things about it as a highlighter and I've gotten tired of my Nars Albatross as I find it too yellow and frosted. I swatched Soft and Gentle and it looked really nice. The sales associate showed me the MSF from the new line called Perfect Topping which is very similar to Soft and Gentle. Swatched side by side the Perfect Topping is pretty much the same colour but less frosted or glittery. It is a champagne, flesh coloured highlighter with a bit of pink which is just what I was looking for. It doesn't have any chunks or glitter. The shimmer is very fine almost more of a satin finish than a frost. It is more subtle than Albatross as it isn't as frosted. I would show you a picture of it on my face, but I'm sick right now and look like a mess. Maybe in the future.

These are both Perfect topping, I just used two fingers for some reason. This is applied with one swipe quite heavily.

Blended out a bit to be more subtle

I love this highlighter. It's super pretty, pigmented, and creamy but subtle. The only downside is the price at $35 CAN. However, you get 0.32oz verses Nars which is $33 for 0.16oz. I have had my Albatross for years and still have not hit pan. In comparison the Hourglass Ambient lighting powders are $52 for 0.35oz. Although the Hourglass highlighters look really nice as well, I just can't bring myself to spend $52 on a highlighter. So in comparison to other highlighters on the market it is actually priced fairly well. And given how much product you get, I don't think I'll ever run out.

How I Clean My Brushes

Cleaning your brushes isn't rocket science. You don't need expensive cleaners or tools. But it is a pain and can be time consuming which is why I'm guilty of not cleaning them as much as I should. But since I got my new cleaning glove it's been a lot less of a chore.

When the new Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove came out I thought it was a great idea and wanted one but couldn't bring myself to by a $35 oven mitt. Because really, that's all that thing is. So I went to Winners and bought myself a silicone oven mitt for $5. The only one I could find had a honeycomb pattern instead of the stripes of the Sigma one, but for $5 it does the job pretty well.

The brush cleaner I use is just something I picked up at the drug store for pretty cheap. I like it because it has a spray pump so it's easy to use. But when I'm cleaning my foundation brush, I just use straight up shampoo. Nothing works as well. I just rinse it really well after.

All I do is spray a few pumps on the glove, wet the brush, and swirl it around on the glove until the water runs clear. Sometimes if my brushes are really dirty I may have to repeat the process 2 or 3 times until its really clean. But to wash all my brushes it only takes a few minutes. And I don't have to get my hands wet or have a clammy, sore hand from washing them in my palm.

Then I squeeze out the excess water and swirl around on a paper towel to reshape them. I lay them flat to dry with the end hanging over the sink so they don't get a flat edge. You don't want to hold the brush upright at any point because the water will get into the ferrule and damage it. Don't ask why, I'm not an expert.

                                                       
Hopefully this has given you a few helpful tips! Now go wash your brushes!

Coco + Lulu Nail Polish

I spotted this nail polish at Coles bookstore of all places. The colours and the cute bottle caught my eye so I picked one up only to see that it was on sale for $3! I'm not a big nail polish person. I'm a nurse and no nail polish can hold up to all the hand washing. Even shellac manicures only last a few days on me. So that being said, I'm not a pro on polishes, but I can tell the difference between nicer polishes and cheaper ones. I assumed these polishes would be bad so I only bought one, the turquoise one called "Riviera" because I thought it would be fun for my upcoming vacation. I was pleasantly surprised! I thought this one one of the best polishes I've ever tried. I went back a few days later and bought a few more. There wasn't a lot of colours left for $3 so I got 2 more on sale (the light pink and red) and paid full price, $8.99, for the other two (hot pink and sparkly).

                         **I'm not the best at doing nails and my cuticles are a mess! Don't judge!**

One coat

Two coats with indoor lighting

Two coats in natural light

It turns out "Riviera" is the most opaque of the bunch. Riviera goes on so nicely. It is so opaque I only wore one coat! I wore it to work and it started to chip a bit but that's not surprising. I took it off after 3 days so I could try some new ones but if I wanted to wear it longer I probably could have just touched it up. The formula reminds me a bit of Essie. It started to peel up a bit at the sides like I find Essie does. Overall, this went on super opaque with one coat, not streaky at all, shiny finish, and lasted as long as any other nail polishes do on me. The only downside is that the colour is darker than I had hoped. I was thinking it would be a bright turquoise but it's a bit darker and more green. Still a pretty colour, but not as bright as I wanted. It also stained my nails a bit after I took it off. However my nails are very dry and brittle, so could just be me.

One coat!

Two coats, looks the same. Darker than the bottle

The rest of the colours aren't as opaque, except the shimmery colour, "Cherie". I love this colour, it's probably my fav of the lot. It was super opaque with one coat. I can't tell you about the wear yet but it's probably similar. The red "Left Bank" and the hot pink "Ma Belle" are both opaque but looked better with a second coat. The light pink "Macaron" was more sheer than I was hoping. It definitely needs two coats. It's also a bit darker than I thought too and more of a bright, baby pink. All the colours actually dried a bit darker than they look in the bottle (except Cherie that's pretty true to colour).

"Left Bank" one coat

Two coats. Classic red.

"Ma Belle" one coat. It's more neon than pictured

Two coats.  A hot, neon pink

"Macaron" one coat

Two coats. Baby pink.

"Cherie" One coat (sorry for bad quality)

Two coats. Shimmery taupe.

So looks like these polishes are a bit of a hit or miss. For $3 they're a dream. I'd say they're similar in quality to Essie. The only problem is that these are exclusive to Chapters and there aren't a ton of colours. But when they go on sale, I'll buy some more!



                                        **Apologies for some of the bad lighting/quality pics!**

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

I was using the L'Oreal True Match foundation for a few weeks and decided I hated it with my oily skin. I went to the drugstore looking for a new full coverage foundation for oily skin. I saw the Stay Matte and knew the powder was a favourite so I thought I'd try the foundation knowing nothing about it.

The formula is very and moussey, but feels different from any other mousse or whipped foundation I have tried. It feels really thick at first and thought it was for sure going to be horrible and cakey, but it actually blends out really nice. The bottle says "Feather-light, liquid mousse blends flawlessly for natural-looking, all day shine control. Silky smooth formula leaves a perfectly matte, baby-soft finish. Lightweight texture won't feel heavy or greasy." I totally agree. It blended out well and doesn't feel thick on the skin.It is probably the longest wearing foundation I have tried. I work 12 hour shifts and usually by noon my face is oily and foundation is breaking up. I wouldn't say this foundation looked perfect all shift (impossible with my oily skin), but I stayed matte much longer than usual. I have tried the Makeup Forever Matte Velvet+ but found the formula a bit too matte and looked terrible if my skin was slightly dry. The Matte Velvet+ also oxidizes on me and the Stay Matte does not. I feel like maybe the creaminess of the mousse makes this matte formula more forgiving on dry skin. That being said, all foundations highlight patchiness and dry skin.

Looks thick, but blends nicely. Full coverage.

Ingredients list

The only downside is the shade selection. I'm pale and bought the colour Ivory because the other lighter colour looked too pink. This colour is a shade too dark for me. I have used another Rimmel foundation and had the same problem. Maybe in the summer when I have a bit of colour it will be ok because the tone is good. It is also too thick to use around the eye area and can look a bit thick or cakey there. I usually avoid the eye area with my foundation and use under eye concealer, but I skip that step for work when I'm rushed in the morning.

I applied this foundation with my fingers and blended it out with the Sigma F80 flat top kabuki brush. I tried it without a primer and with Benefits Porefessional and it looked just as nice without the primer. Day to day for work I don't use a primer and it holds up really well.

I love this foundation and so far, it is the best foundation I have used. I just wish there was a wider shade selection.