Last Paycheck Deals
So if you know me, you know I am always loving a good deal-and this is absolutely no exception, as I went out on the hunt specifically to find some great deals. I love looking good and I love buying stuff but I’m not the type to really shell out a ton of money for anything. Go ahead, sue me. I don’t care:)
So when out with the boyfriend and stopping at a couple stores at the mall I used to work at…well, I went crazy.
First up was ULTA, and there was a lot. First off, I admit, I paid full-price for an item. A big-ticket item…the UD Book of Shadows 2. However, when I look at it for what exactly I get for the $48, I lucked out big-time. There are a couple duds in there (I’m looking at you, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again) but many of the shades are awesome. Misdemeanor is gorgeous, it’s a slate grey with blue reflects and I am wearing it as a lower liner today. Flipside is 800 different kinds of awesome, and Jinx and Homegrown are nice. Sellout is an amazing highlight and Sphynx, while having a good deal of glitter, is so pretty that I would buy it if it came out in single shadow form. I also have the two liners and then the mini UDPP, which I can never have enough of. Urban Decay is doing their Friends/Family sale soon…however I know that the BOS2 would sell out, and I liked it enough to where I couldn’t wait for Christmas. Show Pony and the liner sets? Those I can wait on. But not the Book of Shadows.
And my main addiction right now? Polishes. They’re much cheaper than lipsticks and since I do my nails so often, it’s worthwhile to have. They had two of my favourite Essie’s on clearance-Wrapped in Rubies and Showstopper. I actually have them in mini form but well, they are some of my favourites. I’ll wait til I’ve used up the minis before delving into the full-sizes, but Showstopper is a can’t-live-without shade for me. I also picked up a Tiny Wine-Y for my mum, because that was a shade she borrowed from me and loved.
There was also a little OPI mini trio for $3 of Halloween shades, with two glow shades and then one that looks like Atomic Orange or Brights Power, just repackaged. Figured for that price, why not? (more…)
MAC Mischief Makers Now Online
Alrighty folks, the minis are here, so it means that Christmas season is officially upon us! (Don’t shoot me) This year, it’s just pigments and glosses, which I think is the best way to go because nobody really cares about Softsparkles or any of that kind of thing. Also the brush canisters? Boring. Who knows, we may see more of them, but don’t count on it.
Anyways, each Lipglass set has tons of LE shades. Instead of it being done by colour family, it’s by colour intensity-so you have soft, deep, and bright. Genius, eh? Each set is $29.50, and it has three Lipglasses and two Lustreglasses.
Sexy Shenanigans: Soft lipglass
Cruise Control-Pastel pink w/white pearl (LE)
Elle-White pink with pearl (Repromote Belle Azure)
Morning Glory-Pale lavender with high-level pearl
Poetic License-Clean coral rose (Repromote Naturally Eccentric)
Ensign-Peachy pink w/white and gold pearl (Repromote Naughty Nauticals)
Models Misbehaving: Deep lipglass
Instant Gold-Shiny light neutral gold
Magnetique-Frosty violet-fuschia (Repromote Rose Romance)
Angel Wing-Deep plum with gold pearl (Previously discontinued)
Pinkular-Bronzed copper (Repromote Patternmaker)
Gitane-Burnt orange-red pearl (Repromote D’Bohemia) (more…)
MAC 2009 Holiday Review
Again, sorry for not being a dutiful blogger:( I have come down with a nasty case of mono, but fear not: I am back in action! Somewhat.
Today, with some free time, I went to check out the Christmas stuff at the local Freestanding store. This year has had a larger emphasis on gifts, but not only that but bringing in ideas and things that are new, interesting, and sure to pique the interest of many. I am hoping to attend the holiday party that MAC is doing in a couple weeks, so I may pick up some stuff then!
Starting out with the palettes, I felt that the eye palettes, for the most part, were nothing particularly great-with the exception of the one with the purples. You do get less product this time around, sadly, but the packaging to me is also nicer and more streamlined. The lip palettes are pretty blah-nothing to write home about. I certainly don’t see myself needing any of those, especially since it’s more of a “pretty-pretty” sort of look. The face palettes, though, are a great idea. I’ve wanted MAC to do a face palette for a long time, and they delivered. While the more tan one isn’t really special, the Hocus Focus is gorgeous. If you love taking multiple powders along with you, this is a great idea, and one that I am glad MAC came out with. (more…)
REVIEW: Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous
Yet another product from yesterday reviewed-here you are! (Thank me later)
Benefit’s Some Kind-a Gorgeous is described as being a “foundation faker”. It’s a cream-to-powder formula that is designed to flatter all skintones and give exactly what I like-light coverage that evens things out but doesn’t cake on. They also do a darker version for those of you who are blessed with having a darker complexion.
The coverage, like I said, is fairly light. It evens things out (aka spotting, neutralizing redness) but it also still lets my moles and everything show through, so it’s still natural. It’s a nice clean slate look, which lets me look like I’m way more radiant than my currently-sick self is actually. I do like the cream to powder, because I don’t have to worry about breakage, since I am kind of rough with my makeup.
The packaging on the product is nice. It, like all Benefit products, has the retro-cool packaging, and this is designed to look like a record, with the box looking like a turntable. Inside, there is a substancially-sized mirror, and then the part with the product lifts up to reveal a resting place for an included sponge. I’m not the biggest fan of the sponges, as I prefer to use a brush, but until I get my hands on a 187 I’ll have to use a sponge.
The price is the big sticking point though-it’s $28. I haven’t used foundation or anything like it, besides one tinted moisturizer, in years, so I am not used to having yet another product to pay for. And I suppose for what it does, it is worth the price, but it’s still $28. Cheaper than many other things out there, though-and when I consider the fact that I’ll pay $27 for an MSF, paying a dollar more for an actual complexion product seems warranted. Not to mention I got a cutesy sample of PosieTint (cause I shopped at ULTA) which I can’t wait to try!
Overall, this is a great product if you need light coverage. If you need something heavy, though, you may want to try something else, but this works darn well for me.
REVIEW: Bourjois Coup de Theatre 2/1 Mascara
Alright folks, I believe that what we have here may just be the greatest mascara invented! Of course, tastes are subjective, so what may be a holy grail for one person is an epic FAIL for another. Still though, this is my holy grail!
When I look at a mascara, I look at four main things-the formula, the brush, the effect that it has, and the cost. It’s the easiest way for me to pick out what I want, and leave the junk in the dust.
Formula-The formula on this apparently has little nylon fibers in it, in order to lengthen the lashes. It says length+volume, and it got the length part, that’s for sure. As far as volume? I have full lashes, so it’s hard to tell. It is a fairly thin formula though, so it is delightfully non-clumpy. One coat is all that you need in order to get the perfect lash.
Brush-The brush on this is the sort that I like-instead of it being the spooly, it’s a spikey one with lots of little teeth. Sometimes those sorts of wands can be bad-I’ve seen the Revlon Double Twist one, and that is an epic fail if there ever was one. However this is awesome. It allows you to get every lash because the teeth are not in little rows-they alternate, so that you get a nice coating. No complaints about this brush! (more…)
The ULTA Coupon Haul
First off, my apologies about the lack of content lately. I haven’t had paychecks coming, and I’ve been working like a fiend at the store-over 45 hours last week. Oy my.
Anywhoo, I got a coupon in the mail for 20% off my entire ULTA purchase. They typically do this right before Halloween, and it’s good because it’s everything except for clearances, fragrance, and then some skincare. Who cares though, you can save on prestige makeup, and I almost prefer this to the Sephora sale because with this, I can just go right in the store, and they have Bourjois, NP, and so forth. Works like a charm! And with a paycheck in the bank-it’s time to celebrate.
First up, I got something I’ve been eyeing for three months: Benefit’s Some Kind-a Gorgeous. It’s a cream-to-powder formula “foundation faker” that is designed to even things out without caking on the foundation. The compact itself is nice-it’s a plastic case designed to look like an old-school record. It is mirrored, and then the actual makeup part lifts up and there’s a sponge hidden underneath for application of the product. I tried it on some spots, and I was impressed-I will do a full review once I can do a full-face test of the product, to see how it works out.
Next up was my second China Glaze-Cherry Pie. (I almost thought it was Ruby Slippers) I haven’t tried it on the nails yet-in fact, I still have polishes from my Trade Secret haul a few weeks ago that I haven’t opened yet. This looks to be a brighter, sparklier version of Friar Friar Pants on Fire (my HG OPI polish) and if the wear on this is anything like Orange Marmalade, I will be a huge fan. This was a clearance buy, so I didn’t save any more, but still? $4 is damn good for a polish. (more…)
New Sephora Favourites Sets!
Earlier this year, Sephora came out with about ten sets of products that featured minis of some very popular things. It’s a good way to go if you are wanting to try things out, or also good for breaking up and tossing into gift baskets or Christmas stockings and stuff like that. Well, for Christmas, they have come out with five all-new sets, and these are some fairly interesting ones. So, without further ado, here is the carnage! (Heh)
Set 1: Lip Service Kit
This kit is designed to have all the favourites you need to get holiday-ready lips, with a selection of lipsticks, pencils, and glosses (including a full-size!!!) in universally-wearable colours.
The Products:
DuWop’s Private Red lipstick
Korres’ Wine Red lipstick (one of their Guava lipsticks)
PlantLove by CARGO’s Muir Woods lipstick (this looks to be a full-size)
Tarte’s Hatha lipstick
Laura Mercier’s Pink Champagne lipstick
Smashbox’s Sheer Lip-Enhancing Gloss
Sephora Brand’s Nano Lipliner-it says either 11 or 14
NARS’ Roman Holiday lip pencil
The cost? Only $38-and it’s valued at over $115.
Set 2: Lashstash Deluxe
This has always been a popular one-because it has the little sizes of mascara, which are way more economical than buying full sizes that inevitably don’t get fully used up.
The Products (all minis)
Benefit BadGal
Urban Decay Skyscraper
Smashbox Lash DNA
Laura Mercier Thickening/Building
Tarte 4 Day Lash Stain
CARGO LashActivator
Sephora Brand Lash Stretcher
Fresh Supernova
Korres Lengthening/Stretching (abyssinia oil)
Hourglass Superficial Lash
The cost? Only $39-and it’s a $104 value. (more…)
MAC Holiday 2009: Viva Glam/Kids Helping Kids
Every year, as a fundraiser for the MAC AIDS Fund, MAC will do several fun gifty-type things, at a democratic price point so that you not only get a great gift, but as with all Viva Glam products, every cent of the selling price goes to support the MAC AIDS Fund. I read a thing at my local freestanding-the purchase of one VG lipstick or lipglass provides five meals for somebody who is living with HIV/AIDS. It’s an easy and tangible way to make your money work for you, and look better at the same time!
The first thing that MAC does is the Viva Glam Lip Palette. This features two lipsticks and a gloss in a palette-exactly like the lip ones, but in all the VG finery. Same price, same everything.
Viva Glam V-Neutral pink with pearl (Lustre)
Viva Glam VI-Warm terracotta-plum with pearl (Lustre)
Viva Glam V-Neutral pink with pearl (Gloss)
The other thing MAC does is the Kids Helping Kids range, which is a series of cards illustrated by kids, and the proceeds are used to help children everywhere who are living with HIV/AIDS. This year, the nice thing is that the cards are not themed-they can be used all-year round. What I would personally love to see MAC do is to have a range of Kids Helping Kids cards all year round, for any occasion, and then do a range of Christmas ones. I know I would buy the KHK cards over regular greeting cards-not only are they done by the kids, so you get to see some fun art, but I know that my money is doing good. Anywhoo, the options this year, for $6.50 each, are a 6-pack of cards, for any occasion, or a 12-pack of gift tags, also with no specific holiday in mind. I know I’m getting some of each!
MAC Holiday 2009 Exclusives
Okay, so every year at the holidays MAC has some exclusive items-and this year is no different, being under the guise of sets. And let me just say: these sets? AMAZING! The Nordie’s one is very similar to the one they did last year, while the MAC store ones? Way, way, way better.
Nordstrom Exclusive: Love’s Divine Lash Kit. This retails for $48, and you get a #7 lash, a full-size jar of Reflects Transparent Teal (which I do not already own, sadly), a Penultimate Liner in the black, and then a mini Zoomlash, all in the little bag (the bags are silver with a coloured bead and ribbon zipper pull-very simple and nice).
MAC Store/maccosmetics.com Exclusives: Mineralize sets. Moreso than almost anything, these excite me. For $59.50, you get a Mineralize Skinfinish, a Mineralize Blush, a Mineralize Eyeshadow duo, and a 181 SE.
Fun In The Sun: Bronzey Kit
Shimpagne-Vintage gold-gilded beige (Skinfinish; repromote from A Muse)
Nuance-Midtone peach with gold pearl (Blush; repromote from Sonic Chic)
Play on Plums-Mono: Bronze-toned burgundy. Melange: Peachy gold with pink and bronze veining (Eyeshadow Duo; repromote from Electroflash)
Pinkzapoppin!: Pink Kit
Light Flush-Soft pastel pink with deep pinky-bronze veining (MSF; repromote from N Collection)
Dainty-Light yellow pink with gold pearl (Permanent)
Love Connection-Mono: Warm Gold. Melange: Pale beige with gold and blue veining
I dunno about you, but Fun in the Sun is an absolute must-buy for me. I can always use a 181SE so my regular one can rest at home, and I’ve wanted Shimpagne and Nuance for ages. I can justify the purchase that way:)
MAC Holiday 2009: Lip/Eye/Brush Bags
In years past, MAC has done lip bags-two lipsticks, and a promo-sized Lipglass. Fun, but not always my cup of tea. This year, it’s different-and we have eye bags, too! All of them retail for $36 apiece. Also the brush bags are back, and from what I have felt these are way better than Hello Kitty, last year’s holiday brushes, and Graphic Garden.
The lip bags are a lipstick, a lipglass, and then a promotional-sized lip pencil. These are NOT in special packaging; they are normal. The only thing is that the bottom sticker says “NOT FOR INDIVIDUAL SALE” and there is the little cute bag for them.
House of Mirth: Deep Lips
Fantasia-Deep rose (Lustre; lipstick)
Get Rich Quick-Warm yellow brown (Dazzleglass)
Cedar-Soft muted pinkish-beige (Lip Pencil)
Put A Spell On You: Pink Lips
Dream-Dirty pink with intense pearl (Glaze; Lipstick)
Baby Sparks-Pale pink with violet pearl (Dazzleglass)
Dervish-Low-key mauve (Lip Pencil)
Eye Bags: Each one of these has a full-size Fluidline, a full-size Pigment, a mini Zoomlash, and a 209 SE. (more…)
