Sunday wants

Heading to the city(Toronto) this week for Canadian Thanksgiving (Oct 8). Yes, it is going to be a challenge not to go crazy at the shopping malls. I have been pretty good in controlling my shopping impulses in September. 

Here is my list of "possibilities" of attack at the mall:

Sephora favorites In the Glow set  $54.00 (buy here)

I have realized that I never finish any blush/bronzer/highlighter. To me, these smaller-sized products are the greatest for me as I can still try out and don't have to buy them at full-sized. I have always wanted to try the Nars laguna so this is the perfect set for me. Currently not in stock online so I will have to try my luck in the retail stores.

Tarte 5-piece LipSurgence Collector's Set  $44 (buy here)

I still love my Revlon kissable lip stains. Have been using them every day since I got my hands on my first ones. They are very similar to these Tarte lip stains and I am more of a neutral lip color gal and these colors are so pretty.

Anastasia Brow Fix $27 (buy here)

I have tried other brands of highlighter pencil for brows but they didn't work too well for me. Haven't tried any of the Anatasia products yet. Would love to give it a try.

I have tried out almost all the bath products I got from my Lush orders and have a pretty good idea of what to repurchase. So will pick up some bubble bars and fresh face masks for sure.

As for J. Crew, currently (ends tonite) there is a promo of 25% off when you spend $150 and free shipping as well. Normally, I would have taken the bait long time ago. But since I know I will be in the city and I have been waiting for a promo on full-priced items for so long, decide not to order online. Want to try on a few outerwear items and maybe they have some good sales in store.

J. Crew Snowcap quilted jacket puffer (buy here)

Love the color on the website but would really want to see it in person. I know this is not a very warm jacket and I can probably only wear this in Oct in Canada. Not warm enough for the cold weather here in Ontario. 

Stovepipe trouser in wool check (buy here)

Houndstooth sweater

When the promo started, this is the only item I really want to get. But of course, it is sold out. Will have to check if it's available in store.

Glossy Box Sep 2012 Canada

My September Glossy Box arrived yesterday, which was a pleasant surprise. My box usually does not come until the very last days of the month or even the beginning of the month(that was the case with my August box). 

I like the surprise component of opening the box every month. But I was so tempted to read other bloggers of what they got. When I found out most of the Canadian boxes contain the NYX The Crimson Amulet Collection, I was so excited. I was hoping that my box would come with that as it would make me so happy.

I was so happy to open my September box. Here is what I got:

B. Kamins maple body lotion

B. Bamins lip balm SPF 20

Wella professional mirror polish shine serum

Dove cleartone

NYX the Crimson Amulet collection

What a great box! I'm super excited to try this out. Just this box alone is $25 and made my box totally worth it this month already. This is by far my favorite Glossy Box so far. 

OOTD J. Crew Tippi sweater in polka dot

Cool weather is here and I can't wait to pull out my thin sweaters. I can't say that I love the cooler weather. Cooler weather comes with shorter days and sooner or later, snow will hit. So not looking forward to it.

J. Crew tippi sweater in polka dot in size S (buy here)

J. Crew scout chino in size 4 (buy here)

J. Crew Mila cap toe leather ballet flats (buy here)

I didn't realize I am wearing all J. Crew today. I also carry my J. Crew tillary canvas tote too :)

I am really loving this tippi in polka dot. Currently this color is sold out online but I'm sure it will pop back sooner or later.

Yes, I'm an eye cream addict

Ever since I was 20 years old and realized that my eyes could get puffy and would get dark circles when I do and I don't get enough sleep. 

I have tried many eye cream. Some claims to erase dark circles, some say to reduce puffiness. As soon as I see the label says reduce puffiness, I'm sucked into buying those.

Currently, I'm using the following : 

L-R: Boscia amino-AG eye treatment, Yes to Blueberries brightening eye roller, La Roche Posay hydraphase eye cream with SPF 29, Dermaglow anti-age eye treatment and Bliss baggage handler eye gel

My perfect eye cream would be moisturizing but not sticky,  de-puff bags underneath the eyes, brighten the eye area and have SPF.

My morning routine would be combining a few of the products. I would use the Yes to blueberries brightening eye roller first. It claims to smell like blueberries but I don't find the scent appealing. The good thing about it is the roller is always cool and when I apply it, it could help de-puff my eye area. It is affordable($19.95). So I was willing to give it a try, not expecting it do much.

Then I would put on the La Roche Posay hydraphase eye cream. It has SPF 29. Very moisturizing. However, it has been discontinued. 

This is the replacement they came out with. I don't see any SPF but willing to give it a try. $38 at Shoppers Drug Mart

Next, I would put on some Bliss baggage handler eye gel on my " bags". It is a very light texture gel. I don't think it does much though. So for this reason, I won't repurchase.

At night time, I would put La Roche Posay Redermic eye(intensive daily anti wrinkle firming fill-in care). It is a very moisturizing cream. I like the fact that it would help diminish the fine lines around my eyes. 

Then I would put on one of the eye treatments, either the Boscia or the Dermaglow. I have been using those two interchangeably for 3 weeks now and have not noticed a significant change in the texture of the skin. So won't be repurchasing those.

I also use Kiehl's avocado eye cream at nite sometimes. It is the smoothest eye cream I have ever used. But I find it is not enough other than a regular eye cream. Don't have any anti-age or firming properties. So I am not sure if I would repurchase or not.

To add to my " collection", I just received my order from Kiehl's. They had a 20% family and friends promo a week or so ago. Since I'm almost out of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, I ordered that together with the Midnight Recovery Eye.

I have been using the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate for almost a year and love it. It is a serum I use at night. It really helps with the overall skin texture. Makes your skin so smooth but not sticky. So when they had the midnight recovery eye cream come out, I was tempted to try. 

Will try my hardest not to try this before I use up all my other eye cream first.

Also got a couple of samples of the eye alert

I have heard a lot of good reviews about the Origins eye cream and think I will go there next. Have you tried those or any other good eye cream you would recommend?

Maybelline Color Tattoo- Barely Beige (fall 2012 limited edition)

Maybelline color tattoo has become one of my favorite beauty items. They released their fall 2012 limited edition a while ago. But unfortunately we Canadians will not see them here for a bit(at least that's the case for my small town). I got mine from ebay, of course, where else?

I use the cream shadows as a base so I am drawn to the neutral colors. From their fall limited edition, I got Barely Beige.

Barely Beige

Same packaging as the regular ones. But this time I will learn. To store it, close the lid tightly and store it upside down. Apparently that would keep it from being dried out.

L-R: Maybelline Barely Beige, Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, Benefit Birthday Suit

I am comparing it to Maybelline's Bad to the Bronze and Benefit's Birthday suit. I have had  the Bad to the Bronze for 5 months now. As you can tell, it is a bit drier than the other two.

L-R: Maybelline Barely Beige, Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, Benefit Birthday Suit

Barely Beige has a more pinkish tone with a bit shimmer. All the swatches are just one swipe. Bad to the Bronze is obviously much more pigmented than the rest. 

Comparing the texture, Benefit's Birthday Suit is by far the creamiest and smooth. Very easy to glide on. I use only my fingers to apply. For the Maybelline color tattoo, I have 4 other shades from their regular line and for some reason, some are easier to blend and apply than others. I have Too Cool (a cream/white shade) and Tough as Taupe(a greyish color) and Too Cool is my go-to shadow for the whole summer. It is harder to blend than all my other shades and it has become quite chalky and dried out now. 

Have you tried Maybelline Color Tattoo fall 2012 limited edition? What is your favorite shade?

Lush haul, Catastrophe Cosmetic review

Yes, another Lush haul and yes I have turned into a Lush addict.

This time, I placed an order with Lush.ca and my order came by UPS within a couple of days.

So happy to see my parcel at the door when I came home from work(yes, living in a small town has its advantage. We don't have to be at home at time of delivery and parcels would be left at our doorstep. I wouldn't dare to do this if we live in a city)

My haul this time contains mostly bubble bars. I ordered the Tea Tree Water which wasn't closed tightly at the time of being packed and it leaked 3/4 into the box

When I took out the bubble bar one by one, I was wondering where the moisture came from. Then I realized it was from the Tea Tree Water.......

Opened the bottle and it only got 1/4 left :(

Lucky that the bubble bar, bath melt and my tub of shower gel was unharmed. They were packed with sealed plastic covers. But I did notice my Comforter bubble bar melt a little with the moisture and I could see the dark pink crumbles breaking apart.

I quickly called 1-800 Lush number and was speaking to a very helpful associate( I was so impressed to be connected so quickly. These days, who isn't put on hold forever to speak to a real person on the phone?!) I explained to her about my order and how the tea tree water leaked all over the box and into one of my bubble bar. She apologized for my order and would be sending the two items out to me right away. 

So besides the little hiccup on my order, here is my order: 

Tea Tree Water (a toner, which I heard is amazing for oily skin)

Comforter Bubble Bar

Two Timing Tart Bubble Bar

Yuzu and Cocoa(I got this last time and it is an amazing bubble bar. I used half for 1 bath and it is very creamy and moisturizing. Smell amazing. Very citrusy and a little bit of coconut)

Green Bubble Bar(same idea as the Yuzu and Cocoa. Easy to separate into halves)

Creamy Candy Bubble Bar

Party On shower gel(it is with the Retro collection, meaning it was discontinued and it is so popular that they brought it back)

Since my Comforter bubble bar was partly "moist" so I decided to use it up before it gets mouldy. It is a pretty big bar and I crumbled into 4 chunks and used 1/4. It smells amazing and the bubbles. Oh my, like crazy bubbles. Turned the bath water into pink. Not as moisturizing as Yuzu and Coca though. Not sure if it's because I only used 1/4 of the bar. But still, it is an amazing bar and know it is going to be a stable item with my Lush stash.

With my last order, I bought the Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask.

A fresh face mask with tons of blueberries packed

this is what it looks like at its last leg( it only has 2 weeks to use up and I'm at the end of the two weeks and you can see the mask is starting to dry up)

Excuse the awkward me with the mask on. I just want to show you guys the blueberries.

As this is a fresh face mask with no preservatives, I need to put the mask in the refrigerator. Usually the fresh face mask has 2 weeks to be used up. I didn't expect I would love this mask so much. It is made for acne-prone skin and claims to calm skin and also as a preventative mask. I started to use the mask after that time of the month as I usually break out more around that time. I use the mask every other day and started to notice the difference within the first week. It got rid of the redness around the few spots. You could almost see the redness gone as you are washing off the mask. Since I had to use it up within the 2 weeks, I use it very regularly and it did not dry out  or irritate my skin as most facial masks or scrubs do. The smell is amazing. It was funny the first night I used the mask, my dog was sniffing my face afterwards and he later on went into the bathroom to sniff some more. The amazing blueberry scent linger on in the bathroom for days. 

I will be heading home to Toronto in a couple of weeks and will definitely visit the Lush store to get another one and possibly the Love Lettuce mask to try. As much as I would like to stock up, I can't. I wonder if I could store them in the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge the day before I plan to use it. 

Bath and Body Works Haul

I'm pleasantly surprised that my order from Bath and Body Works is here already. I only place the order 3 business days ago. My email confirmation gave me a Purolator tracking number but I wasn't able to track it and I called yesterday and was told my order was still in transit. So I am so surprised to see my order arrive today.

I ordered 5 3-wick candles. Originally priced at $19.50 each, my order would have been $100 plus shipping and handling. But I got them on sale with the special promo, 2 for $20 and I also got a 20% off my whole order. My order came to $65.20 with the tax and shipping. So very happy with the deal I got.

they were packed extremely well and marked fragile on the box

Got 2 of the Mahogany Teakwood. Scent just like Abercrombie Fierce cologne. Not too masculine and would make a nice change to my regular fruity, bakery scents.

Lemon- as predicted, very lemon and fresh scented. I love to burn lemon when I'm cooking very strong-scented food and lemon is just the right scent to neutralize the food scent in the kitchen.

Marshmallow Fireside- smell so yummy. Think this is my absolute favorite. 

Leaves- the scent is quite hard to describe so I would quote what it says on the label: " A fragrance that embodies the richness of fall- with all of its colors and pleasures- featuring notes of golden nectar, ripe delicious apple and red berries.

Now after reading the description, I can definitely make out the mix of scents in the candle. A very strong apple and fall fruits' scent but not too sweet and fruity as my other candles. 

J. Crew rugby stripe boatneck

Aside from my new beloved ballet flats from J. Crew(see blog here), I got a few sweaters on the same order.

J. Crew rugby stripe boatneck top in size S( buy here)

When I first saw this, it didn't quite catch my eye. But the more I look at the navy paired with retro jade, it started to grow on me. I have been obsessed with the minty color all spring/summer. But thought the retro jade will blend very well into fall.

J. Crew scout chino in size 4 (buy here)

J. Crew Mila cap toe leather ballet flats (buy here)

I am trying to wear as much light-colored pants as I can before the cold weather hits. It is such a pair of super-comfy pants. Love them!

Going back to this rugby stripe boatneck top. This is a linen/rayon mix fabric. Interesting mix. It is a bit "rough"to the touch. So if you have sensitive skin, you may find this top quite itchy. But I'm ok with that. It has a more of a boxy fit. I went with my normal size with this and this fits fine. I am just starting to love the retro jade color. Very flattening and goes well with a lot of colors. I love stripes and I'm contemplating to go grab it in cabernet (the burgundy/fuchsia combination).

Pressured to buy

I don't usually shop for clothes in my town. First, there are not too many clothing store in town. Only a few nation-wide chained stores, such as Smartset, Ricki's, Reitman etc. There were some small little boutiques which sell nicer items but they closed down one by one as time goes by. 

I was out of Lush bath melts and my online order is due to arrive this coming week. I decided to go to a few stores in town to search for bubble bath or bath salts. There was one store which I drive by many many times but rarely stop by to browse. 

If you ever shop in a boutique in a small town, you would know what I mean. When I shop, I love to browse around freely in store. I am used to city shopping, where in most stores, you would be greeted by the sales associate and if you need assistance, you would go up and ask for help. But in a small town, shopping experience is very different. Usually the store owner is the sales associate, stock person, book-keeper and many more. So you will get one-on-one customer service. 

Don't get me wrong. People in a small town are very friendly and helpful. The store I went to sell mostly home decor and household items. They sell bath and lotion items. They also sell clothes and accessories. 

I wasn't shopping for clothes that day. But since the owner was so helpful and cheerful and encouraged me to browse at their clothing section. Next thing you know, I had an armful full of clothes to bring to the change room. She kept suggesting to try on styles of sweaters which I never would have even picked out on my own. Colors I have never even considered. The fall colors. Not the regular brown colors, but mustard yellow and orange.

Almost an hour later, (no I'm not kidding), I was exhausted trying on clothes. Of all the clothes I tried on, there was only one top I remotely like. I felt bad after spending an hour at the store and not get anything. So decided to just get the top.

Top by Dolcezza by Michael Phillips(sim here)

Joe Fresh colored denim

Tory Burch Reva flats

sideway cross necklace (buy here)

Don't get me wrong. This top is something I would wear. The sleeves are a bit sheer but the body part is not. So I wouldn't need to layer up. It is a brown/burgundy top with red neckline, red on the tip part of the sleeves and red on the bottom part, making this top very unique with very distinguished detailing. 

The boutique also carries other brands which I have never heard of but they are made of very good quality. There is this pair of jeans I tried on. Very flattening on me. It is by Cartise. I tried on this pair.  They are nice but not sure about the rhinestones on my behind. Also, they are not cheap, $159. For brands that I am not familiar with, I'm not willing to buy at first glance.

Have you bought something you're kind of " pressured" into buying?

Bath and Body Works Candle Sale Alert

I love Bath and Body Works. Love their antibacterial hand soap and sanitizer. The pocketbac sanitizer has always been a stable item in my purse for years. 

They just released their new fall collection. I have been dying to go to the store and get some candles as I'm almost out. Just got an email from them there will be a sale promotion for 2 days(Sep 14 & 15 in Canada), buy 1 3-wick or mini candle and get 1 free. The 3-wick candle is about $20 each regularly. So it is a really great deal to get them for half price.

However, living in a small town has its major disadvantage. I am a little more than an hour drive away from the nearest store. I don't really have any intention to go to town just for the candles. 

Went to Bath and Body Works.com and they have the 2 for $20 candles special on as well(works out to be the same as the buy 1 get 1 free candle deal in Canadian stores). I have never ordered from them online before and was worried about the high shipping fee as candles are heavy and bulky. I got 5 3-wick candles and the shipping by courier is $20. So not too too bad. I managed to find a promo code (FALLGIFT20) and gave me a 20% off my total purchase. $10 off and I basically paid $10 for shipping which is totally reasonable.

Marshmallow Fireside

I love the scent of marshmallow and how comforting would it be to have the house smell of marshmallow by the fireplace? 

Leaves

Bath and Body Works has its regular Leaves candle every fall. I can't remember if I have tried this before. So excited to give this a try.

Mahogamy Teakwood

This one I haven't sampled before either. But heard it smells like Abercrombie Fierce cologne. If you have been to any Abercrombie and Fitch stores, you won't be a stranger to the famous cologne scent. It is a cologne so it is more masculine of course. My collection of candles are mostly consist of fruity, coffee or dessert scents. Would be great to add something different to my collection. My brother loves the cologne too and I am getting him and my sister-in-law one to try as well.