September Favorites

Have a few new products in this month's favorites. When you try out so many new beauty and hair products each month, it is a hit and miss. Excited to share some new finds with you guys.

Lush Big Sea Salt Shampoo

This is the first hair product from Lush that I got. I tried out a sample first before I buy the big tub from the Lush UK website(it is much cheaper to buy there compared to the North American website). This is a sea salt shampoo. Has chunks of salt in the tub. You will be amazed how well it lather up with a tiny amount. I have oily hair and find this shampoo perfect to cleanse my hair well and gives extra body. I use this mostly for my roots as I find if I use it all over my hair, would dry the ends out. I also recommend to use this only once a week to avoid over-cleanse your hair and dry them out. 

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder

Nars Ita Brush(here)

Have this Too Faced bronzer for a while and just rediscovered it. The chocolate scent is just too delicious to pass up. Got this Nars Ita contour brush last month. Yes, it is pricey but I find it extremely easy to use this brush for contouring. Makes the contouring a breeze. One stroke and some wiggling is all it takes to do the job. 

Tarte Glamour-pure performance 12 hour lipstick(Inspired)

Dior Lip Addict Glow

This Tarte has to be one of my favorite lippies from the Sephora Give Me More Lip set(see my previous post for swatches). Very long-lasting and the mauve-pink shade is just perfect.

The Dior Lip Addict Glow is my everyday balm but better lip product. Whenever I want to go for the nude lip, this is what I grab. 

Le Blush Creme De Chanel in 62 Presage

This highly-pigmented cream blush from Chanel is awesome. You only need a tiny tiny bit. A little goes a long way. This is a cream to powder finish and I find the lasting power amazing as well.

Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser

ELF Makeup Mist & Set

I can't believe I spent $20 on a bar of soap to clean my beauty blender and brushes. But I am so glad I did. This is no ordinary soap. I have used a few brands of brush cleanser but somehow do not clean my brushes thoroughly. I use a beauty sponge to apply my under eye concealer and it is very hard to clean the sponge completely. But a few rubs of the sponge onto this beauty blender solid cleanser, it removes all the residue. 

The ELF makeup mist and set is a much more affordable alternative to Urban Decay's All-Nighter Makeup spray. It sets my makeup helps it stay all day long, even on hot and humid days in the summer. 

What are some beauty products you have tried this month love? Share in the comment below and would love to read what you guys recommend.

September Empties

Fall is here and even though the weather is still very nice and relatively warm, leaves are changing color. I am not big into fall as I hate cold and damp weather :(

I am starting to get a hang of collecting my empties and this month, it is a combination of scented candles and mostly skincare. I find it hard to use up any makeup products as I have so many to go through.

Bath & Body Works London Calling, Strawberry Picnic and Sangria Rose Candles

I love burning candles and used up a few of my favorite summer candles from Bath and Body Works. Sorry I didn't stock up more on these and hopefully these or similar scented candles will release next spring or summer. London Calling is a beautiful scent of a mixture of tea and lemon. Strawberry Picnic is a refreshing scent of strawberries and cream. Not too sweet scented. Sangria Rose is quite sweet-scented and maybe too overpowering at times.

I love Strawberries & milkshake shower gel, La Roche Posay Anthelios Suncreen, Fortune Cookie Cupcake Whipped Cream

I got the strawberries and milkshake shower gel from Shoppers Drug Mart a while back and since I alternate between so many bath and shower products, it took a while for me to finally use it up. I love strawberry-scented products and this one is ok. Nothing too extraordinary or moisturizing. So won't be repurchasing again. 

La Roche Posay Anthelios sunscreen is a must-have for me in my everyday skincare routine. This must be my third or fourth bottle that I used up. Very fluid and lightweight. I have normal combination skin and I used to hate applying sunscreen due to its stickiness. But this one changed my daily routine. It is so lightweight and does not grease me up. I apply this year-around.

Fortune Cookie Whipped Cream has to be one of my favorite products. I got a few of these deluxe sample sizes in a variety pack so I can sample different seasonal scents. Very moisturizing but not too sticky. Perfect for summer.

Vichy Purete Thermale Refreshing Toner, Lush Tea Tree Water & Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask

I have been using the Vichy Thermale refreshing toner for a year or two. It does not dry my skin out. I skipped using toner for a long time before but realized how important a toner is for everyday skincare routine. It removes makeup residue even after you cleanse your face. This must be the fifth bottle I have used up. I like this one but have bought the Origins toner to switch things up for a change.

Lush Tea Tree Water is an additional toner I apply when I feel my skin is starting to breakout. This toner is absolutely amazing. Helps my skin with blemishes and very refreshing. Repurchased already.

Last but not least is my favorite fresh face mask from Lush. I use up at least one of two of these monthly. I don't live near a Lush store so I stock up on a few every time I visit a Lush store. I place them in the freezer and I will take one out and let it sit at room temperature for a while before I use it. 

My New Phillip Lim for Target Mini Satchel

Received my Phillip Lim for Target mini satchel in the mail today. I was not one of those "lucky" people who got to shop at the Target stores so I got mine from ebay. You will be amazed at how many listings are on ebay after the release of the collection on September 15(last Sunday). People are listing some bags at crazy prices. 

Of course I paid quite crazy for this bag which is retailed at $34.99. I ended up buying this from a Canadian seller so saved myself from paying extra for customs and duties. 

Even though it is a mini satchel, it is bigger than I thought. The detailing is quite impressive. Oh well, for a purse which is $34.99, the zippers and the stitching is good. Also,  it is very spacious and just be perfect for everyday errands.

The sides have zippers for extra width. When they are zipped up, gives a more sleek look. The bag also comes with shoulder strap which is perfect for cross body wear which I intend to wear most of the time.

Overall, very happy with my purchase. This satchel also comes in taupe and the very popular mustard yellow color. 

Did you grab anything from the Phillip Lim for Target collection?

Sephora Favorites Give Me More Lip Swatches

So happy and excited to receive my Sephora order today. My Sephora Favorites Give Me More Lip Set is here :)

Sephora Favorites Give Me More Lip (here)

I admit I go through beauty products in phases. The phase I'm going through is certainly lippies. Yes, I will ban myself from buying any more lipsticks or lip glosses for a WHILE. Promise promise.

From left to right: 

1.Bare Minerals Moxie in Never Say Never

2. Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Pomegranate

3. Buxom Full-Bodied in Menace

4. Buxom Full-on Lip Cream in White Russian

5. Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon

From left to right:

1. Kat Von D in Adora

2. Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Naked

3. Makeup Forever Rough Artist Natural N45

4. Obsession Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Strumpet

5. Smashbox Lip Gloss in Pout

From left to right:

1. Stila Color Balm in Sonya

2. Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance 12 hour in Inspired

3. Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lip Cream in Marshmallow Bunny

4. Smashbox Be Legendary in Nylon Nude

5. Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Dolce

6. Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Backstage

Lipstick heaven. That is all I can describe this set. There are lots of brands of lipsticks that I have not tried before and they are in deluxe sizes and what a great way to try out different brands without breaking your bank. 

Phillip Lim for Target

You have probably heard of the hype of designers collaborating with Target. Phillip Lim launched his Target collection on Sep 15(Sunday). Unfortunately, I am not near a Target store. Unlike the lucky Americans, we Canadians cannot order from the Target.com website either.

Like many others who could not make it to the store or the website, I go to ebay. You should see how many handbags from this collection made it to ebay Sunday morning. Or even crazier, some made it to ebay even before the official launch. Heard some stores in Atlanta, GA "leaked" products early.

Black Mini Satchel

Black Medium Satchel

Taupe Medium Satchel

I concentrated mainly on the purses. When the collection lookbook launched  a couple of months ago, I had my eyes set on the mini satchel. The medium sized purses look pretty good but I got the Phillip Lim 3.1 medium satchel in taupe in July(see post) and I would rather have a smaller sized one to switch things up.

Majority of the listings on ebay on this collection is from the States and if you are interested in grabbing a few items, here are a few tips: 

1.  Set your "target" items and have a general idea of how much these items go for in the completed listings(meaning items which were successfully sold). 
2. Pick reputable sellers. You would notice a ton of sellers are new to ebay and have very few feedback. Be careful of those as  their prices may be a bit lower than others but they are not as reputable as other sellers. A lot of these listings are from sellers' online purchases which means they do not even have the products in their hands yet. They simply have put in online orders and waiting for them to arrive at their door step. You may have to wait a bit before you get your items. 
3. Pay attention to shipping options. I have noticed that a lot of US sellers are shipping items through Global Shipping Program. I have never bought items shipped through this before. I believe you have to pay the customs and duties up front when you check out so no additional charges when your parcel arrives. So on top of the price you agree to pay, you have to pay for the shipping fee and the duties. 

Did you line up on Sunday for the Phillip Lim for Target Collection? Or are you going to try your luck on ebay?

September Ipsy Bag 2013

Surprised to receive my September Ipsy bag this early. Always happy to receive them earlier than late.

This month's bag is a very cute royal blue one. Included also is Michelle Phan's new cosmetic line, em cosmetic, sampler.

Included in this cardboard life palette sampler is 3 eye and 1 blush. The blush color is very pretty. A lighter pale peach shade. Excited to try these out as em cosmetics is not shipping to Canada  yet :(

Freeman Facial Hydrating Paper Mask in A Rose, Starfruit & Blue Agave

I haven't heard of this brand before. I love paper masks. They are easy to apply. Slab it on your face for a few minutes and usually does not require any rinsing. The ones I got is rose which helps brighten and tone, Blue Agave which hydrates dry thirsty skin, and Star Fruit which purifies and helps controls oil. All three of them suit my skin type. Very excited and happy to receive these.

J. Cat Fantabulous Lipstick in Honeycrisp

Very nice nude shade which I don't have in my lipstick collection. 

Other 3 products included:

NYX eyeshadow in Cryptonite

Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in K01 Obsidian

Elizabeth Mott It's So Big Volumizing Mascara

The NYX single eyeshaodw is a dark charcoal grey shadow with a bit of shimmer. Very pretty.

The other 2 products, the Starlooks kohl eye pencil and the mascara, are just ok. I am not too crazy about these as I have received many kohl eye pencils and mascara in my beauty subscription bags that I just throw in my stash and end up giving them to friends or my nieces.

Overall, I'd rate my September Ipsy bag as 3 stars out of 5. I have a few products that I am excited to try out but 2 of them are plain boring ones to me. 

Sephora Give Me More Lip Set

Sephora is starting to release their new Favorites Sets. I really enjoy the last Sephora favorite in the Glow Set from last year(see post). You get to try a variety of awesome products in deluxe travel size.

Sephora Give Me More Lip Set(buy here)

I almost bought their Give Me Some Lip Set (here) and glad I didn't. Don't get me wrong, that set is awesome too but there are a couple of products I already have in full-sized.

I placed my online order with Sephora last nite. Not a great fan of Sephora online shopping though as it takes a LONNNNNNNGGG time for my order to arrive. Ranging from 10-20 business days from my order date. I could have got the set from the store but currently ebates is offering 8% for Sephora, making it a great deal. 

Give Me More Lip Set includes:

- 0.12 oz bareMinerals ® Marvelous Moxie™ Lipstick in Never Say Never
- 0.05 oz Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Pomegranate
- 0.4oz BUXOM® Full-Bodied™ Lip Stick in Menance
- 0.07 oz BUXOM® Full-Bodied™ Lip Cream in White Russian
- 0.03 oz Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon
- 0.03 oz Kat Von D in Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Backstage Bambi
- 0.42 oz Kat Von D Foiled Love Lipstick in Adora
- 0.1 oz Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Naked
- 0.05 oz Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural N45
- 0.33 oz Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Strumpet
- 0.1 oz Smashbox Be Lengendary Lipstick in Nylon Nude
- 0.14 oz Smashbox Lip Gloss in Pout
- 0.03 oz Stila Color Balm Lipstick in Sonya
- 0.03 oz Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lip Color in Dolce
- 0.009 oz Tarte Glmazon™ Pure Performance 12-Hour Lipstick in Inspired
- 0.11 oz Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lip Cream in Marshmallow Bunny

September Topbox 2013

I received my September Topbox super fast this month, considering I only received their email notification yesterday and I got it today.

I opted for the regular box this month again. None of their prive boxes excite me for the past few months. This month it is the Chatelaine box.

Besides the September Chatelaine magazine, I received 4 products and a sample of a perfume.

Bourjois Volume glamour Max Holidays Mascara(6 ml/0.2 fl oz)

I haven't tried mascara from Bourjois before but I like the brand so I am willing to give this a try. The wand is quite big. I don't usually go for wands like this as I find the application extremely hard. Will give it a try though.

Lise Watier Teint Age Control Supreme( 5 ml/0.17 fl oz) in Neutre

Anti-aging formula moisturizes and helps improve skin's elasticity. Natural velvety finish. Paraben free.

It is a lightweight tinted moisturizer. Slides on the skin quite smooth and not sticky. Excited to try this out.

Cover FX Anti-aging Primer (5 ml/0.16 fl oz)

The texture is very silky. Reminds me of the Benfit Porefessional primer which I love and adore.

Wella Thermal Image Heat Protection Spray(150 ml/5.07 fl oz)

Another heat protectant I receive in my subscription boxes. I don't know how many I have in my stash but hey, I heat-style my hair often enough. You can never have enough of these.

The perfume sample I received is the Killer Queen by Katy Perry. The scent is a bit strong for my taste so will pass the sample on.

Overall, not overly-excited about this month's Topbox. None of the products really interest me. But I will try them out and use them.

What are your thoughts on your September Topbox? Are you happy with what you received?

August Empties

A little bit late in posting my August empties as I just got back home from Toronto.

I am still getting a hang of "collecting" empty containers and packages. I am used to throwing empties into garbage/recycling bins :)

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream

I got this in a deluxe sample size when I redeemed my points from Sephora a while back. It is a very moisturizing eye cream. I apply this at night and when I wake up in the morning, the delicate area around my eyes is still hydrated. The full-sized product is quite pricey and I am not 100% if I want to spend that much on an eye cream which does only hydrating, but not combat any other issues.

Boscia Amino AG Eye Treatment

I also got this when I redeemed my Sephora beauty points late last year. This comes in a package of other goodies and I really enjoy this product. I like to layer produc

ts and I use this together with my morning eye cream. Would definitely re-purchase this once I am out of my "stack" of eye products.

Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter

I love this body butter I got from my Ipsy bag earlier this year. Glad to find well.ca carries this brand and I have re-purchased this.

Lush the Olive Branch Shower Gel

I am loving Lush shower gel more and more. I used to use their shower jellies but find the shower gel much easier to handle first thing in the morning. It's Raining Man is still my favorite. I tried to branch out and bought this Olive Branch. Not my favorite as the scent is not as fruity and citrusy as I would like. Plus it is very watery, unlike my other shower gel. Not sure if it is just this bottle or they are all like that.

Sally Hansen Maximum Strength Polish Remover

I don't do my nails often so this super-sized polish remover took me a while to finish up. I like this as it is very effective in removing nail polish. Usually a few drops of this on a cotton ball would remove 3 or 4 nails.

Target brand Makeup Remover Cloth (in blue package)

I feel that this is my absolute favorite makeup remover cloth. Does not irritate my eyes when I remove some eye makeup. I still use my Maybelline Clean Express Eye Makeup Remover to remove most of my eye makeup. Some makeup cloth would sting my eyes. 

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Liar

Urban Decay launched a new line of lipsticks which received a lot of love among the blogging world. The intense moisturizing property and pigmentation is what drawn us in the most.

This comes in a wide variety of shades(22 shades), ranging from nude pinks to intense bright red.

The packaging is very chic. A light lavender-colored tube.

I had my eye set on Liar before I went into Sephora. I like more natural, subtle lip colors.

Liar sits in the middle of their range  of shades. It is a mauve-pink color with brown undertone.

The pigmentation is intense. You only need one application and don't have to go over your lips several times to get the color.

This lasts more than 5 hours on my lips and I am so impressed. The pigmentation is awesome and doesn't dry out my lips at all. 

Have you tried the Urban Decay's Revolution lipstick? What is your pick?