Sephora Wishlist

Usually around Oct, Sephora would start to roll out their holiday gift sets. With their VIB sale in November, I am starting to "compile" my wishlist.

I am always tempted to get Tarte's blush set every year. I really like all the shades offered in this year's palette. 

Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum is definitely on my list and I just saw they came out with a set with a few of their other popular items. So maybe I will get this instead.

Are you a big fan of makeup gift set? What is on your wishlist?

Sephora Wishlist by shoppingobsession featuring shimmer makeup

Sephora Collection beauty product
sephora.com

Tarte gift sets kit
sephora.com

Smashbox beauty product
sephora.com

Buxom shimmer makeup
sephora.com

Too Faced Cosmetics going out makeup
sephora.com

No Makeup Set - Perricone MD | Sephora
sephora.com

September Favorites

With some new skin care and foundation this month, I am loving the "no makeup makeup" look and tend to wear less makeup. When I say less makeup, I meant minimal makeup but still look awake, alert and put together.

These 2 new foundations have become my favorite and possibly holy grail foundations. Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum came with one of the Sephora sample promo and it is a very decent deluxe sample size and I have used for more than 10+ times and I only used 1/4 of the bottle. It is such a natural foundation. Resembles real skin but evens out my skin tone and give a nice light coverage. This serum is for oily skin so I don't even have to put a primer on or set it with a loose powder. The full-sized product is quite pricey but I have full intention to purchase it during Sephora VIB sale in early November.

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluid in Honey is my other go-to foundation to achieve the minimal makeup look. It has a bit more coverage than the Perricone MD one. The finish is also so beautiful. 

I have been using La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I for a couple of years. Whenever I have a pimple approaching, I apply it and usually by next day or two, it would calm down. But even it doesn't turn into a big pimple, it would still produce enough dark pigment around the spot and would take a while to  go away. Decided to try one of the other popular products from the brand: Effaclar Duo and this can be applied on clean face as a precaution for future breakouts and help minimize the dark pigment. I find this really helps with helping my dark spots fade much faster.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pak is my new favorite hydrating mask worn overnight. This has a light texture which I prefer over the GlamGlow Thirsty Mud which has a much thicker texture and I hate to smudge it all over my pillowcase overnight. Also find the Laneige one much more affordable and the effect is better on me. Skin feels hydrated and so soft in the morning.

Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Madeira is my go to lip pencil for the month. It is a very pretty nude which I usually layer it first and apply another nude lip product to give my lips some color but don't look washed out. L'Oreal Jennifer's Nude is worn usually on top of that and really like the formula of this limited edition lipstick.

Lorac Pro Palette is my most grabbed palette this month and also last month. I love the matte shades for a more natural eye look. Also like to line my lower lash line with the shimmering shades to brighten up my eyes. 

What are some of your favorites this month?

Lash Enhancer

I was just browsing at Rexall(drug store) a couple of weeks ago and saw they are discontinuing carrying Dermaglow products. Saw 75% off this lash enhancer and decided to get it.

There are a lot of lash enhancers in the market but they are so pricey. Unless I am totally convinced that it does work, I am not going to ditch out $60 + to buy some "hope".

This Dermaglow one was originally priced at $65 and 75% off, it is worth a try.

The brush is a very tiny brush-tip applicator. Apply this along your lash line every night. Took me a while to add this to my night time routine. I have been using this for a little bit more than 2 weeks and I do notice a difference. Not so much for the lengthening yet but for my lashes on the inner corners which are very sparse and short are starting to grow. I like the fact the formula of this lash enhancer does not irritate my eyes. You do have to apply this very close to your lash line so if the formula is too harsh, it may sting your eyes. I also notice a difference on my lower lashes which start to thicken and lengthen. 

Have you tried any lash enhancers? Any recommendations?

My No Makeup Makeup Essentials

I love the "No Makeup Makeup" look. I am not blessed with the best skin complexion that I could just run out do errands with zero makeup on. But hey, a girl can fake it, right?

I have a couple of new favorite foundations lately. See my post on my recent love of the Laura Mercier  Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide. I received this Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum from my Sephora online order. I checked a couple of days ago and the offer is still valid, enter code PMDSERUM with any US $25 purchase to receive this free.

It is in the shade light to medium. I believe it only comes in one shade unfortunately but this one works for me. This serum is for oily skin and I don't have to apply a primer or set it with a powder for this to stay glowy(not oily) all day long. The finish is incredibly amazing. It really looks like my skin but better. It gives my skin an instant glow without priming my skin with luminous product. It covers pores and fine lines, does not settle in dry patches. This may become my holy grail foundation :)

This foundation is light to medium coverage and I still need concealers. The 3CE Waterful Concealer is my go-to since it gives very natural coverage.

To mimic the "I just got back from a jog" healthy glowing cheeks, I apply the Benefit Rockateur blush. It is such a beautiful rose gold shade which gives the most natural flush.

For minimal eye-look, I just apply Physician's Formula Eye Booster Liner and use a flat liner brush to smooth over to mimic natural looks. L'oreal Telescopic Shocking Extension Mascara for my eyelashes. It gives my lashes extensions and lift without making it too dramatic. For eyebrows, I use Liole Auto Brow to slightly fill in my brows. To finish the look, I use the 3CE Tinted Lip Balm on my lips for a hint of color. It is so moisturizing and it has been my go-to lately.

Do you like the "No Makeup Makeup" look? What is your must-have?

Stila Kitten

I have known about the hype about Stila Kitten eyeshadow. Finally I caved in and grabbed one at my local Shoppers Drug Mart which just started carrying the brand.

Kitten is a shimmering nude peach pink shade. I was not a fan of shimmering eye shadow before but slowly warming up to it. This shadow can be worn wet or dry. But for my purpose, I usually apply it over my lids, on my brow bone and the inner corners of my eyes. 

It is one of the most gorgeous shimmering shade I own. The pigmentation is awesome. I do find a little bit of fall-out so I have to be careful when I apply it so I won't get any into my eyes.

left: Stila Kitten

right: L'Oreal Iced Latte

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Iced latte is close to Stila Kitten in terms of pigmentation and finish.

left: Stila Kitten

right: L'oreal Iced Latte

Iced Latte is more beige. Kitten is a bit more pink and shimmer. Both are very intense so don't go overboard with it. 

I totally get what the hype is all about Stila Kitten. It is really gorgeous. For the price tag of CAD $23 for a single eye shadow, it is one of the more expensive eye shadow I own but it is well-worth it.

Have you got a highly-raved beauty product that you finally get your hands on and pleased with your purchase?

September TopBox

It's that time of the month again, my TopBox arrived today and here is what I got:

Institut Esthederm Lift & Repair Absolute Smoothing Cream 10ml

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo 0.75 net wt oz

Essie Nail Lacquer in Sand Tropez

Bioderma Sebium Purifying Foaming Gel 15ml

I picked the regular TopBox this month again as the choices of other prive boxes do not excite me. I am almost at the point where I am ready to cancel my beauty subscription box. Not that the products sent are disappointing or not worth the monthly charge. It is just I only use a handful of products and give a lot away. Most of those are shades of products I don't use or they are products I have no interest in trying. 

Essie nail lacquer is always a plus as I love Essie. The shade I was sent is Sand Tropez. I have not tried many nude nail polishes and this one is a very light sand color. Not sure if this would look nice on my nails but will definitely try it.

Bioderma is a skin care brand I adore. So happy to receive and try their purifying foaming gel.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo is something new to me. I haven't heard of the brand. I am open to try new dry shampoo. This one is actually quite nice. Smell nice and does not leave a white residue on my dark hair. The size is perfect to just throw in my purse. I have other travel sized dry shampoo but if I am desperate enough to spray hair shampoo onto my hair during the day, I really don't want to deal with white/grey residue and don't have time to brush it out thoroughly. So this is a very nice product.

Last but not least is Institut Esthederm Lift & Repair Smoothing Cream. Another brand which is new to me. This is to be applied morning and evening on clean dry skin. I have a lot of moisturizers in my drawer queuing up to be used up. So this one would join the pile.

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide Honey Review

What it is:
A long-wear, oil-free foundation that magically blurs the line between real skin and makeup. 

What it does:
This revolutionary bi-phase, two part formula is designed to deliver the most natural looking color and lightweight coverage. Brilliant color-true pigments rest at the bottom of the foundation while reflective waters (Hydro-Brilliant Technology) float to the top. Vigorously shake the package before each use to ensure that the pigments blend with the reflective waters to apply fresh-faced color every time.

I have been using Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide every single day since the day I got it. A lot is said about how much I adore this new foundation. I did a brief review on the packaging on my post. But I thought I would do a more in-depth review for those of you who is contemplating whether to get this or not.

This is a light to medium coverage foundation which is extremely watery. Make sure you shake the bottle good before use. I have tried using both a beauty blender and a kabuki brush for application. If you want more coverage, use a kabuki brush. For sheer and skin-like coverage, use a beauty blender. I also have tried using a primer underneath and without. Does not make a huge difference in affecting the staying power of this foundation. I have oily combo skin which I mostly get oily on my t-zone and I don't necessarily need loose powder to set it.  If you have dry skin, I am not sure if this would be the one for you. I have a couple of dry spots(from previous blemishes) and I notice the foundation do cling on those dry spots.

This foundation really resemble skin finish and almost make my skin flawless as the name suggested. If you are like me, a fan of the "no makeup makeup look", you are going to LOVE this. 

I have a couple other similar foundations and I thought I would do a swatch comparison for you guys.

L to R: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, 

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide

L'oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder

All of them are watery and have quite different packaging. As you can see, all are a bit messy. Between the three of them, I like the bottle of Chanel the best. Shake the bottle with the cap on and squeeze out product. Very minimal product is wasted. Laura Mercier has a sleekest design but when you shake it with the cap on and then open the bottle, a lot would spill out and get deposited in the opening. L'oreal is a glass bottle with a relatively large opening. Shake the bottle with the cap on, then I use my finger as a stopper and get the product out. 

For consistency of the foundations, L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder is the most watery. It also set the fastest as it turns into powder and mimic a powdery finish within seconds of application. So you will have to work fast. I like to use my fingers to apply the L'oreal for best results. 

Out of the 3, the only one which I need to set it with powder is the Chanel one. It could make my t-zone look quite oily. I have not tried their Velvet Matte version but maybe that I don't have to. 

Overall, Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide is very highly-recommended for those of you who like light, sheer, skin-like finish foundation. It is a dream foundation for us oily combo gals. Stays put and doesn't slide easily. Major downside of this is its price point. It retails for CAD $59, which is very pricey. Another flaw of this is its poor packaging design but I have overcome that by storing the bottle upside down so minimal product is wasted when I open the cap. 

Hopefully this review is helpful to you who are on the fence of getting this.

My First Illamasqua Purchase

Very excited to receive my first Illamasqua purchase. The Bay is still having its sale if any of you want to take advantage of the deal.

Seduce

Seduce is a very rich, deep rose color. It may appear more raspberry in the pictures. It is so incredibly pigmented. I have had other brands' cream blushes but none like this. 

It looks kind of glossy in the finish but it is because I just got the blusher in the mail and it was a relatively warm day and it may have melted a tiny bit. 

It is so pigmented that you really need to use a light hand. The first picture of the swatch is just one swipe. When blended out, it is very pretty. I wore it for the first time yesterday and happy to report that it is everything I want from a cream blush. Pigmented, easy to blend and stays on my cheeks all day long. Highly recommend their cream blush if you haven't tried anything from the brand.

Here is my order: Illamasqua cream blsuher, Shiseido White Lucent Anti Dark Circle eye cream(the makeup bag with goodies behind is the Shiseido gift with purchase) and my Clarins samples.

Decent sized samples from Clarins: Extra Firming Neck cream, After Sun lotion and Extra Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream. 

Have you tried anything from Illamasqua? What is your top recommendation? I really want to take advantage of the sale at the Bay to try other products.

Mini Sephora Haul- Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide

Do I need another foundation? Probably not. But after I tried the sample size of the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide from Sephora, I am truly impressed with it and decided to order it online when ebates.com offered 10% cash back.

There are 24 shades offered for this foundation and it is much easier to find  your perfect shade. I picked up a couple of shades at the store and the nice sales associate matched me with the shade Honey.

The foundation comes in a plastic bottle with a narrow squeeze applicator. Since the foundation is very liquid-y, you have to shake the bottle before you dispense the product. The problem with this is after you shake this, some product would have already come out, making a bit of a mess. With the design of the bottle, it is supposed to be stored with the opening faced down. I am not sure about this and know I will waste a lot of product stored this way. I may have to try to store it upside down to prevent product from spilling out. 

But other than the flaws of the design of the packaging, this foundation is pretty amazing. If you like light to medium coverage, this is the one for you. I would say this is very similar to the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, only better suited for oily combo skin as my skin stays matte mostly throughout the day without being powdered.

This Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum is offered with one of their promotions. It comes in a pleasantly surprised deluxe sample size(10 ml). I have heard a lot of great reviews about this brand and have not tried so very excited to see what the hype is all about.

 Samples with my order, which is always a plus. Whether I use them up or not is another question. My sample drawer is getting full.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack Kit

This kit was given to me by my sister-in-law. She highly recommends this as it gives almost instant result with single use. Knowing the impatient gal I am, I am excited to give this a try.

The kit contains 

a multi cleanser (30ml), Water Sleeping Pack_Ex and a water bank essence(15ml)

Within the past week, I have used the Water Sleeping Pack_Ex a couple of times together with the water bank essence. I have not tried the cleanser yet.

The Water Sleeping Pack_Ex is a very light-textured gel-like mask. It is to be applied on all over the face overnight(while you sleep). It has a light floral scent which is very pleasant. The texture is light and not very sticky. Comparing this to my other overnight hydrating mask, GlamGlow ThirstyMud, this one is much lighter and my skin seems to absorb this much better overnight and having better results in the morning. My skin feels fresh and soft in the morning. I have only used this a couple of times and have not seen significant pore-tightening or brightening effect.

In the morning, after I rinsed off the mask and apply the Water Bank Essence. It is also light and non greasy. I just apply this and let it soaked in for a bit before applying my daily sunscreen and moisturizer. 

I will definitely purchase the Water Sleeping Pack_Ex in the full-sized when I am done with this. The deluxe-sampled size included in this kit will probably last me many uses. I don't apply a thick layer as I think a thin layer would better be absorbed and let the skin really soak in the moisture. 

Have you tried this Laneige Water Sleeping Pack? What is your favorite hydrating mask overnight?