October Empties

Did pretty good in finishing some products this month. Sometimes it is just hard to stick committing to finish up one particular thing before having the urge to start something new.

Lush Prince Charming Shower Gel

It is from Lush's Valentine's Day limited edition collection. I got a couple of these and sad to see this used up as I love it so much. Hopefully they will come up with something similar next year.

Lush Big Shampoo

Another tub used up and I am still loving it. This keeps my hair squeaking clean. So with that said, I only use this on my roots so the ends would not be too dry. It is a purifying shampoo so if your hair is dry and damaged, I don't suggest using this often.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Tropical 

I have tried many different versions of Batiste dry shampoo and this is by far my favorite. There are ones to boost up volume. Those ones leave my hair with texture and extra residue which is hard to rinse off. Even brushing out several times would not help. This one is scented the nicest and leave the minimal residue behind.

Tresemme Thermal Heat Protectant

My usual heat protector before I blow dry my hair. Really does the job and it is affordable.

Lavanila Natural Deodorant in Vanilla Grapefruit

Yes, it is a pricey kind of natural deodorant. I try to stay away from deodorant which contains too much chemicals. I'd rather pick one with more natural ingredients. Vanilla Grapefruit is my favorite scent and I have tried almost all the scents.

Fresh Soy Face Serum

I got this from a gift set. I love their Soy Face Cleanser and this serum is such a gentle but yet moisturizing serum. I am still contemplating on whether to get another one as this is pricey and I am trying to use up some of my other serum in my stash.

Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser

This has to be one of the best under eye concealers from the drugstore. Just so easy to apply with the sponge applicator. A few strokes under the eye and blend it with my Sigma F86 tapered kabuki brush. 

Origins Night-A-Mins Oil Free Moisturizer
My favorite night moisturizer. I much prefer the oil free version than the regular one as I find too sticky to my liking.

Two Bath and Body Works 3-wick Candles I finished:

London Calling

One of my all-time favorites from Bath and Body Works. This is probably my third or fourth one finished. I still have one more(yes I stocked up). Just the perfect blending of tea and lemon makes this such a pleasant candle to burn.

Pink Lemonade Pound Cake

This is from their summer bakery collection. I found this one the nicest one of the whole bunch as I find others a bit too sweet-scented.

I have finished up most of my summer scented candles and I have placed an order with Bath and Body Works for their fall collection. Small vent about this order. I have placed many online orders with them and they always have fast delivery(warehouse is in Detroit and they use ground Purolator and I usually get my order within 2 business days) . This time, they have changed their shipping carrier and it has been a week since I placed my order and it is still sitting in border transit. Who knows when my order will arrive. I just don't like the fact that when repeated customers are not made aware of this major change at time of placing online orders. Anyway, just a big turn off and I probably won't be ordering online from them anymore. Considering I paid US$20 for shipping, I expect faster and more reliable shipping.

Top 5 for Combo Skin

Even though fall is here and the weather is not hot and humid anymore, still need to cater to combination skin to look fresh and not look like an oil-slick.

I have combination skin which I get most oily on my t-zone and sometimes the apple of my cheeks. I used to think the less moisturizer I put on, the better it would be for my skin. WRONG. You still need to moisturize your skin and apply sunscreen. There are products out there to help control the oil.

Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum

This is my new holy grail foundation. It helps control oil and the serum also acts extra anti-aging skin properties which I find has helped the overall condition of my skin. 

Benefit Porefessional

This is an awesome primer. It really minimizes pores. I find the best way to apply is to pat the product down. I apply this on my nose and around my nose.

Bioderma Sebium Mat

Excellent mattifying product to apply after foundation. It is very light and non-greasy. I apply this to my nose and cheeks and my skin is matte throughout most of the day.

Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Setting Powder

I have been using this for many years. It is a very fine powder and some people may find it messy to use. But I just shake out a little bit of powder onto the lid and a little goes a long way. I use this mainly to set my under eye concealer and sometimes my nose to keep the shine to minimum.

Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray

I have been using their All Nighter for a while but thought I would switch to De-Slick for a change. Very similar but this one is awesome for warmer weather. This just seals your makeup and helps it stay longer.

Have you tried any of these products? What is your must-have for your skin type?

Sephora Haul(F&F Sale)

Sephora is having its Friends and Family sale(20% off) and I was lucky enough to be given a promo code to use. 

I made my wishlist a while back and used every single will power not to buy everything on my list. There are still a few items that I may grab in a couple of weeks when their VIB/VIB Rouge sale starts.

I got a couple of the holiday gift sets and I am glad as last time I checked on their website, the Laura Mercier mini caviar sticks were sold out.

from l to r: Rosewood, Amethyst, Moonlight & Cocoa

I have heard so much about the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye. It is a creamy eye shadow. Super pigmented and it can be applied all over lids for a smoky eye look or used as a liner. The regular sized one retails for CAD$34 each and this set of 4 mini versions is CAD $46 so it is an awesome deal to try out 4 different shades. I have never used such creamy buttery formula and these are truly amazing. After I did the swatches, I tried to rinse off with some makeup remover and the colors don't move much, especially the Cocoa(the dark brown). I have to use my eye makeup remover to completely remove them. So I can tell how the staying power of these on eyelids.

Another holiday gift set I got is Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay Blush Palette. I have been tempted to get the Tarte blush palette from previous years and kicked myself so many times that I didn't. I am glad I finally bit the bullet and get this year's. It includes 5 limited-edition Amazonian clay 12 hour blushes, come in a gorgeous clutch with 2 vintage-inspired hair pins.

l to r: breathless, embraced, whimsy, bashful & irreplaceable

I have a couple of their blushes and love them so much. All of these shades in the palette are very pretty. For the exception of breathless(far left), all of them are pigmented. Breathless just needs a few more swatches to show up on my skin tone.

Bite Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo

left: Musk right: Lychee

Have been wanting to grab this Bite Duo a few times at Sephora checkout line. Finally got this and am so happy with the colors. I really love Bite lipsticks as they are super creamy and pigmented.

This is Urban Decay Pulp Fiction palette. It is in their sale section and Urban Decay eye shadows are my favorite. These shades are so neutral and matte that I just had to put in my cart.

The other two items I got are Shiseido Brightening Boost for Eyes set and Lavanila natural deodorant. The Shiseido set contains my favorite anti-dark eye cream, brightening serum, 2 brightening masks and a sample of the ultimate power infusing concentrate. It is the same price as just one eye cream so this set is an awesome deal.

I am so excited to try the goodies. I was literally hopping back from my mailbox this morning when I got the parcel. 

Are you excited to shop for the holiday gift sets from Sephora?

Lush Christmas Collection

Yes, I know. It is not even Halloween yet and I have hopped over to the Christmas collection at Lush.

Just a small haul from Lush as I still have a few products from last year holiday collection. Yes, I am a hoarder of their limited edition goodies :)

2 of their shower gel: So White and Hot Toddy. 

If you love their So White bath bomb from the previous year, you would LOVE this shower gel. Apple-scented is one of my favorites. This one is just the right amount of sweetness and the scent lingers on your bathroom for hours after your hot shower. 

The other 2 shower gels are Snow Fairy and Rose Jam. They were huge hits from last Christmas and I  got a couple of those. I would go for Rose Jam more than Snow Fairy as it is too sweet-scented for my preference.

Hot Toddy is just Christmas in a bottle. Imagine the rich scents of cinnamon and ginger all mixed together. When you have a kitchen making hot cinnamon drinks and ginger simmering all day, it is what it is scented like.  It has gold glitters and just so pretty. I haven't cracked this open yet and will probably wait till we're a little closer to Christmas to enjoy that.

Two bubble bars: Cinders and Christmas Hedgehog. Cinders is one of my all time favorite Christmas bath bomb. It is just the perfect size for one use, unlike most of their bigger bath bombs(I don't have a huge bath tub and I usually split one into 2). Just love the crackling sound it makes when you drop one into your bath tub and the rich cinnamon scent is amazing. 

Christmas Hedgehog is probably one of the cutest one out of the whole collection. Just look at him. I see this one is already sold out online and I probably have to try this one soon as I have a feeling I may have to stock up on a few of these when I go home to Toronto and track them down in store. 

Lush Christmas collection is my favorite of all their limited editions. Nothing feels more cozy and relaxing than to take hot bubble baths at night.

Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum Review

I have been loving the "No Makeup Makeup" look. I am the type of gal who does not want to put on a ton of makeup but not fortunate enough to have the best of skin to run out bare-faced. 

Have been using the Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum for over a month and I can honestly say it is the best foundation I have used and possibly my holy grail.

I got the deluxe sample size from Sephora and it is a decent sized product and I know I will HAVE to get the full-sized one. 

It is a 1 fluid oz bottle even though it may seem smaller than your regular sized foundation. It comes with a dropper which is so handy. 

The consistency of this foundation serum is quite watery so with the handy dropper, it makes getting out of the product a breeze. The foundation serum only comes in one shade unfortunately but I am fortunate enough that this matches my skin tone(I'm MAC NC 25-30 for reference). They also have another product No Bronzer Bronzer that you could add in to mix your own shade.

I use 3-4 droplets of foundation serum to do my entire face. I have tried different ways to apply it: using my fingers, a flat kabuki brush and a beauty blender. The results are quite similar. This foundation gives light to medium coverage. It just evens out my skin tone. The "your skin but better" result is just amazing. I have oily combo skin and this serum is more suitable for oily skin. This is the only foundation that I don't need a primer or a setting powder to achieve the best result. 

As you can see in the above picture, after blending, it just gives the most natural sheen/glow. Who would think an oily combo skin gal could achieve the pretty glow look without looking like a grease ball? 

Since it is not just a foundation but has skin care properties like toning, firming, pore and wrinkle-minimizing and the best part is it already has broad spectrum SPF 30, it is perfect for gals who have all kinds of excuses not to put on sunscreen with their makeup.

Yes, this foundation is a bit pricey but you only need a couple of droplets for each use. To me, it is totally worth it as it saves me so much time in the morning. For rushed mornings, I just use a few drops and blend them with my fingers, put on some blush, tinted lip balm, mascara and I am decent enough to go out and still look presentable.

Have you tried any other products from Perricone MD?

Lush Christmas Collection is here

Lush Christmas collection is here. I know, it is not even Halloween yet but I tend to get super excited about their limited Christmas collection every year more. There are a lot of new goodies and some popular items from previous seasons. I am getting both the shower gel: Hot Toddy and So White. I love their shower gel. Hot Toddy sounds like it is a totally Christmas scent in a bottle. So White comes from their popular bath bomb So White and I love apple-scented bath/shower products. 

Are you a Lushie?

Lush Christmas Collection is here by shoppingobsession on Polyvore

Hot Toddy Shower Gel | Shower Gels | LUSH
lush.ca

So White Shower Gel | Shower Gels | LUSH
lush.ca

Wizard
lushusa.com

Snow Angel Bath Melt | Bath Bombs | LUSH
lush.ca

Golden Wonder Bath Bomb | Bath Bombs | LUSH
lush.ca

Dashing Santa Bath Bomb | Bath Bombs | LUSH
lush.ca

Butterbear Bath Bomb | Bath Bombs | LUSH
lush.ca

I love Minis

I don't know about you gals but how often do you finish up a beauty product? So many of us have a large collection of makeup that we rarely finish up anything.

That is the reason I LOVE mini sets. You got to try out the product in decent sized and you can decide if it is worth purchasing the full-sized afterwards.

Benefit Bronze 'N' Dandy

I have been wanting to try their Hoola bronzer for the longest time. But I have so many bronzers already and I really don't want to buy a full-sized product to sit with my other bronzers. 

4 products included: Dandelion blush, Dandlion lip gloss, Hoola lip gloss and Hoola bronzer

Sephora has released a whole bunch of holiday gift set and they have this Benefit blush/bronzer set:

cheeky sweet spot box o' blushes

I was contemplating on getting this set but I have most of the products in full-sized already and the only one I really want is the Hoola so when I saw this Bronze N Dandy set, I quickly decided I should get this instead. 

Another mini set I got a few weeks ago is this Tarte gift set. It was in their sale section and I believe it is sold out now. 

Tarte Prime, Shine & Define To Go Set

Set includes: primer, BB cream and a mascara

I haven't cracked open this set yet but want to try their BB cream for a while. 

These mini sets are perfect for trying products out and will make awesome stocking stuffers!

Bite Contour Lip Liner in Nutmeg

Ever since I was in love with the nude lip look, I have been looking for a good lip liner. Honestly, I don't recall when the last time I wore a lip liner. Back in the day when I wore lip liner, it was a MAC one. It was a nude brown shade which I could use underneath pretty much all the lip colors. 

When I am shopping for a new lip liner, I want a creamy formula and preferably not the pencil kind so I don't have to worry about sharpening it.

Found it. It is the Bite Contour Lip liner in Nutmeg.

I have tried Bite lipsticks and lip crayons. Absolutely one of my favorite lipstick brands. Creamy like butter and that is why I want to try their contour lip liner.

It has a twist-up slanted applicator. This is the first time I have a lip liner like that. It does take some getting used to when applying. I have to turn the liner a few times to precisely line my top lips but once you get used to it, it is easy. 

The shade I pick is Nutmeg. It is a neutral pinkish brown shade which is a tad darker than my own lip color. You only have to go over your lip contour once to have it lined, unlike my other liners which I have to go over so many times to get the pigment I want.

I really like how precise I could line my lips. The formula is buttery and easy to apply. I only lined the outer part of my lips. 

Then I top it up with L'oreal Wet Shine Stain in Pink Resistance. 

I got mine from Sephora for CAD $28. Quite pricey for a lip liner but I am happy with my purchase and love the shade. If you have less pigmented lips, you could achieve the more nude lip look. This lip liner would go well underneath so many lipsticks in my collection.

Do you wear lip liner regularly? 

September Empties

Seems like most of my usual skin care products are all used up at the same time this month.

Origins United State Balancing Tonic is my regular toner. I find it is so important to use a good toner. I have switched to others and noticed more blemishes and breakouts. 

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate has got to be my third finished bottle. If you are looking to invest in a good serum for your night time skin care routine, highly highly recommend this one. You can see almost immediate results. Even though this is pricey, this last for quite a while and you only need a couple of drops for your entire face every night.

Philosphy Miracle Worker Overnight is one of the products I got from my TopBox prive boxes earlier this year. It is a very moisturizing night cream. Not very thick and quickly absorbed into my skin. May get this in full-sized once I use up all my night cream in my stash.

Used up another La Roche Posay Anthelios Fluid Sunscreen. My favorite face sunscreen of all times.

Another skin care product I am considering to add in my skin care routine is Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Targeting Serum. This comes in a White Lucent set I got last fall. I love their White Lucent anti-dark circle eye cream and this serum is not a disappointment either. It is an anti-aging serum which is light and perfect to use under makeup. 

Origins Ginzing Eye Cream is another staple product in my skin care routine. I love the salmon color of this eye cream and brightening my dull dark circles.

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base is another alternative to my other favorite Urban Decay Primer Potion. This helps my eyeshadow to stay put all day long, even for the hot summer months. 

Can't have my monthly empties without some Bath and Body Works Candles! This month, I did quite good. Finished 5.

Bath and Body Works had some awesome sales a couple of months ago and I stocked up. 2 of my favorites are from their summer collection: Peach Cilantro Twist & Nectarine Green Tea. These are amazing summer scents. The other 3 are just ok to my taste: Pineapple Palm Grass, the Keys & Rainforest Sugar Cane. I thought it was pretty safe to get the Pineapple Palm Grass since I love pineapple scent. But with the Palm Grass, it is scented pretty strong and I am not too fond of it. 

What have you finished up this month? Leave me a link of your blog as I love to see what others finish.