Small Sephora Order just to get Clarisonic Perks

Admit it. Sometimes you just buy at Sephora just to get the perks. I did this small online order just to get the Clarisonic 500 perks gift set. 

- Clarisonic – Radiance Brush Head
- Clarisonic – Sonic Radiance™ Brightening Solution Skin Illuminating Cleanser (1.0 oz)- Clarisonic – Sonic Radiance™ Brightening Solution Skin Renewing Peel Wash (1.0 oz)

- Clarisonic – Sonic Radiance™ Brightening Solution Brightening Activator Serum (0.14 oz) 

To me, this is totally worth 500 perks as the brush head itself it worth $27. I have always used the deep pore brush head and eager to try this radiance one as the brush bristles look much denser and it looks like it would help in deep cleansing clogged pores.

This Fresh Sugar Honey Lip Treatment is probably my third one. I just can't live without it. I used up mine and was eager to get another one right away. Honey is a natural nude shade which I apply alone or layer it with nude brownish lipstick. I know a lot of people are saying this is just an overly-hyped tinted lip balm. But to me, it is so moisturizing and it seems to last a while for me so I can totally justify in splurging on this.

Bite Matte Creme Lipstick in Braised Maple is another lip product I bought. It is indeed a fall lip shade but it is almost August and in Canada here, it may get cooler by Sep and it is almost fall. See my previous post for swatches on this gorgeous lippy and how it looks on me.

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Bite Beauty Braised Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty has recently released an exclusive maple matte creme lipstick collection to us Canadians. The collection consists of 5 beautiful shades, all inspired by the changing leaves color of maple in the fall.

Braised Maple

Braised Maple is a deep red shade with orange undertone. It is such a rich color with extreme pigmentation. I am still timid in wearing deep red lip shades and this is so unique with a slight orange tone, making it more wearable for every day.

Even though it is said to be a matte creme lipstick, it has a slight sheen to it which I am so happy about. As with matte lipsticks, they tend to be more on the drying side. This formula is so creamy and glides on so smoothly and effortlessly. 

The packaging has maple leaves all over.

Highly recommend lipsticks from this collection if you are looking for beautiful fall shades with a twist. The shades are very unique to me and the formula is so creamy to my pleasant surprise. Even though I have been into nude lips and gradient lips, this dark rich shade is going to be perfect for the fall.

Maybelline Color Blur Cream Matte Lip Pencil

Korean popular gradient/ombre/"just bitten" lip trend is making its way here. I came across this Maybelline Color Blur Cream Matte Lip Pencil($13.64 at Shoppers Drug Mart)and had to grab one.

Shade 15 Berry Mishebaved

What is unique about this lip product is it is a matte cream pencil on one end and a smudger on the other end. 

If you want a gradient lip look, you know it is so hard to smudge it out with fingers and not rub off all the color.

The shade I picked is #15 Berry Misbehaved. It looks more like a fuchsia pink in the picture than actual shade. There is another shade called fuchsia but it looks a bit too bright for me. 

When it is smudged out(sorry, I think I overdid this one), the color is not as vibrant and you could smudge it out as much as you could or as little as you could, depending on the look you're going for.

The formula is very creamy as the name suggested. This picture is taken at direct sunlight so it may look a bit washed out. I didn't smudge it out a lot as this was my first attempt and I seemed to apply too much product. The smudger is of a silicone-type applicator. So unlike a sponge it would not soak up all the product. It does dry out to be matte but surprisingly not dried out. It also has a staining effect which makes it last more than 5 hours even after meals.

Here is another attempt. This time I apply very little product to start with and slowly build it up. I also use a nude lip liner to line the whole lips to lighten the color of my natural lips. Applied the lip pencil to the middle part of my lips and smack it a few times to even it out before smudging.

My collection of lip products to achieve the gradient/ombre look.

Wannabe Cushion Tint (shade Fillmore) is very similar to the Maybelline one, in terms of packaging. One end is lip crayon and the other end is a smudger. The shade I got is Fillmore which is a coral pink. The formula is not as smooth as the Maybelline one so it is a bit harder to smudge out the edges.

Peripera Cushion Lips is another Korean brand. The shade I picked is PK07. It is a squeeze tube with a sponge top. I find the packaging a bit tricky as you either squeeze out too much or too little product. It is a slightly brighter coral shade. The product is semi-liquid-y so even though in concept, it is easy to apply and blend out, the squeeze tube is just too difficult to dispense the right amount. 

I am also getting the Laneige Two Tone Lip Bar. It is a lipstick with 2 shades in it. If you want a gradient lip look, this seems to be the easiest product to use in a hurry. With a darker pigmented color and a nude/lighter shade, you could flip the lipstick(dark side in the middle of the lips and nude side on the outer) ombre lips could be achieved within seconds. This is being shipped to me from Korea so I am anxious to try it out and report back once I have tried it.

I love the "no makeup makeup look" and this seems so natural as if you have just sucked a lollipop. 

Are you into the ombre lip trend? What is your trick of applying?

Shopping My Stash

Whenever I have the urge to shop for new makeup, I make myself go into my stash and see if I have anything similar. Sometimes you impulse buy so much, a lot of products get pushed to the side and get ignored.

IOPE Air Cushion XP - in the summer time, it is always a plus to have product which has SPF. I have this for a while and forgot how much I love this. It gives enough coverage and a beautiful dewy finish. 

Balm Lou-Manizer - I was shopping at the Charlotte Tilbury website lusting for their bronze and glow. Then I went to my stash and see if I have anything remotely similar. I totally forgot about this drug-store highlighter. I haven't used this for a long time and surprised myself of how great this is.

L'oreal Color Caress Wet Shine Stain in Infinite Fuchsia - I have this for a couple of years and I remember I got it because it is said to be a good dupe of the YSL one. I was intimidated by the bright fuchsia shade before and ignore this for a while. Now I find a new way to wear it. As I like the Korean gradient lip trend, I like to "nude" my lip with Bite High Pigment Pencil in Madeira and then apply this lip stain in the middle of my lips. 

NARS Larger than Life Eye Pencil - I got this together with 2 NARS lip pencils in my Sephora VIB Rouge birthday gift. As I am wearing very minimal makeup in the summer days, I like to tight line my eyes to give a more subtle and natural look. I am loving how this pencil applies and doesn't irritate my eyes at all.

Do you shop your stash regularly to avoid going out buy more?

Sunday Wishlist

Charlotte Tilbury is finally here in Canada. I have been hearing lots of raved reviews about the brand. It is now available at Holt Renfrew in Toronto and Vancouver. I haven't had the opportunity to pay a visit to swatch the products in person yet. This month, the website is offering free shipping to Canadians, making the deal much sweeter. Also on my wishlist is the new Becca skin perfector  Champagne pop, created together with youtuber, Jaclyn Hill. 

What is on your current wishlist?

Sunday Wishlist by shoppingobsession featuring paraben free makeup

Beauty product
35 CAD - charlottetilbury.com

Becca paraben free makeup
49 CAD - sephora.com

Bronzer and Highlighter - Face - Products | Charlotte Tilbury
105 CAD - charlottetilbury.com

Charlotte Tilbury: Official site | Charlotte Tilbury
84 CAD - charlottetilbury.com

Current Skin Care Essentials

I have been using these products for a while and really like what they do for my skin. I find when my skin is not acting up, it is such a breeze to apply minimal make up and barely need any concealers to cover up any blemishes.

Oz Naturals Hyaluronic Acid Serum is such a nice surprise. I was sent this product and never thought this would do much to improve my skin. But it did. It is all natural and very affordable. I apply this after my sunscreen in the morning and it hydrates and my skin feels like it has absorbed a gallon of water into it. I alternate this with the Oz Naturals Vitamin C Serum a couple of times a week. This helps fades dark spots.

Current face moisturizer is Algenist Anti-Aging cream. It is my first Algenist product and I quite like it. It smoothes fine lines and I like to apply this at night.

Next product is a love-hate product. Love it is because I really see results from a handful uses. Hate it is because we can't get it from Sephora.ca. Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil is my latest discovery. I got a deluxe sample size from Sephora a couple of weeks ago. Little did I know that as I am falling in love with this product, Sephora has decided, without any warning and PR press release, decided to have a distribution centre in Canada instead of shipping products from the States. Since a lot of products have labeling issues with the stricter Canadian regulations, decided to take a whole bunch of products out of Sephora.ca website, leaving us hung dry. So until I could find somewhere to get this product, I will use this sparingly. This product truly help my skin. Use this alone or apply a serum underneath gives amazing results. Best thing about this is you could see immediate result. For me, I could see my skin being plumper and skin tone evened out with first use. 

Two serums I am in love: Vichy Idealia Life Serum & Kiehl's Midnight Recovery. Have been using the Kiehl's for years and still loving it. Vichy Idealia Life Serum is such a good hydrating serum. If you skin is dying for moisture, this is a must-have for you. The scent is amazing and it is quickly absorbed. When I see my skin being dehydrated, I apply this first after I cleanse my face. Then after 20 mins after it is fully absorbed, apply the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil on top. Since it has avocado oil in it and act as a carrier, it helps whatever product you apply underneath maximize what it does and results are amazing.

June Empties

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians!

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave in Conditioner

Pacifica Brazilian Mango Grapefruit Body Wash

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60

Lush So White Shower Gel

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray

Boscia Makeup Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo

GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment

Shiseido White Lucent Anti-Dark Circles Eye Cream

Stila Illuminating Beauty Balm

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave in Conditioner is my favorite leave in conditioner which actually makes a difference in my hair. It makes my hair soft and tamed and it has a nice scent to it.

I love tropical fruit scented bath and shower products and Pacifica Brazilian Mango Grapefruit Body Wash is one of my favorites. 

I use sunscreen religiously on face year round and for body, I like Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60. It is as its name suggested dry touch. Most people hate applying sunscreen because it is sticky and takes a while to dry off. This one dries off fast.

Lush has limited edition products which I always hoard. Lush So White Shower Gel is from 2014 holiday collection. If you like their So White bath bomb, you would love this. I bought the full-sized and it last me a while as I like to alternate between shower gel.

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray is my first finished bottle. My other regular is the Urban Decay All Nighter. Meiko from Naturally Beautiful introduced me to Skindinavia website which they often have free shipping and 20% off. Urban Decay setting sprays are made by Skindinavia so I find them equally the same. 

Boscia Makeup Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil is a very nice and effective cleansing oil. I have used the Josie Maran ones and this one is much easier to blend. Will definitely re-purchase once I am done with my others.

My staple product from my skin care routine is La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. Whenever I see a pimple surfacing, I apply this and almost overnight, it always goes down before it explodes. 

Another staple product I finished is GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment. This is my second or third jar. This is very effective in deep-cleansing and pore-clearing. I used to apply this all over my face but now I just do spot-treat. 

Shiseido White Lucent Anti-Dark Circles Eye Cream is my go-to night eye cream. I have finished 3 of these and as much as I love it, I am going to try to use up my other eye cream before re-purchasing. This definitely helps with dark circles and puffiness.

Stila Illuminating Beauty Balm is my summer favorite BB cream at the moment. I got this in a set from Sephora with a lip gloss. This little one last me a good couple of months as I like to apply mostly on my cheeks as a primer. Depending on the condition of my skin that day, I would either wear it alone or add some powder foundation for extra coverage.

Yankee Candle Sun Tea Candle

Last but not least is a Yankee Candle. It is Sun Tea and I love the soft tea scent. I find Yankee candles do not have a strong scent as Bath and Body Works ones. Also the wick needs to be trimmed constantly to burn evenly.