I mentioned in my Holy Grail Beauty Products post that I haven’t done many brush reviews so it’s time to remedy that. After quite a delayed gratification (I first spied this brush in May of 2016, when Polished and Inspired came to Toronto for a visit and we pawed at this at Sephora), I was thrilled to add this delightful brush to my collection. You’ve seen glamour shots of it already, but here’s more:
I started using this brush as soon as I bought it in late November – after washing it first – and I want to share my impressions of it here.
blush
bareMinerals The Regal Wardrobe Palette
Finally! After owning this for more than a year, I got around to trying it and now reviewing it. 😛
Although this particular palette is no longer available, I hope my review of the products will help get a sense of bareMinerals pressed products in general.
My First HauteLook Order! (TheBalm Haul)
In my “final” Hauluary post, I mentioned that I was waiting for a couple more shipments – this is one of them! In mid-January, I heard about TheBalm being on HauteLook for 50% off from Kaily – I was both excited and a little bit apprehensive. I’ve contemplated for years about ordering makeup off HauteLook since they hold such amazing sales, but living in Canada often adds a whole layer of complexity – not to mention expense – when it comes to ordering from US-based sites. So how was my first HauteLook experience from a Canadian perspective?
Pretty great, actually! 😀
H&M Eye Shadows and Blush Review
I bought a bunch of H&M Beauty items back in January during my free for all month of makeup haulage. 😀 I had been eagerly waiting to try the H&M Beauty ever since they re-vamped their line in late 2015. Whenever I try out a makeup line for the first time, I always default to the products I’m most comfortable with: eye shadows and blushes! ❤
• High Impact Eye Color Single Eye Shadow in Down to Earth, Cocoa Mauve, and Shiitake
• Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Deep Brown
I’ve had a chance to wear these for a while so it’s high time I review them!
Kiko Makeup Review – Color Fever Eyeshadow Palette, Moon Dust Face Powder and Shade Fusion Trio Blush
And here we go – starting to chip away at some of the items languishing in my stash waiting to be reviewed!
I’ve had these items in my stash for nearly a year! 😳 I did take photos of them back in September so I did manage to wear them on the weekends while I was doing Project Pan.
PP12: MAC Powder Blush in Cubic
I have to first apologize, but this blush is discontinued as of last year. I was as shocked as anyone else when this was announced. I had MAC MUAs tell me they didn’t know what they’ll use now for weddings – it was their staple shade. They were stocking up on this shade themselves.
Blushes are one of my favourite makeup items, behind eye shadows and nail polish. I own over 150 blushes… 😮 But MAC Cubic is one that I holds a special place in my heart.
PP12: NYX Powder Blush in Taupe PB11
Happy Halloween! I hope you get sufficiently spooked today and also eat enough candies for a nice sugar high. 😛
Today’s Project Pan item is the NYX Powder Blush in Taupe #PB11:
It was not by accident that this item is featured today – if you’re in a pinch for ghoulish looking hollowed out cheeks for a costume, perhaps a contouring shade like this could help! 😉
Maison Jacynthe Makeup Launch
I’m sure you’ve heard of this brand by now since it’s making the rounds on all the Canadian beauty blogs! 😉 I won’t bore you too much with the mythos of Maison Jacynthe (yes, there’s a real person behind the brand, Jacynthe René) as it’s been written about countless times recently – let’s just get into the products since that’s what I’m here for. In September, I was contacted to select some products to try out – here’s what I chose:
• Eye shadow refill pan in 11 Macchiato
• Blush refill pan in 01 Romeo
• Large Compact
Rather than choosing only makeup items, I decided to pick the refillable compact because, you know that I don’t need any more makeup! 😛
Avon Calling – June 2016
I’ve fallen into the trap of ordering Avon again. They’ve got the cycle down pat: when I receive my items, they always include the latest Avon catalogue – and of course, I always flip through the catalogues – who doesn’t like to look through a mini magazine of makeup? Here are my recent orders:
I ordered these in May and received them when I returned from my trip.
Hudson’s Bay Beauty: Becca, Burberry & Vincent Longo
I don’t even need to explain myself. I bought makeup. Lots of it. Hudson’s Bay is Canada’s main department store – we often just call it “The Bay”. Its American equivalent would be Macy’s. It carries all the core cosmetics brands typically found in department stores: Clinique, Clarins, Shiseido, Lancome, Estee Lauder… but, their flagship location in downtown Toronto also carries some brands that I’ve been wanting to try more of, including Becca, Burberry and Vincent Longo:
These were purchased over 3 separate visits; first I visited the Becca counter, which is located in a newer section of the store, called Beauty Underground which is located on the lower level, the same level as the subway. Within this department, they carry more of their “fringe” brands like Becca, Vincent Longo, and Anna Sui – there’s even a special display with TonyMoly products! This post will be more about my experiences at the beauty counters rather than about the products – I promise I’ll do more detailed reviews about the products in the future.