MUFE

Megapost: Custom Palette Systems

~ stashy ~ 143 Comments

I’ve had this post brewing for months and finally dusted it off in light of the recent controversy with Z Palette. If you don’t know about it, read about it here, here, and here. Um yeah… total gong show. 😮  Z Palette is probably the most well-known of any major custom palette systems, so their social media misstep has certainly opened the door for other players to secure a larger share of the market. People are now looking for Z Palette alternatives – let’s have a look at what the options are:

I’ll be showing what I own and also list some that I know about but do not own.  All prices are shown in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.  Warning: long post and lots of photos! 😎

Continue reading →

Miscellaneous Makeup Purge

~ stashy ~ 67 Comments

You may recall that last year I did an epic makeup purge!   And earlier this year I posted a base makeup and a lip product purge – the common theme on those 2 product categories is that they’re liquid items, with typically shorter lifespan than powders.  Today I have a mixture of various product categories including eye, lip, and skincare products – many of which are also liquid or gel formulas.
purge2016_misc_1
The reason why these are in a separate purge post rather than included in my Trash Stash is because none of these items are finished / empty. Some items I loved but are too old to use anymore. Sadly, the majority of them will go into the garbage!

Continue reading →

Trash Stash: May & June 2016

~ stashy ~ 64 Comments

Happy July 4th to my American friends! Hope you’re enjoying the extra day off. We Canadians just came out of a long weekend and are cursing you guys right now… 😆

Since I missed May’s Trash Stash, this is a combined empties post for both months. Hold onto your hats!
trash201606_2
I finished some long-time favourites and items that have been with me for years.

Continue reading →

What I’m Bringing to Japan (Travel Makeup)

~ stashy ~ 50 Comments

I’m a very light packer when it comes to makeup during vacation. I’ve learned over the years that I end up not using at least half of what I pack when I give myself too many options. While on holidays, I essentially stick to one makeup look.  Here’s my makeup menu for the next 2 weeks:

Base:

travel_makeup_japan_2
• Lorac Behind the Scenes Eyeshadow primer

• Shiseido Sheer & Perfect Foundation in O20 – I debated about which foundation to bring (the Vincent Long Water Canvas was a contender) and this one ultimately won out because it contains SPF, wears well, and can be applied with fingers.

• Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector – the glass pot is too cumbersome to pack with me so I’ve scooped out a little bit into this tiny sample container (review here)

• Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer in #2 Light Medium – I also debated about which concealer(s) to bring. At first I was going to bring a separate one for under eye and another for general face concealing. This one is a good all-around concealer – I don’t love it for under eyes but it’s workable. Unfortunately, I think this concealer is discontinued.

• MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 – I compromised by bringing a concealing pencil – I like this concealer pencil for pinpoint concealing and it’s handy for highlighting the brow area or inner eye.

Continue reading →

Best of 2015 discoveries

~ stashy ~ 49 Comments

I posted my list of beauty discoveries in 2014 when I started this blog so I thought I’d continue the tradition this year. I consider something a “discovery” if it’s new to me, not necessarily something that was launched that year. Since I was on a No-Buy all year, I was either using up items in my stash or opening up unopened products that I had hoarded. I decided on the Top 15 since I saw it on Classic Maggie’s blog (I suppose next year I’ll need to list 16 items?)  I’ll differentiate the Rediscoveries with (R) and New discoveries with (N) on my list.
best2015_2
Where available, I’ve linked to blog posts where I’ve either reviewed or mentioned the products. In no particular order:

Continue reading →

Trash Stash: October 2015

~ stashy ~ 59 Comments

October’s trash stash features an exciting bunch of MAKEUP products – woohoo!  Every month I put my empties in a Sephora tote and this month, it was overflowing:
trash201510_2
But I did manage to get a group shot:
trash201510_3
Last month I seemed to have finished all my face skincare, but this month I seemed to have finished all my base makeup!

Continue reading →

MAC Face & Body vs MUFE Face & Body

~ stashy ~ 43 Comments

This post kicks off “Comparison Week” here on the blog!  I’ll be comparing a bunch of products, showing differences and similarities, and maybe even unearth some dupes!

Today I’m comparing 2 foundations with the same name: MAC Face & Body and Make Up For Ever Face & Body.  Having the same name and similar claims naturally lend them to be compared against each other.  Since I posted my base stash not long ago, I had a few questions about my opinion on them, so I hope this comparison will help.
MAC_MUFE_FB2
MAC F&B comes in a plastic squeeze bottle, whereas MUFE comes in a glass bottle with a pump (the addition of the pump is a recent phenomenon, it used to be just a pour bottle).

Continue reading →

Foundation, Powder, Concealer Stash

~ stashy ~ 66 Comments

Most people have maybe 1 or 2 foundations (perhaps a winter shade and one for summer), a couple of concealers (under eye dark circles vs covering blemishes), and a face powder.  That’s normal.  Why I have amassed this many foundations / powders / concealers (or as I call them, base products), I have no excuse for.  I couldn’t even fit everything I own into one frame so here’s a portion of what I’ll be showing today:
basestash2
I figure I would just lump all my base products including highlighters and bronzers into one post instead of them separating out.

Remember, this is a no judgement zone. 😉

Continue reading →

Road trip skincare and makeup bag

~ stashy ~ 40 Comments

Starting this Friday, I’ll be on a road trip!  We’ll be heading to northern parts of our province, also known as “cottage country” (don’t let the word “cottage” fool you, they have multi-million dollar homes that are owned by Hollywood celebs), and then heading to Ottawa.  We’ll be staying mostly at Bed & Breakfasts (B&Bs) which are essentially rooms or a portion of someone’s house. They’re more homey than hotels – and usually the breakfasts (included) are amazing!  We won’t exactly be roughing it, but I will be fairly low-key in terms of attire and makeup.  I always ask myself 3 questions when packing makeup for a trip:

  1. Do I really need it?
  2. Is it the smallest / most compact item I own of that product category?
  3. Would I be devastated if I lost it or it got broken during the trip?

Keeping these in mind, here is what I’m packing for our 9-day trip.
travelbag2
I typically carry my makeup roll for the cosmetic items and a separate bag for skincare.  The makeup roll was a gwp from Smashbox, and the cute travel bag is from Consonant Skincare.

Continue reading →

Sephora VIB sale sharing

~ stashy ~ 33 Comments

Relax, relax, I didn’t break my No-Buy.  I didn’t want my VIB discount to go to waste so I offered it to my friends and co-workers.  I did end up buying 1 item for myself, but it’s within the allowance of my No-Buy, since it is a replacement item.  First, I placed an order online, for the following:
SephoraVIBApril2
Purchasing that Nars concealer for my friend was gut-wrenching for me because I really wanted to buy it for myself too! (I would need the shade “Custard” for myself). Keep reading for more Sephora VIB sale haulin’