Sparkled Beauty

A haul post dedicated to just Winners thanks to the waves of new arrivals over the last few weeks, with some brands we can't find in Canada normally.

First is Nip+Fab pistachio body sundae (200ml), $4.99, comparable at $8. I was looking all over the internet for this, was even thinking to swallow the shipping cost to get some.

And there it was just waiting for me on the shelf at Winners :) The tub is sealed, and the price was awesome, so I grabbed a few backups.

There was a bunch of First Aid Beauty products, I only bought the Ultra Repair wash (226.8g/ 8oz), $9.99, comparable at $14.

Found Maybelline Color Tattoos in Mossy Green and Rich Mahogany (the LE Fall 2012 release that Canada didn't get), $5.99 each, comparable at $8.99.

And in the black box is Guerlain eyeshadow quad in Terre Indigo (Terracotta Inca Summer 2011 collection), $29.99, comparable at $48. The surface pattern was breathtaking and the US retail price for it was actually $59, so this is definitely a score.

Many Elizabeth Arden products came, most in plastic wraps, yay!

I couldn't pass up the beautiful packaging of the Pure Finish bronze powder in Warm Radiance (Rose Aurora Spring/ Summer 2012 collection), $14.99, comparable at $45.

Also got the Eight Hour Cream Intensive moisturizing hand treatment (30ml) to try, $6.99, comparable at $10.

The Dual Perfection brow shaper and eyeliner in Brunette, $8.99, comparable at $24 and Color Intrigue eyeshadow in Smoke, $7.99, comparable at $23, are impulsive buys. I have to look up reviews later.

And a Canadian brand, Lise Watier, also made its appearance at Winners.

Another beautiful packaging I couldn't resist, the Glamour Rose eye and cheek palette, $19.99, comparable at $45.

From the Summer Sunset collection (with the orange and hot pink stripes) were the bronzing powder, $16.99 each, comparable at $35 and the Crystal Drops lip gloss in Dragon Fruit, $8.99, comparable at $18.

The dark square box houses the eyeshadow quartet in Les Vins, $14.99, comparable at $36. And the silver long tube is the Duo Glam lipstick duo in Pink Hibiscus, $12.99, comparable at $27.

These are all LE products from last year, for around 50% off, about the same discount in the online warehouse sale a while back. No product pics because the wraps are still on, just in case I might have to bring some back if reviews aren't looking great.

What have you spotted lately at Winners?

I always stop in for a quick look whenever I'm near a Winners. Sometimes I found some cool stuff for a blog post, sometimes walked out empty handed. My latest trip was a productive one :)

First, elf lip gloss sets. There aren't new at all to Winners' racks, but I found them at clearance. The Hypershine Gloss set was on the top, and the Super Glossy Lip Shine Berry Yummy set was on the bottom, CAD4 each (reg. CAD8.99).

This might sound like regular price to those of you who are in the US, but to us Canadians, Elf doesn't mean $1 a piece lol. Elf did come to Zellers around here, but cost about twice as much what Target offers. Winners has better price but doesn't carry everything elf. We normally opt for online shopping when there is a promo code, but then are hit with shipping. Can't win either way.

As you probably know already, Winners normally has fixed price range for same line of products within a brand. So quite a number of elf brushes (regular line, studio lines and mineral line - the latest) are priced the same or $1-2 different max. For that reason, it would make more sense buying more expensive items at Winners, to get your money worth. Just my 2 cents.

A year or two ago, I was hauling Elizabeth Arden, the Intervene line, like crazy during their BOGO sale, especially when the staff said the company would no longer offer that kind of promo from then on.

Look what I found: a set of Elizabeth Arden Intervene for CAD24.99, with:
- Timefighting Radiance serum (4.5ml)
- Radiance Boosting Moisture cream SPF15 (50ml)
- Anti-Fatigue Eye cream (7ml)
- 3-in-1 Daily Cleanser Exfoliator Primer (30ml).

The Moisture cream is full size, retails CAD68 already, so this set is well worth it. I'm glad I found it. There was another Intervene set with different product combo too, if you are looking.

And last but not least, Elizabeth Grant! Yay, a Canadian brand at Winners. I noticed more local (Canadian) brands there now - Annabelle, Marcelle, and now EG. It is a happy place to be :)

Anyway, I was really excited to see EG products, and knowing Winners' price scheme, I grabbed 3 items, and came home to check on the reg. prices. Here're the deals:
- 24 Hour Eye Smoothing cream - Torricelumn Plus Exclusive (20ml), CAD7.99 (reg. CAD40)
- Collagen Firming Eye Pads - Torricelumn Intensive (6x5gr), CAD7.99 (reg. CAD35)
- Collagen Miracle - Torricelumn Intenstive (30ml), CAD8.99. I can't find the exact product on their site. What they have now is the Collagen Re-Inforce Miracle Concentrate, retails CAD75.

So for the savings, I'm stoked. But I have only tried one product from this brand (review coming soon), can't say for sure I made good product choices. If you have tried any of these EG products before (or any EG products at all), please leave me a comment. For that price range, if there's any must-haves from this brand, I'd want to stock up.

I just received a little card from Sears about the upcoming GWP with Elizabeth Arden. I tried to find a better image on the net but there's nothing, probably until Sears announces it online.

Basically, with any CAD38 purchase, you'll get an 8-piece gift valued CAD81 which includes a Zebra print tote, your choice of either the new Ceramide Plump Perfect Ultra Lift and Firm moisture cream SPF30 or Prevage Anti-aging formula. That's all the card said, based on the picture, there'll be a lipstick, a small sized Pretty perfume, 2-in-1 cleanser, Ceramide capsules and mineral makeup (either foundation or blush). Are you a fan of Elizabeth Arden?

Talking about the brand, I might as well tell you what I am/was using from Elizabeth Arden. I have their Intervene line for almost a year now. Among the 3 products I got, I liked (and still do) the 3-in-1 Daily Cleanser/Exfoliator/Primer (retails for CAD32) the most. It is gentle enough to use everyday but still gives me the feeling of my skin being exfoliated. My skin feels good after each use. Sometimes I switch around to a stronger exfoliator or a soft cream cleanser, just to give the skin a different treatment when needed, but I find myself coming back to it afterward.

The Pause & Effect moisture cream SPF15 is a good moisturizer, not heavy or greasy. I just didn't notice any big change in my skin after using it for a while, considering it was not a cheap item (CAD68). They came out with a Radiance Boosting Moisture Cream to replace it now, as I don't see it on the site anymore. After finishing the jar, I switched to Olay Regenerist Enhancing Lotion SPF 15.

The Pause & Effect moisture eye cream (CAD49) is also replaced by Anti-Fatigue Eye Cream. I haven't used the new product, so I can't say, but the old one works quite well. It stops fine lines around my eyes, makes me feel young again. I'm on the second jar now.

I certainly like GWPs, as a little extra confetti in the makeup party :-) But I probably won't shop this time, as I still have a few products to finish off. I like the idea of the zebra print and the perfume though (don't think I've seen fragrance in their GWP).

Have a nice day, everyone.