Sparkled Beauty

Another value set on Sephora that caught my attention: Smashbox Primer must-haves, $30 ($57.50 value). I never tried either of the products but sure was curious about them so I decided to grab the set.

The items included in the set:
- Photo Finish Pore Minimizing oil free foundation primer (full size 1oz, reg. $50)
I did not realize how expensive Smashbox primers are now, so this set is the way to go if you want this primer specifically.

- Photo Finish primer water (travel size 0.5oz, reg. $15 for 1oz or $37 for 3.9oz).

I personally do not think primers have to get all fancy, since I do enjoy a few inexpensive versions that work for my skin. Therefore, the purpose of this post is more to let you know about this set than to rave about something new.

Now the Photo Finish Pore Minimizing oil free foundation primer sounds like just the thing for me with areas with large pores and an oily T zone.

Smashbox says the product reduces the look of pores, absorbs oil while being non-drying, sweat and humidity resistant. To wear it alone, over or under makeup, or dab on for touchups.

I find the claims prove half way. I do enjoy the mattifying and subtle blurring effects that the primer gives but they do not last through the day, and I still need to blot by lunch time.

Here is the texture of the Pore Minimizing primer (left) in comparison to Benefit Porefessional face primer (right).

It is not easy to tell by the picture, but Smashbox Pore Minimizing primer is quite a bit thicker, hence takes a bit more time to blend out. I would say the blurring effect is about the same between the 2 primers. Price per oz is also the same (unless you get the 1.5oz jumbo size, online only, at $50). Overall, I am indifferent about these two.

The Photo Finish primer water is more interesting to me, as it is a primer spray that is supposed to hydrate and revitalize the skin.

I am a fan of the spray format, anything that saves me time in the morning. And the formula is silicone/ alcohol/ oil free, packed with electrolytes that work to reawaken skin and restore moisture. It sprays on finely and absorbs into the skin quickly. So far so good.

What excites me is the multi purposes that the spray can be used for - a primer to prep the skin for makeup, a setting spray after makeup, or a refreshing spray through the day (or a cooling spray if stored in the fridge in the summer).

Now I like this primer water the most before makeup. It is quick and easy, wakes my skin up first thing in the morning, not super hydrated but works well with my moisturizer. It does an ok job for the other 2 purposes in a pinch but I would stick to Skindinavia spray to set and Tatcha mist to hydrate during the day.

I would say the set is a fun way to try both products or to stock up on the Pore Minimizing primer if you are already a fan. It is LE however, so keep an eye on it if you want it.

It was a struggle in my head whether to get Smashbox Insta-matte lipstick transformer, until the latest Shoppers' bonus redemption :)

It is basically a gel that instantly transforms any cream lipstick into a comfortable matte finish.

There are always other options - the "setting powder over a tissue" method, W7 Lip Legend matte top coat for lips (0.1oz, $7 on ebay) or Cargo matte top coat (0.1oz, $24). The choice is totally yours, depending on product availability and convenience!

Classic sleek black tube packing, with slanted tip which works well for the gel texture. Just that you can't tell how much product you have left inside.

Instruction: tap with finger over cream lipstick until a matte look is achieved. Not for use with lip glosses, lacquers or balms.

The quick and short verdict is it works the way it is intended to. I did not detect a scent, but it could easily affected by the scent of the lipstick it was put over. Also did not notice a change in colour or comfort.

Ingredients: Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Phenoxyethanol.

This is L'Oreal Colour Riche Pure Red lipstick in Blake's Red I showed you yesterday - on its own (left) and with Insta-matte on top (right). My cream lipstick stash is just doubled :)

Note the size of the tube: 0.34oz/ 10ml, quite a bit more product than in the 2 alternatives I mentioned above. The $26 price tag now sounds very reasonable.

I do recommend Insta-matte if you like the matte lips without sacrificing the comfortable wear.

Grab some snacks, everyone. This is a long collective post of stuff I found in the last two or more weeks :)

This is my new love from the Bay. A good sized (if not large) Trapeze handbag, mint, studded, with a bow and on sale, enough said? This is Material Girl Romp bag in Mint, reg. $60, 30% off right now.

It was love at first sight and I took it straight to the cashier, not even thinking twice. Unfortunately, both versions of this bag (mint and white) went out of stock within a week, online and at my store. I am not sure when or if they would be back. Sorry if I enabled you with a hard to find item.

I have been wanting Lancome La Vie est Belle perfume (reg. $95 for 50ml) for a while, was happy to find the Spring gift set for $99 with:
- La Vie est Belle EDP spray (50ml)
- Body lotion (50ml)
- Shower gel (50ml) and
- Mini Hypnose Star mascara (2ml).

My pictures did not turn out well with the flash glare, so this is a stock pic which shows the items better.

There is another set called La Vie est Belle Hearts collection, with a mini EDP (5ml) instead of the shower gel and the mini mascara, same price. Both sets are LE, I heard.

And the GWP I chose:
- Bienfait Multi Vital SPF30 (15g)
- Color Design eyeshadow and liner palette in Mauve Cherie (not included in the pic, sorry)
- Blush Subtil powder blush in Brilliant Berry
- Absolue Rouge lipstick in Exotic Orchid
- Visionnaire LR 2412 4% Advanced skin corrector (7ml)
- Bi-Facil makeup remover (50ml)
- Hypnose Star mascara in Noir Midnight (4ml) and
- Polka dot cosmetic bag.
Also not pictured were the 3 bonus Juicy Tube glosses as I spent over $85.

Moving on to Sears with another GWP.

This is Estee Lauder Double Wear makeup lesson kit ($49.50, valued over $70) with:
- Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place foundation (30ml) - my shade is 2, the range is from 1 to 6
- Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear concealer in Light Medium (1.9ml)
- Matte Perfecting primer (15ml)
- Foundation brush, and
- Advanced Night Repair Eye Synchronized Complex sample (0.5ml).

Considering the foundation itself sells for $42.50, I'd say this is an awesome score. I missed this set last time when Estee Lauder ran the promotion, not again this time :)

Also bought the Pure Color blush in The Siren, $32 to take advantage of the bonus gift and the $25 coupon (see below). An intense looking blush, sorry I forgot to take a pic of it opened :)

Now the gifts:
- Eyeshadow quad with Sugar Cube Satin, Amazing Grey Shimmer, Amethyst Spark Shimmer and Lavish Mink Matte, with Lilly Pulitzer print on the packaging
- Pure Color Crystal lipstick in Rose Petal
- DayWear Advanced Multi-protection creme SPF15 (15ml)
- Advanced Night Repair (7ml)
- Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume mascara in Extreme Black (2.8ml)
- Sensuous Nude Body veil (30ml), and
- Lilly Pulitzer cosmetic bag.

I'm happy that I now own something with Lily Pulitzer prints.

And more prints in the Deluxe gift, lots of pinks:
- Pure Color lipstick in Rubellite
- Double-ended Pure Color gloss in Mod Poppy and Shocking Pink
- Pure Color nail polish in Berry Hot (5ml) and
- Nail file with same Lilly Pulitzer print.

The $25 off $100 coupon was a bonus promo, I'm not sure if it's still on. Not redeemable on cosmetics and fragrances, so it was used on some swimsuits for Squirt and my niece (30% off), earrings on clearance (B2G2F) and an Attitude (by Jay Manuel) structured satchel in black and red (35% off) for me.

Yes, it resembles the famous designer bag that almost every fashion blogger owns one or several, just a lot smaller, fits my petite size :)

At Lawtons, I found Marcelle (LE) Nutrilux body line on 75% off. Only 3 products left:
- Supreme nourishing hand cream (75ml), reg. $10.96
- Supreme silky body lotion (300ml), reg. $16.96
- Supreme SOS replenishing butter (50ml), reg. $12.96.

I could not find the Supreme repair lip balm, which I heard good things about. Marcelle skin care products agree with my skin, so I'm excited to try this line out. If you tried it, let me know what you think.

I found the (untouched) Essence Vintage District display at Shoppers two weeks ago, just by luck. Surprisingly, I feel hard for the makeup and not the nail polish.

What I grabbed:
- Eyeshadows in I'm So Retro and Shopping @ Portobello Road, CAD2.49 each
- Blush in It's Popul-Art, CAD3.49
- Duo lipstick and gloss in Vintage Peach, CAD3.49
- Gel eyeliner set (the gel liner and mini brush) in Shopping @ Portobello Road, CAD3.99.

Note that Canada did not get the full collection (there is a red lipstick and gloss duo, a grey gel liner and maybe 2 more nail polish colours), but I'm happy with what I got. The blush is definitely a must have.

More items on sale at Shoppers this week:
- Neostrata Treat Yourself to Flawless Complexion set, reg. $72 (valued $109.50), 30% off.

The set includes a full sized Neostrata Intense Skin Brightener and 3 mini bonus gifts: a gel cleanser, a Night Repair cream and a jar of Vitamin C Concentrate capsules.

The box is super cute, with a white satin bow on top. There are two other sets with different main products, if you are looking for a treat to yourself or your mom this coming Mother's Day :)

- Gosh Waterproof Velvet Touch eyeliner in Ice Blue, on clearance for $3. I got it to compare with Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl liner in Light Blue since they are both light baby blue liners for the waterline.

- L'Oreal Caresse Wet Shine stain in Pink Rebellion, CAD6.99 right now.

On to the finds in Toronto. From a meet-up with some blogger friends, I received two The Balm palettes - Balm-jovi and Nude Tude CP'ed by Rasilla during Rexall's BOGO sale a while back. I'm so excited.

Jillojello found some nail polish on clearance at her Shoppers and picked some up for me - Maybelline Color Show, Quo spring (LE) shades, even a Cover Girl Outlast, only $1 each.

Note that these shades are still on full price at other SDMs last time I checked, so don't run out to find them for cheap just yet, but keep an eye on the display :)

Rasilla also brought me a gift of the two holo nail polish and the sparkly black bow hair clip on the left. The rest were part of the bunch of goodies ettuandyou brought in for us to fight over lol. All around, it was a lot of fun chit chatting over beauty products and good food.

I also met my blogger friends over at My Numerous Diversions and Swatch and Learn for some Thai food and a 3-hour shopping walk for nail polish, fragrances and everything else. I was holding off and not getting anything, but that success did not last. See below what I brought home with me :)

I wandered into a Winners near my hotel and found a bunch of Smashbox makeup. I assume this was a new batch cause I can't recall seeing them at my location before.

I grabbed the Studio Pop eye palette from the 2012 Holiday collection ($19.99, reg. $56) and a Blush Rush in Gingersnap ($9.99, reg. $29).

Also saw the Photo Op Eye Enhancing palette ($14.99, reg. $44) and some liquid bronzer/ highlighter, but I passed. There were some Givenchy makeup too, from $25 and up. A quick check at my local Winners here did not yield the same result, unfortunately.

Found a Shoppers Beauty Boutique near there too, I grabbed Annabelle i-Tranformer (with bonus Studio Pigment) on clearance for $3 each (reg. $10, not including the pigments). Again, my local Shoppers did not even have these on the shelf.

And finally, a shout-out to Dixie Outlet mall. Awesome bargains I found.

Example: The Dynamite store had a "Almost Perfect" section for items with missing buttons or broken zippers. I paid $17.50 for a $60 blazer and $7 for a $40 pair of pants (which are currently on sale for $35 and $22 at regular Dynamite). I just had to sew the backup buttons back on, which I did not mind doing for the price.

Another example: Clearance handbags at the Aldo store there were extra 30% off and selected styles of bags and shoes were up to 50% off. So general conclusion: when there is an outlet mall, go! :)

We'll end this post with some eye candy who is also a do-gooder :) Don't you want to own one of those products with his autograph?