Sparkled Beauty

It took Canada a while to catch up with the Urban Decay Revolution lipstick sale in the US. I got a few from UD Canada website before Sephora put them on sale.

I bought 3 original Revolution lipsticks (gunmetal tubes) - Rapture, Manic and Venom, and 3 Matte Revolution lipsticks (black tubes) - 1993, Bittersweet and After Dark.

I assume you all have had experience with these lipsticks before, so just a brief summary for those who haven't. The Revolution lipstick formula is very comfortable to wear, even with the matte finish, and strong pigmentation. They wear really well on the lips and fade gradually. I am not interested in the sheer finish, so don't have comments on those.

According to Urban Decay, the Pigment Infusion System gives the original Revolution lipsticks their creamy texture and good pigmentation. Additionally, a blend of jojoba oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter and shea butter keeps the lips  moisturized and look fuller.

Here are Rapture (described as a dusty rose), Manic (a soft wine) and Venom (a bright plum), in the sun and in the shade.

The Matte Revolution lipsticks is still very creamy on application, and non drying, thanks to a blend of avocado, olive and babassu oils. Also, shea butter and illipe butter provide long-lasting moisture, and vitamins C and E offer antioxidant effect.

Swatches of 1993 (a matte medium brown), Bittersweet (a matte bright purple) and After Dark (a matte medium-dark berry pink).

I only have positive things to say about these lipsticks, grab them while they are still on sale. The tube is 0.09oz/ 2.8g, CAD26 down to CAD13 right now.

Yes, hauls, plural. I was stalking Sephora's sale page for one thing (you'll see below) and other things just ended up in my cart :) It all started around the VIB bonus point event back in August, and I became a VIB Rouge because of it, shamefully.

From tarte:
- Gifts from the Lipstick Tree Achiote collection $35, reg. $85
- Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush in Flush, $17, reg. $31
- Maracuja cheek tint in Deep Berry, $12, reg. $30

- Off the Cuff Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush palette and bracelet, $50 (valued $132)
This palette would deserve a post of its own, in other words, it is a must have for those who are fans of tarte blushes.

I always wanted a blush palette from tarte, and they granted my wish in their holiday collection. We get 4 Amazonian Clay 12-hour blushes (Dollface, Dazzled, Darling and Crave) - 0.158oz each vs. 0.2oz full size, and Amazonian Clay bronzer in Park Ave Princess - 0.158oz vs. 0.32oz full size, plus a eco chic bow bracelet that fits my small wrist. Yay :)

It is LE, so if you want it, go soon!

- BareMinerals Ready 8.0 eyeshadow palette in The Star Treatment, $30, reg. $50
The eyeshadows are VIP, Connoisseur, Carte Blanche, Ritzy, Kudos, Bragging Rights, Elitist and Extravagance - 0.035oz each vs. 0.05oz full sized eyshadows. It also comes with half sized Prime Time eye primer (0.05oz).

- Urban Decay Urban Ammo eye palette, $15, reg. $46
Didn't plan to get this one, just couldn't turn it down because of the sale price.

Sephora Pantone Universe collections get me every year. I paid full price for the tangerine set last year and waited patiently for the emerald set to go on sale this year.

In the background is The Color of the Year collection, $41, reg. $82 (valued $135), with:
- Color Theory shadow block in Bionic
- Color Code Prismatic shadow block
- Lightspeed Glitter dust
- Graphic Sculpt Waterproof jumbo eyeliner
- Color Cube Lid stain
- Color Watt Highlighting mascara.

Didn't want to miss the chance to grab the Color Contour Face brush set either, it was on sale for $39, reg. $82. Synthetic emerald brushes, I gotta have them!

The set includes fan, contour, crease, large eyeshadow, cream eyeshadow, dome smudge, angled liner and short smudge brushes.

More Sephora eyeshadows from the Pantone Universe collection:
- Full Spectra eyeshadow palette in Night Fall, $23, reg. $46
Not sure I'll keep it.
- Light Storm liquid shadows in Caramel Cream and Tuscany, $11 each, reg. $22
There was the third shade, Smoky Grape, but it never showed up on the sale page.

A little collection of Sephora Color Token eyeshadows that went unnoticed - Pink Casino, Blue Casino and Gold Casino, $7 each, reg. $14. There is a Purple Casino but it wasn't available on the sale page either.

And the item that took constant stalking for me to collect all shades - the Outrageous Prisma Chrome metallic eyeshadows, $9 each, reg. $18:
- #1 Metallic Beige
- #2 Golden Peach (name on the product: Metallic Peach)
- #3 Golden Taupe (Metallic Bronze)
- #5 Purple (Metallic Purple)
- #6 Taupe (Metallic Taupe)
- #7 Taupe Silver (Metallic Grey)
- #9 Black (Metallic Black) and
- #10 Lilac (Metallic Lilac).

Cool surface pattern, sleek packaging, good pigmentation and beautiful finish, forgive me when I wanted them all. Lilac was the hardest to come by.

It is prime time for Sephora Favorites sets. Give Me Some Lip, $30 (a steal as the full sized item already retails for $28, valued $109) caught my eyes first with:

- NARS Lip gloss in Turkish Delight, half size (0.14oz vs. 0.28oz)
- Laura Mercier Lip glace in Bare Pink, 0.1oz (vs. 0.15oz full size)
- Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip treatment in Rose, 0.08oz (vs. 0.15oz full size)
- Buxom Full-On Lip polish in Dolly, 0.07oz (vs. 0.15oz)
- Bite Beauty High Pigment pencil in Rhubarb, 0.05oz (vs. 0.09oz)
- Tarte LipSurgence Lip luster in Glitzy (full size 0.1oz).

Later, Sephora brought out Give Me More Lip set that I might go for instead, $71 (valued $251, with 4 full sized items among 16).

The Sephora Black Magic palette, $19, was an impulsive buy. I like the darker blushes and 4 eyeshadows being matte (compared to the Desert Sunset palette with 1 light blush, 1 bronzer, only 1 matte eyeshadow, on sale for $11). We'll see about this one also.

Did you give in to the Sephora's summer sale? If you are in the US, you could get stuff from Sephora for cheaper too. Oh the luxury of being Canadians lol.

I always love to look at blog sales, to find things that I can't normally get from here. And a few weeks ago, I found some good stuff to buy :-)

The first haul is from Keri at Glimmer Gloss Glow. I was extremely happy with what I got, as belive it or not, these items are all the first of their kinds that I own.

The nail polishes are OPI DS in Fantasy and Vintage, and Zoya Matte Velvet in Loredana. I don't have any OPI, not mentioning the Designer Series. Always love holo polishes, so I hasd to get them. I haven't had any matte colour from Zoya either.

I also got some Bare Minerals pressed shadows in Firelight, True Gold, Fire Opal (first row), Aurora, Trinity, and Firefly (second row). I already put them in test runs a few times. The colours are gorgeous, but they don't stay on the lids as long as my pigments do, unless I put extra work in prepping the lids.

Keri included some extras too:
- Stila Convertible Color (Lip & Cheek Cream) in Peony
- Barry M Shimmering Eye & Lip Crayon in #7 Golden Bronze
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in 1999.
My first Stila and Barry M too, and I was looking for a liner that is not black. So, perfect!

Another haul came from Sara at The Makeup Snob. I love the drugstore items that she had.

Here they are:
- Milani Wet/Dry shadows in Shamrock, Black Out, Girls Luv Pink, Leaf Green, and Blue Lagoon
- Jesse's Girl Baked shadow in Moonbeam
- Physician Formula Face Sculpting Trio in Tan Organics
- Revlon ColorStay Mineral Finishing Powder in Brighten
- L'Oreal Wear Infinite Pressed shadow quad in Petals of Promise and Bouquet of Strength (LE).

It's exciting to have new makeup to play with.

Visit my blog sale too, if you are looking for some MAC. I made a tab at the top of the page for it too, for easy browsing. Have a good day.

Shoppers: Sat - Mon: 7,000 points with $50 purchase
- Gosh: 25% off
- Rimmel (selected products): CAD4.99
- Garnier Nutritioniste facial moisturizer: 20% off
- Aveeno skin care: 25% off
- Eucerin skin care: 20% off.

Lawton:
- Milani: 25% off
- Twist & Pout lip product: 20% off
- Skin care products (L'Oreal, Nivea Visage, Aveeno, Neutrogena, etc.): 15-20% off
- L'Oreal Double Extend Last Boosting mascara/ serum: 25% off
- Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners: 20% off
- Revlon foundation/ primer/ powder: CAD5 off
- L'Oreal Tru Match Roller foundation: 25% off
- Rimmel mascara/ eye makeup remover: CAD4.99.

Superstore:
- Maybelline Super Stay, Mineral Power, Dream Matte Mousse foundation: CAD10
- Sally Hansen Insta-Dri polish: CAD5
- Rimmel Colour Rush shadow, Sexy Curves/ Volume Flash/ Eye Magnifier mascara: CAD6
- L'Oreal Tru Match Roller foundation: CAD3 off (Coupon in flyer).

Walmart:
- Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara, Moisture Renew lipstick: CAD5.

Sears is having GWP for Lancome: For purchases of CAD34 or more (in stores and online) from now to February 15, you will get free gifts valued up to $198 that include:

- Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow Quad (sample size), colours might vary
- Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover (50 ml)
- Definicils High Definition Mascara in Black (sample size)
- Assorted Eye & Lip Brush Set
- Lancôme Signature Cosmetic Bag & Companion
- Your choice between Color Design Sensational Effects Lip Color in Natural Beauty (warm) or Love It (cool)
And your choice among these skincare duos:
(1) Renergie Anti-Wrinkle and Firming Treatment (15 ml) and Renergie Microlift R.A.R.E. Intense Targeted Repositioning Lifter (15 ml)
(2) High Resolution Refil-3x Triple Action Anti-Wrinkle Cream SPF 15 (15 ml) and High Resolution Collaser-5x Intense Collagen Anti-Wrinkle Serum (15 ml)
(3) Absolue Precious Cells Advanced Regenerating and Reconstructing Cream (15 ml) and Absolue Ultimate Bx Replenishing and Restructuring Serum (15 ml)

I guess some of you Canadian ladies already called in to Sephora for an UD Alice BoS, or even better, got one from Whitby launch. Hope you all can manage to get one where you live soon. I'm not interested in this one, so I pass :-)

For the ladies in the US, the Urban Decay Hall of Fame set I mentioned before on this blog is on sale at Ulta for $18 and at Sephora for $20 (reg. $29). For that price, it's a steal for anyone who has an Ulta to shop at :-)

Have a lovely weekend!

There has been so much going on with makeup brands everywhere lately, thought I should do a little post to let you all know.

Heard from Makeup Junkie: Urban Decay is coming to Shoppers! My friend on twitter is already excited about the fact that she could earn or redeem Optimum points for the goodies, lol. It's just a matter of time after the launch (January 22) that more Shoppers across the country will have the line. *Happy face*

Another news also from Makeup Junkie, Cargo is pulling out from Sephora (hence the 50% off crazy sale). It's sad that Canadians now can only find the brand at Murale stores which are not widely accessible. *Sad face*

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog tweeted news about Essence. I don't know whether a twipic link is valid forever, so here's her tweet:

"Essence, a German m/u line, arrives @ all Ulta stores by 4/10 . Nail, eye, lip & face items for less than $5!". Photo credit: Karen.

I haven't heard much about this brand except for the fun nail polishes, so American ladies, you guys are in luck for a new brand. *Happy face*

And lastly, one of my favorite mineral makeup brands - The She Space - has decided to discontinue all lines. The good news is all the shadows are on for $2.50/ jar until ran out. The bad news is there won't be TSS shadows anymore at the end. Heather decided to follow her dream of a small business (now called Hope Quest Cosmetics) with a message of hope and inspiration, broaden the idea behind the Hope Quest quad. I admire her decision so much, walking away from an extremely fast-growing business, a brand new store front with tons and tons of colours to come back to where her company was a few years ago. That is just amazing!

I'm sad to see TSS go, but curious about what Hope Quest would be like. I'm happy for Heather though, as it seems the current company isn't what she wanted. I'm wishing her best luck on the new journey. *Sad face*

I went shopping again, I know it's bad. My whole purpose was to go check out the 50% sale of coats at H&M but the selection wasn't exciting. I only bought a Minnie Mouse shirt for Squirt there.

I returned the ruffled dress to Winners, and found more stuff that the other 2 Winners I had been to didn't have. More Urban Decay goodness (CAD4.99 each) and more!

- Single eyeshadows - first time seeing them. I got one before but from a Midnight Cowboy Rides Again set. Only 2 left, and I got both: Acid Rain (light green) and Gash (deep red). Wish I found more :-)

- Lingerie & Galoshes for Lashes - the tube said Lash Primer and Waterproofer. I had to look it up when I got home, as I've never seen it before. Turns out, Lingerie primes the lashes (plump, lift and separate effects) before mascara and Galoshes waterproofs them after mascara.
It's nice to have the 2 effects separate to each end of the tube, as I don't always need both for a look. Any of you has this product?

The little red set in the picture is from Lola Cosmetics, CAD9.99. According to the website, their products available at Ulta in the US and online, wide varieties at pretty high end prices.
- Eyeshadow in Lola Night - no info on the website
- Social Eyes Gel Eye Colour in Shell (rosy pink, reg. $20), and
- Lip Indulgence Full Coverage Lip Gloss in Passion Fruit (golden coral, reg. $16).

So this set is certainly of good value, considering the individual retail price. There were other combos (blush duo with a gloss, or sheer lipstick with shadows, etc.) in stores, so you can check the brand out if you want. Be prepared though, their stocks vary so much among locations.

I should be in a shopping ban or something, but I know it wouldn't work, so why bother, right? lol. Have a good day, everyone!

I went back to Winners last night and had second thoughts about the items I put on hold. Sadly, I put 2 pairs of shoes back, but I did take some makeup home. So here is part II of my Winners haul :-)

First thing that caught my eyes when I'm at the beauty section has always been gift sets. And look what I found this time.

Fusion Beauty's The Essentials Kit (reg. $49 on Amazone), Winners' tag was CAD32.99 on clearance for CAD20.

The set includes:
- GlowFusion Micro-Nutrient Natural Protein Tan in Medium (2oz/ 30ml)
- LipFusion Micro-Injected Collagen Lip Plump Deluxe Mini in Bloom (0.05oz/ 1.5g)
- LashFusion Micro-Technology Pure Protein Lash Plump in Black (0.27oz/ 7.65g), and
- LipFusion Micro-Injected Collagen Duo: Lip Plump/ XL (0.14oz/ 4.4g).

It's a neat little set with items I haven't tried before, so it was a nice buy. As it comes as a gift set though, I'm feeling like I might give it away as a gift :-) Not sure yet.

I also found what I was hoping Winners here would have: the Goldie polish trios (CAD5.99 each set).

There were only 3 sets available and I can't pick just one. The bottles design, the caps (they are shapped as a flower which you can't tell in the picture), and the bows, all are just too cute.

The first set has a nude gold, a rosy mauve and a bronze. The second one has a magenta pink, a purple and an orange. The last set has a minty green, a deep magenta and a nude pink.

And there were a few single Urban Decay items on the shelf. Too bad there was no sets or palettes, as they are better for the money.

I picked up a few things:
- Ultraglide lip gloss in Heat (sheer red with gold sparkle, reg. $17). There were about 6 available shades for the lip gloss that I saw.
- Afterglow powder blush in Exhale (nude with shimmer, reg. $17). Only 1 shade found.
- Liquid liner in Gash (deep red, reg. $18), and
- Baked Body Glow body bronzer with shimmer (reg. $25).

Winners' price was CAD4.99 each, so it was certainly a good deal. However, I found out online that Exhale is supposed to be a nude shade (it looks light pink in the pan), don't know it would show up on my skin. Heat is also described as a sheer red, and my lips are pigmented. I don't know I would keep them. If you have any of these shades, please let me know how they work for you.

I also want to thank all of you who commented on my previous post about the dresses and shoes. The first dress seemed to get more love from you guys than the rest, and the shoes were ok, lol. I really appreciate you all! Please feel free to comment on this one as well :-)

Have you been to Sephora lately?

The Muse just posted her review on Urban Decay Hall of Fame set, and just by the look of it, I already want it!

The set sells at $29 and includes:
- XL Eyeshadow Primer Potion - full size (reg. $22)
- 0.02oz 24/7 Eye Pencil in Zero (black) - mini (reg. $17 for full size 0.04oz)
- 0.04oz Lipstick in Midnight Cowboy (sheer beige shimmer) - mini (reg. $22 for full size 0.13 oz)
- 0.09oz Pocket Rocket Lipgloss in Timothy (coral with pink glow) - mini (reg. $19 for full size 0.27oz)
- 0.09oz Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara - mini (reg. $22 for full size 0.41oz)

All the best sellers from Urban Decay that I don't have, lol. This is a great combo set, with great value as well. I don't have a Sephora, so if you spot it in yours, let me know what you think. The Muse already stocked up 5 for her friends' stockings. Will you? Lol...

An important note: The words are Sephora will have its F&F sale (20% off) from October 19 to November 2. Maybe this would be an excellent time to buy this set, yeah?

The sun is back today, I'm so glad. The bf just finished his big GRE exam yesterday, so we are in relaxing mood for a while. Coming in to work, I spotted the Queen Victoria cruiseliner turning around in the harbour. So beautiful!

No, not contest winners, lol. We went to Winners for its summer sale and had an awesome time. I meant to go there for clothes, surprisingly (maybe not, lol), I ended up at the cosmetics/ bath & body section first. The real surprise was I found some great makeup that I haven't seen IRL before. So let me show you what I got.

First up, the big boxes. I like the concept of being able to do different (and totally opposite) looks with one palette, and the Too Faced Naughty or Nice set might give me just that.
The Too Faced "Lights, Camera, Glamour" Make-Up Collection box could give me even more options, considering the amount of makeup it holds. Never thought I would find Too Faced around here. I don't have a Sephora store, remember?
The Sun Kissed bronzing powder, bulky packaging but has cute little prints on the packaging and on the product which sucked me in. The brand is all new to me though.

Close up pic inside the Naughty or Nice palette: 6 shadows x 1gr, and 6 lip glosses x 0.65gr. The pull out little tray has a dual ended brush (lip brush on one end and applicator on the other). This set is retailed on Too Faced website for $29.50, and I paid CAD 12.99. Appreciated the low price - something Winners is known of, for sure. For price comparison purpose for you guys in the US, Beauty Crunch has this set for $11.80. They don't ship outside US, so Canadians can't get makeup for cheap. And this is not the only site that does that. I can't tell you how many times I filled up my cart just to get turned down at check out for not being from the US.

The Makeup Collection box has a clasp on the outside, a mirror underneath the lid with 4 little bulbs that can light up (has battery compartment). So fancy. It unfolds into 3 small palettes with:
- 8 shadows x 0.94gr: 2 shades named Hollywood Ho Downs and 2 shades named Cocoa Lillys (according to the box), Fantasy Island, George&Weezie, Skinny Dip, Suzy Ho Maker
- 6 glosses x 0.9gr: Candy Apple, Cocoa Kiss, Pink Taffy (Candy Lips); Trust Fund Baby, Private Jet (Status Gloss) and an Exclusive Lip Gloss
- 2 blushes x 2.8gr: Who's Your Daddy, Lust to Love
- 1 bronzer x 2.8gr: Sun Bunny
- 1 face powder x 2.8gr
- 1 shimmer powder x 2.8gr: Snow Bunny
- 1 brow powder, 1 eyeliner powder x 1.4gr.
This box is no longer available on Too Faced or Sephora website. Beauty Crunch used to have it for $16, I paid CAD19.99.

The Sun Kissed bronzing powder was $9.99, retailed CAD20 (according to the price tag), so I guess it was half price. There is no specific brand on the package, but the company is J A Cosmetics, same one that owns Elf. I picked up this bronzer for the leopard print with pink and bronze colours. Isn't it cute? I'm skeptical about the brush, as brushes that come with products don't normally perform very well. I also question the excessive packaging just to house a regular size bronzer. I wonder whether this product line has similar quality as elf's. I might have to come back to take a closer look, as there were different palettes from J A Cosmetics on the shelf with similar packaging patterns.

Yay, Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Rides Again set! I found it at the clearance section actually, for CAD7 (regular $32). Crazy right? I was so happy to spot this set, as it basically has "the best of Urban" - Midnight Cowboy shadow, Shadow Primer Potion (sample size), 24/7 Glide-on Eye pencil in Bourbon and Midnight Cowboy heavy metal glitter eyeliner.

Lip Fusion Micro-injected Collagen Lip Plump in Belle is gorgeous. It was the only there, but was in the shade that I really liked, so to home with me it went. I paid CAD6.99 for it vs. the $38 retail price. This is the second time I spotted Lip Fusion products, as I scored the Be Kissed Mini Lip Fusion set for CAD20 before.

Last but not least, the Best of Korres set! This brand is a mystery to me until last time I saw this set at Winners (for CAD20). Obviously, lots of loggers raved about it. This time, it was in clearance for CAD10 and I certainly couldn't pass it up. Imagine all the goodness: Guava Body Butter 50ml, Basil Lemon Showergel 50ml, Vanilla Cinnamon Showergel 50ml, Wild Rose Moisturizer SPF6 10ml, Evening Primrose Eye Cream SPF6 5ml and Yoghurt Cooling Gel sachet 9ml.
Note: According to Best Things in Beauty, Korres US website was just launched in July. I am disappointed again that they don't ship internationally.

For clothes, I did find some nice shirts for me and a really cute dress for Squirt. She wanted to be the flower girl in my sister's wedding, so we were looking around for a fancy dress. It wasn't in the range I normally pay for kids' clothes, but for special occasion, I guess we can splurge. I always rant that kids clothes are even more expensive than aldults'.

The whole experience at Winners took 3 hours - picking out the makeup and clothes, trying the clothes on and deciding what stayed in the cart and what went back to the racks, lol. That wasn't even the biggest Winners in town yet, lol. The damage to my credit card is pretty bad, but I'm happy with what I got.

Have a nice weekend, ladies.