It's time for another makeup haul! I know it might seem like I spend a ton of money on makeup, but I hold back elsewhere. I'm not really into shoes and handbags. If I see a handbag or a pair of shoes that I really like, then I'll buy it after thinking about it for a while. I've had my eye on those Guess bags that look like rip offs of the Hermes Birkin for a while. The Aldo ones are cute too, but I'd rather get a better quality bag from Guess. I've been quite frugal with my spending this summer. I haven't bought any makeup or skincare items since my birthday, which was in April. My collection is quite extensive, though not as big as some of yours! So I decided to go ahead and post what I actually bought after months of no new makeup products.
I had to pick up some old favourites that I ran out of and I also got some new products that I was dying to try. My mom also gave me a couple things and I tried to cut back on certain items that I had a million of. Like mascara. I have a kazillion samples of different brands but my favourite is Too Faced's Lashgasm, which I was completely out of. So my mom gave me hers because she doesn't like it. She says it bugs her eyes (she wears hard contact lenses). I'm trying to get through all the samples before picking up a full-size.
The Haul!
Boscia Pore Purifying Black Strips - 35$CAD
I love these nose strips. They actually work and they pull out all your blackheads and it totally clears your nose out. I use them once a week after I shower. I use warm/hot water because it opens your pores. You leave your skin wet and you apply the strip with dry hands. I leave it on until it dries out and hardens. And then I rip it off and it feels oh-so-satisfying when all the blackheads leave your body.
Boscia No Pores No Shine T-Zone Treatment - 45$CAD
This stuff is my holy grail pore product. I ran out of it a little while back and oh em gee I wanted to crawl into my bed and hide there until I got more of this stuff. It makes a huge difference on your pores. I noticed that mine got smaller and I broke out a lot less. It makes my skin look so good. I apply this every night before bed.
Boscia Clear Complexion Tonic - 30$CAD
This is my first time using their toner. Their clear complexion line looks really good and I'd love to try more products form it. I've used the toner maybe 5 times so far. I find that I never really notice toners working. So it's hard to say.
Benefit PosieBalm - 22$CAD
This is a new product by Benefit. They've made a tinted lip balm to go with their popular cheek tints. Posie is my colour, it's a yellow based pink. It's a very sheer balm, so some people might be disappointed with that. I thought it was quite nice. I did have to put on quite a few layers to get some colour out of it, but it's moisturizing and feels good on my lips. It smells nice and it isn't overbearing. If you're looking for a lipgloss then this isn't for you. If you want a sheer, hydrating balm, then this is for you. I think it's important to hydrate your lips all year round and this is a fun way to do it. If you want more colour try putting PosieTint first and then applying PosieBalm afterwards.
Fresh Sugar Lip Service Kit - 40$CAD
This lovely kit by Fresh comes with four minis. You get one mini lip scrub and three mini lip treatments. I already have a full-size of their lip scrub and I love it. I always use it before applying lip stick. It gets rid of all the dead skin and it leaves your lips feeling so smooth. When you apply your lipstick after, it glides right on and doesn't get stuck between the cracks of your lips. It goes on smoothly. I'm happy to have a mini to put in my purse for on-the-go lipstick application. The three mini lip treatments include the advanced therapy one, Rose, and the new Tulip. I have their original lip treatment (the one in the brown case) and I love it. It's the most hydrating lip treatment I've ever had that it's actually worth the steep price. I wonder if the advanced therapy one is supposed to do anything more than the others. Hmm I guess we'll see. I haven't tried Rose or Tulip yet. I'm a sucker for keeping things in pretty packaging. I do find that they have more of a colour payoff than Benefit's PosieBalm. So while Fresh's products are expensive, I can definitely recommend their lip products, they are truly amazing!
Too Faced Tinted BB in Snow Glow - 42$CAD
I'm a sucker for anything Too Faced. I'm almost done my first tube of their BB cream so I picked up another one. Snow Glow is supposed to be for fair, pink-toned ladies but there is more yellow in there than there should be. So while it isn't a perfect match for me, it's not too far off. I like wearing it on lazy summer days where I don't want to wear a full face of makeup. Especially on hot days. It's light but it still has decent coverage for a BB. I have a few blemishes and it does an okay job of covering them up. I could use concealer if I wanted them completely covered. With a bit of powder and blush, I'm ready to go!
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette - 67$CAD
I just picked this up not too long ago. I've been hearing sooo many good things about this palette and of Hourglass in general. I've tried it once and honestly didn't really see what all the fuss was about! I used it over my setting powder to bronze and highlight. I think the next time I use it I'll try it as my actual setting powder. I can't really say anything else, I don't think it's fair to give it a review when I haven't played around with it much yet.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit - approx. 50$CAD
I can definitely see why this kit sells out like crazy everywhere. I waited too long to pick it up and almost missed it myself. I had to call all the Sephoras in my area to see who still had one! Luckily I was able to pick one up in Anjou. So I used this for the first time yesterday, which you can see in last night's post. I also used it today and wow I got compliments on my makeup all night. I LOVE IT! It's the perfect contour kit! Really! With three highlight shades and three contour shades it's definitely the best value contour kit on the market right now. And the colours are pretty versatile so it accommodates everyone. I have to say I was impressed with it right off the bat. The shades were very pigmented and the powder was easy to get onto my brush and then onto my face. Also, the shades were just so perfect, I think. And if you are into contouring, then I think you need this palette.
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW15 - 23$CAD
I used to use NW20 in this concealer but found that it dried dark. So I would recommend to everyone that you go a shade lighter in this concealer. I love this concealer. It's perfect for covering your under eye area. It's also full coverage and it covers everything. I love it. I wish there was a lighter shade than this that I could use for highlighting but there isn't. This is what happens when you're a pale white girl. If you're looking for a full coverage concealer, this is the one for you.
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 - 22$CAD
Ah, my other favourite concealer! I use this one to cover up any blemishes that weren't covered by foundation. I mostly use it to cover up pimples on my forehead and around the nose area. It's pigmented so you only need a little bit. When you apply powder, make sure you dab it gently and don't make any kind of swiping motions or you'll rub it all off.
And that was my haul. Hope you enjoyed seeing what kind of products I'm into. I've got a few new favourites now like the Anastasia Contour Kit. I also try to branch out as much as possible and try new things. I admit, I do tend to stick to my favourites and I feature them a lot. I'm dying to try the new Too Faced Cat Eye palette but part of me says I should hold back and do more spending when all the amazing Christmas gifting sets come out. They're a better value. But another part of me wants to do another haul, just because I can. Oh, it's difficult to be a girl, isn't it?
What products have you tried from my haul? Which did you like and not like? What have you hauled recently? Have you found any new favourites?
My next post will be my Top 10 Summer Makeup Products with possibly a tutorial using the products listed.
Steph xo.
