Pick-Ups & Deliveries: July 2014

It all started with killing time at the mall. 
The Face Shop Green Tea Mild Body Wash and Honey Citron Tea Moisture Body Lotion
The Face Shop Lovely Me:Ex Pastel Cushion Blusher in Coral Cushion and Rose Cushion
The Face Shop Silky & Soft Cotton Pads
I was waiting to meet up with my friend for dinner and ended up having 20 minutes to myself, so I walked over to The Face Shop. I originally went in just to get their Green Tea Mild Body Wash (which smells exactly like Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea scent) and my favourite Honey Citron Tea Moisture Body Lotion, but then noticed that they had a huge "20% off make-up" sign, so I (obviously) took the opportunity to take a look. I've always been intrigued by the make-up offerings there because the packaging is so freakin' cute, but never actually ended up getting anything. So, like any good blush fiend, I decided to get two shades of their Lovely Me:Ex Pastel Cushion Blusher. As it turns out, the blushes actually weren't on sale (the sign was meant for the eye products only), but the manager ended up giving me 20% off, anyway, when I hesitated buying them for full price (so they ended up being $7.20 each). I also randomly bought a box of their Silky & Soft Cotton Pads, which I thought might be a good and significantly cheaper alternative to my favourite Shiseido Facial Cotton. This ended up being kind of pointless because my friend Cynthia ended up gifting me four packs of Facial Cotton from the Shiseido warehouse sale, but actually, The Face Shop's cotton pads are surprisingly really good, and really cheap at $3 for a box of 80. Will definitely get more of these when my Shiseido supply runs out.
Julep Maven July Bombshell Box: Nail Color in Lissa and Beverly and Bare Body Milk
I've been a Julep Maven member for a couple years now, but I've been skipping most of my boxes this year (and I've stopped doing reviews on them altogether), partially to save money but mostly because I acquire nail polish at such a ridiculously rapid rate (as you will see in this post) and I need the drawer space for other brands. But I decided to treat myself last month and got the Bombshell Box for July, which included two nail polishes in a bright turquoise cream and a deep boysenberry cream, and a tube of their new Bare Body Milk, which is actually the main reason I was interested in this box. Julep describes it as "an ultra hydrating body lotion for thirsty skin. The lightweight, fast-absorbing formula leaves a soft, silky finish that's not heavy or greasy, and our signature Beach Tonic fragrance lets you smell like summer all year long." It just sounded ridiculously appealing to me for summer, and I quite like their Beach Tonic scent. Plus, it retails for $24 on its own, so it's like I got the nail polishes for free.
Rainbow Honey The Summer Mixtape (the non-glitters): Fall in Love, Control, Work It Out, One Minute More, Stolen Dance, and Waves
Rainbow Honey The Summer Mixtape (the glitters): Shark Attack, Lanterns, Night Sky, Best Friend, and Elevate
Rainbow Honey Limited Editions Nail Lacquer in Sea Star and Neon Blossom
Rainbow Honey July Mystery Bag: Nail Lacquer in Chemical Plant, Viridis, and Deep Heart Sea
Rainbow Honey July Mystery Bag: Midori Cooling Gel, Eau de Parfum Rollerball, and Scented Cuticle Balm
And then I proceeded to give Rainbow Honey all my money. It started with the release of their Summer Mixtape collection, of which I loved so much that I bought the entire full-size set. I honestly think this is my favourite Rainbow Honey collection to date; they consistently find a way to make their shades new and exciting (e.g. lemon yellow with pale pink iridescent shimmer), and Summer Mixtape incorporates such a beautiful variety of glitters, shimmers, and creams that are bright, fun, and unique. I also got a bottle of Sea Star, which was their June Limited Edition Nail Lacquer (they were sold out of it last month), and got a bottle of their July Limited Edition shade, Neon Blossom, for free because my order was over $50. I also got their July Mystery Bag for free because my order was over $65, and it included three new, unreleased shades of nail polish, as well as three items in their new Midori scent. I've learned to really love Rainbow Honey's Mystery Bags because they allow you to try their products without committing to their full sizes (you can buy them separately for $10). And I got 20% off my whole order using a promo code, too. This is how they get you.
MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in Silver Dew, Quick Million, and Tropical
MAC Mineralize Rich Lipsticks (new shades)
MAC Pro Palette Eyeshadow Refill Pans in Twinks, Shale, Orb, Girlie, All That Glitters, Expensive Pink, and Steamy
MAC Pro Palette Blush Refill Pans in Dollymix, Dame, and Well Dressed
MAC Wipes, Lightful Marine-Bright Formula Essence (x2), and Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50
Then I went to the MAC Store to check out some of the new things that came out last month. MAC recently revamped all their nail polishes and lowered their price to $14 a bottle (because let's be real, no one was gonna buy a MAC polish for $19), and I was immediately attracted to three brand new glitter shades that was released with the revamp ('cause I really needed more nail polish...). MAC also released their annual Mineralize update along with nine new shades of Mineralize Rich Lipstick, so I got those, too. And I also took the opportunity to stock up on some new eyeshadow refill pans (replacing staple shades that I'm nearly finished like Orb and All That Glitters, but also adding new ones like Steamy and Shale that I don't have in pan-form because I want to eventually get all my permanent MAC eyeshadows into palettes instead of having singles), blush refill pans (ditto), as well as my skincare essentials.
Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens and Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum
Finally, I could not resist the allure of Sephora. But I managed not to pick up any make-up items, and stuck to what I went in there for: a new pack of Boscia Blotting Linens (I thought I'd try the new black charcoal ones which apparently "actively purify pores") and a travel-size bottle of my favourite Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum because I am pretty much using my Rebecca Minkoff bag exclusively these days and there's no way I can fit a 100 ml bottle of anything in there (yep, I used to lug around a full-size bottle of perfume with me everywhere). As a smoker, I always like to carry some perfume with me, and Sugar Lychee still remains my favourite; it's non-cloying, fresh, light, and kills the smell of smoke. 
Aldo Spelonca Wedges
In non-beauty news, I also bought a pair of wedges from Aldo. I needed to buy a pair of shoes that I could dress up and down and that wasn't (gasp) flat for some upcoming events I have to go to that require something classier and more elegant. I wanted something that I could stand and/or walk in for long periods of time that wouldn't hurt like hell (basically, stilettos were not an option). And no one was more surprised than me that I found them at Aldo, which are notorious for having shoes that hurt no matter the height and material. Seriously, my feet have bled from wearing their flats. These wedges manage to be comfortable for my wide feet while standing and walking, so I didn't even care that they weren't on sale. What really won me over with these, though, is that gold zipper detailing in the back. It doesn't serve any purpose other than aesthetics, but I love it. Makes the shoes just a little more badass.