So, to absolutely no one's surprise, I did some heavy damage while I was in NYC. I saved up quite a bit for this trip, but I didn't really know how much shopping I was going to do because our dollar is so low right now, but it's hard not to get caught up in the retail madness when there are shops everywhere. And, of course, that madness started at Sephora. Because we were staying right by Times Square, and the Sephora there closes at midnight. Midnight!
Too Faced Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer in Carrie & Big and Ross & Rachel
Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette
Okay, so technically, those first two Too Faced blush-bronzers were bought the day before I went to NYC; they were Valentine's Day gifts to myself. Or, at least, that's my excuse because they're heart-shaped. But really, I just thought they were too damn cute to resist. I mean, Big & Carrie? C'mon, you know I had to. (I just couldn't decide between the two, so I bought them both.) But I figure I'd include it here since this will act as my February haul post (it's just that everything else I bought this month was from NYC, so I'm also listing this as a NYC post). The first item I actually picked up in NYC was the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette. I was very tempted by the original Chocolate Bar palette that came out last year, but I'm glad I held out because I prefer the shades included in the Semi-Sweet. I might still get the original at some point because I'm a hoarder and an addict, but for now, I'm really happy with this one. And even though I can't smell my make-up when it's on my face, I kinda love just opening the palette to smell the chocolate scent.
Make Up For Ever x Fifty Shades of Grey Desire Me Cheek Set: 3 Artist Shadow Palette (I-526 Pearl Beige, I-808 English Pink, and S-748 Coral) and 150W Brush
Make Up For Ever x Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Set: Graphic Liner Vinyl Pen Eyeliner, Smoky Extravagant Mascara, Lab Shine Diamond Collection Lip Gloss in D14 Indian Pink, Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4 Pink Beige, and 4 Artist Shadow Palette (S-556 Taupe Gray, ME-612 Silver Brown, I-514 Pink Ivory, and I-628 Reptile)
Now, anyone that's been into Sephora at all this month will know that Make Up For Ever has teamed up with the Fifty Shades of Grey movie to create a limited edition make-up collection. The movie is in full promo mode (seriously, there wasn't a single block in NYC that didn't have a Fifty Shades advertisement), so the collection is right at the front of every Sephora store right now. Having read the books, I had a mild interest in the movie (which I went to see a couple days ago, and all I have to say is: Daaaaaamn, Jamie Dornan is fiiiiiiine), but I originally bypassed the make-up collection. It just didn't seem that interesting. Then my curiosity got the best of me, and I swatched. And, that was it. I had to have all the things. The Artist Shadows in both sets were the main draw for me: a variety of gorgeous, wearable shades that you can use all-year round. They're ultra-smooth, buttery, pigmented, and a total dream to work with; the Artist Shadow is the best product that MUFE has ever come out with, in my opinion. But the second thing that convinced me to get them was that the products are all full-size (except for the brush that comes in the cheek trio), and therefore an excellent value in these sets. Thirdly, despite the somewhat tacky Fifty Shades-inspired velvet bag and faux-leather case that they come in, the actual product itself is housed in regular MUFE packaging. But most importantly, there's nothing in these sets that I won't use. I mean, even without the Artist Shadows, the lipstick and lip gloss are pretty MLBB shades that I would've picked for myself, and the mascara and liquid liner (both black) are actually two products that I've been wanting to try out, so it worked out really well for me.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation in Light Warm and Perversion Mascara
Becca Mineral Blush in Sweetpea and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure
I went over to the Urban Decay section to grab a new tube of my favourite Perversion Mascara, and noticed that they came out with a new powder foundation. I was immediately intrigued. I'm always looking for something that can compete with my MAC Studio Fix Powder. It has the same coverage and finish as Studio Fix, but with a smoother, silkier texture. My issue is usually with the colour range because most brands don't make their products yellow enough for me, but Light Warm is perfect (note that these powders oxidize quite a lot — I am an NC30 in MAC so Medium Light Warm looks perfect in the pan but turns out significantly darker on my skin). I don't know if it's going to replace my Studio Fix because MAC is ultimately cheaper and I go through a compact every two months, but it's definitely a nice option when I want a change. Aside from a few more bits and bobs (e.g. a Jack Black Grapefruit & Ginger Lip Balm, a Drybar Lemon Drop Daily Detangler, a new tube of Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleansing Gel), I also picked up two more blushes: Becca's Sweetpea and Hourglass' Mood Exposure. I seem to always have a penchant for buying bright blushes, but realistically, I use neutrals the most for day-to-day wear (MAC's Warm Soul is my most-used blush of all time), and these two just fit the bill perfectly.
Bite Beauty Customized Lipstick and Agave Lip Mask
Bite Beauty Customized Lipstick
NARS Blush in Reckless and 413 BLKR
NARS Audacious Lipstick in Angela, Pure Matte Lipstick in 413 BLKR, Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero, and Velvet Lip Liner in Anse Soleil and El Agua
Sephora aside, the majority of the shopping I did was in Soho, starting with our appointment at Bite Beauty Lip Lab (you can read all about my experience here), where I got to make my own customized lipstick (a brightened lilac-purple) and picked up a tube of their popular Agave Lip Mask. Right after we left the lab, I noticed that there's a NARS boutique literally a block away so, you know, we had to go in. And, of course, I couldn't leave without grabbing a bunch of goodies because, as I said, I have an addiction. The NARS boutiques in NYC are the only physical retailers who carry the 413 BLKR collection, which is named after the address of their original flagship store in New York on Bleecker Street, so I took the opportunity to swatch all the products. I ended up getting the 413 BLKR blush (brightened rose pink) and the Pure Matte Lipstick (muted warm rosy brown), as well as the new highlighting powder, Reckless (a sparkly pinked beige), from their Spring 2015 collection, an Audacious Lipstick in Angela (a brightened orchid pink, exclusive to NARS boutiques and Barneys), a Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero (a milky peach) at the recommendation of the super-nice make-up artist helping me, plus two of their Velvet Lip Liners in Anse Soleil (a grapefruit pink) and best-selling El Agua (a lilac-mauve).
JINsoon Nail Lacquer in Farrago, Obsidian, and Epidote
Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay Cologne
After leaving NARS, we walked over to Broadway and found ourselves at Bloomingdale's, where I basically stayed in the cosmetics department because I was still on a make-up high. I went into the Space.NK boutique first because they carry a lot of fun niche brands, but ended up overlooking everything except for the JINsoon nail polishes and picked up three shades: Farrago, Obsidian, and Epidote. I originally went in to Bloomingdale's to look at Tom Ford's Lips & Boys collection, but the three that I ended up wanting were sold out, so I figured that was the world telling me that I should not be buying anymore lip products that day. But it just so happens that the Jo Malone counter is right next to Tom Ford at that particular Bloomingdale's location. So I took the opportunity to do some perfume testing. I had been debating over my next Jo Malone fragrance for a while, but after spraying on my top three choices, wearing them around for an hour, and asking five different salespeople (plus Austin) for their opinion, the unanimous winner was Blackberry & Bay. No regrets on my choice; it's light, fresh, fruity, almost juicy, but somehow not too sweet, and manages to last on my skin for over six hours.
Sabon Body Scrub in Delicate Jasmine, Butter Scrub in Lavender Apple, and Shower Oil in Delicate Jasmine and Lavender Apple
Sabon Butter Cream in Lavender Apple, Body Oil in Lavender, Facial Toning Serum, and Hair Serum in Green Rose (x 2)
Our last cosmetics stop in Soho was Sabon, which is kind of like an old-school apothecary meets Lush. The moment you walk in, they ask if you want to wash your hands in their central washing fountain, which they use as a means to introduce you to their products by starting with a cleanser, following with a scrub, and usually ending with some sort of moisturizer. Every single person who works there is just insanely nice and super-knowledgeable; I had such a positive customer service experience in that Soho location (and they don't work on commission — I asked). The guy that was helping us was fun, honest, and enthusiastic, and you could tell he had a real passion for the company and the products. He was showing us around the store, trying all the things on us, and never pressured us to buy anything — which is, of course, why we wanted to buy everything. My favourite scents from there ended up being Lavender Apple and Delicate Jasmine, which is pretty misleading because neither of them smell like their namesakes (and I mean that in the best way possible, because I don't particularly like lavender or jasmine). So I picked up the products I was most impressed by (which, admittedly, is a lot) because they do not ship to Canada and I would have to wait until my next trip to NYC to stock up again. If you're into beautifully made, gorgeously scented body products in pretty packaging, Sabon is a must-visit.
Sephora 1500 Broadway New York, NY 10036 (212) 944-6789
Bite Beauty Lip Lab 174 Prince Street New York, NY 10012 (646) 484-6111
NARS Cosmetics 124 Prince Street New York, NY 10012 (646) 356-0423
Bloomingdale's 504 Broadway New York, NY 10012 (212) 729-5900
Sabon 123 Prince Street New York, NY 10012 (212) 982-0968
I went over to the Urban Decay section to grab a new tube of my favourite Perversion Mascara, and noticed that they came out with a new powder foundation. I was immediately intrigued. I'm always looking for something that can compete with my MAC Studio Fix Powder. It has the same coverage and finish as Studio Fix, but with a smoother, silkier texture. My issue is usually with the colour range because most brands don't make their products yellow enough for me, but Light Warm is perfect (note that these powders oxidize quite a lot — I am an NC30 in MAC so Medium Light Warm looks perfect in the pan but turns out significantly darker on my skin). I don't know if it's going to replace my Studio Fix because MAC is ultimately cheaper and I go through a compact every two months, but it's definitely a nice option when I want a change. Aside from a few more bits and bobs (e.g. a Jack Black Grapefruit & Ginger Lip Balm, a Drybar Lemon Drop Daily Detangler, a new tube of Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleansing Gel), I also picked up two more blushes: Becca's Sweetpea and Hourglass' Mood Exposure. I seem to always have a penchant for buying bright blushes, but realistically, I use neutrals the most for day-to-day wear (MAC's Warm Soul is my most-used blush of all time), and these two just fit the bill perfectly.
Sephora aside, the majority of the shopping I did was in Soho, starting with our appointment at Bite Beauty Lip Lab (you can read all about my experience here), where I got to make my own customized lipstick (a brightened lilac-purple) and picked up a tube of their popular Agave Lip Mask. Right after we left the lab, I noticed that there's a NARS boutique literally a block away so, you know, we had to go in. And, of course, I couldn't leave without grabbing a bunch of goodies because, as I said, I have an addiction. The NARS boutiques in NYC are the only physical retailers who carry the 413 BLKR collection, which is named after the address of their original flagship store in New York on Bleecker Street, so I took the opportunity to swatch all the products. I ended up getting the 413 BLKR blush (brightened rose pink) and the Pure Matte Lipstick (muted warm rosy brown), as well as the new highlighting powder, Reckless (a sparkly pinked beige), from their Spring 2015 collection, an Audacious Lipstick in Angela (a brightened orchid pink, exclusive to NARS boutiques and Barneys), a Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero (a milky peach) at the recommendation of the super-nice make-up artist helping me, plus two of their Velvet Lip Liners in Anse Soleil (a grapefruit pink) and best-selling El Agua (a lilac-mauve).
the sabon products make me think of Skin Food packaging.
ReplyDeleteI actually had to look up Skin Food because I'd never seen their products, but you're right, there is totally a similarity between the two. Though I guess Skin Food has more of a variety in their packaging overall, whereas almost all of Sabon's packaging looks like this.
DeleteYou did as well as I expected and maybe more, lol! Good call on the JINsoon shades and I'm enjoying the second-hand blush rush. The MUFE sets looked fantastic to me too but I'm trying to cut back now so I'm glad someone bought them. Love that Sabon lets you wash your hands. L'Occitane has a sink too with all their products but no one is ever using it - kind of sits there more like decor.
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks, when I haul, I haul hard. :P
DeleteSo I've been wearing JINsoon's Farrago, and OMG ONE COATER. I am IN LOVE.
Haha, I didn't realize how many blushes I bought until I looked at my photos. :X I seriously need to dial it back. I will need to buy a new storage unit very soon at this rate... And yes, I was totally surprised at how much I ended up loving those MUFE sets! I remember looking at them initially and was like, "MEEEHHHH." But my curiosity got the best of me and I just HAD to swatch them. GOD.
Lush and Bath & Body Works both have sinks, too, but they're at the side and no one uses them, either. I like that Sabon puts it front and center -- it's really how they engage their customers. It's such a lovely, unique experience in there. :)
I want that Pure Matte, but I never want enough from NARS to order from their site! You'll have to review it so I can see how pretty it is *__*
ReplyDeleteThe BLKR 413 Pure Matte shade is TOTAL '90s lip. Like, that medium rosy brown shade that looks like MAC's Spice Lip Pencil (a top-selling shade in the '90s!). A shade that Kylie Jenner has now made extremely popular. :P But yes, I will review it soon!
DeleteIsn't it free shipping in the US for orders over $50? Get two lipsticks and you're done, LOL.
It used to be $75, I think! But I think it recently changed.
DeleteSo I just checked the website and it's free US shipping, no minimum purchase! :)
DeleteI was so tempted by the Too Faced bronzers (primarily because of the names, I think!) but I hardly even use the bronzers I have so it's not worth it! That semi-sweet palette originally didn't tempt me but now I'm looking at that Rum Raisin shade and I'm feeling all the feelings...
ReplyDeleteI've been using them more as blushes than bronzers. I kinda just swirl the two shades together! Creates a nice healthy glow for the cheeks. :)
DeleteI almost wrote off the Semi-Sweet palette, too, and then I swatched them and was like YASSSSSS. LOL. Will do a review soon. :)