Ah, November. It's the month of my biggest hauls for several reasons. One, the Sephora VIB sale. Two, my birthday. Three, Black Friday (and all the other pre-holiday sales). Four, I am a shopaholic. Let's just get into it, shall we?
Lush The Comforter Shower Cream, Beautiful Shower Gel, and Santa's Belly Shower Jelly
Lush Baked Alaska and Snowcake Soaps
Last month's haul actually began at Lush, a brand that I had successfully banned myself from for nearly a year. I just had too many products from there that I couldn't use up before they expired, so I put myself on a ban until I used up a good portion of my hoard. I still haven't gone through my stash completely, but I did make a pretty good dent (I only have bath bombs and bubble bars left, but as I don't take baths, I have decided I will give them away), so I decided to allow myself to go into the store. There's just something about Lush during the holidays that is irresistible, and I wanted to see what new goodies they had for the season. And thus, I picked up two new shower gels, one in The Comforter (which smells exactly like these blackcurrant candies I used to eat as a kid) and one in Beautiful (which smells like peaches — definitely my new favourite scent from them), plus the new Shower Jelly in Santa's Belly (which smells exactly like my favourite So White bath bomb, the most perfect fresh apple scent) and two bars of soap in Baked Alaska (it smells like my beloved citrusy Snow Globe soap which was discontinued) and Snowcake (which smells like vanilla and almonds, or marzipan, and is one of my seasonal favourites from Lush). And now I am putting myself on a Lush ban once again until I use these items up.
Marc Jacobs No. 15 The Shape Contour and Blush Brush
Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush in Tangerine Blush
Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lip Cream in Pink Chocolate, Sweet Maple, and Spice Spice Baby
Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette
Can I just say, I got some awesome birthday presents this year? My friend Suzie managed to get me the highly sought-after Marc Jacobs No. 15 The Shape brush that I'd been eyeing (I don't often care for brushes from any of the brands carried at Sephora, but I really wanted this one and it was sold out everywhere); my friend Viv gifted me my first ever Burberry Light Glow Blush in Tangerine Blush No. 06, a gorgeous soft tawny peach shade that is totally up my alley; my friends Chelsea and Adrian picked up three shades of my favourite Too Faced La Crème lipsticks in MLBB shades that had been on my wishlist, as well as Urban Decay's limited edition Gwen Stefani eyeshadow palette that they knew I had been lemming hard over (they both work at Sephora, so when the palette went up for sale online for the one-day VIB preview, they snatched one up for me); and my friend Austin got me a gift card for Holt Renfrew that I haven't redeemed yet but intend on using on some Charlotte Tilbury. (Or Tom Ford. I haven't decided yet.)
Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight and Starlight
Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Retsina, Cava, Musk, and Mauvember
Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer in 312 Sugar Sugar, 318 Pretty Thing, and 326 Pink Flamingo
Of course, the Sephora VIB sale happened as well. And we all know I go a little overboard during this time. Even more so than the February one, because the November sale offers 20% off instead of 15%, and because I get birthday money from my family members which further enables my Sephora addiction. First things first, I finally got myself the Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powders in both Candlelight and Starlight. No, I didn't need both, nor do I need anymore highlighters, but they are beautiful. However, I also refuse to pay full price for them (they are $53 each). So when the opportunity came up to get 20% off of them, I snatched them up, no questions asked. I then picked up several Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipsticks; I love the formula but have never bought any of the permanent shades. I'm really into nudes and MLBB shades right now, so after some major swatching, I decided on Retsina, Cava, and Musk, which, yes, are different enough from each other to merit buying all three. My friend Chelsea also surprised me with their limited edition Mauvember lipstick for my birthday; it's a gorgeous medium muted pinky mauve that Bite Beauty released in partnership with the Movember Foundation, and is a Canada-exclusive shade. And to round out the lip category, I also bought some new lip glosses. No one was more surprised by this than me. It started out with me wearing a matte lipstick and adding some gloss to give my lips more moisture because they felt like sandpaper. And then I looked at my lips in the mirror and was like, "Damn, my lips look fuckin' amazing!" So yeah, I started wearing gloss again. I decided to get three shades of the new Marc Jacobs Enamored glosses, 'cause the formula is fantastic: smooth, creamy, non-sticky, and semi-opaque with ultra-high shine and a subtle sweet peppermint scent.
Viseart Eyeshadow Palette in 07 Cool Mattes
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara, Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Classico Mascara, Ardency Inn Modster Easy Ride Supercharged Liquid Liner, Urban Decay Brow Beater in Taupe, and Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Brown
And that leads me to eye products. I decided to get another Viseart eyeshadow palette because I love the other three that I have (honestly, they've become my favourite eyeshadows of all time, which is saying a lot). I especially love the Neutral Mattes palette, but it's mostly warm shades, so I decided to get the new Cool Mattes palette to round them out. I've found that Viseart's matte shades are especially noteworthy — they're ultra-pigmented but blend like a dream, and there's no powdery kickback or fallout at all. They're just gorgeous, gorgeous eyeshadows; expensive for a pre-filled palette but worth every penny. I also picked up two mascaras I've never tried before but have heard amazing things about: Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 and Armani's Eyes to Kill (I have tried Eyes to Kill Excess, which I liked but found a little too clumpy for my liking — and I like a bit of clump in my mascaras — so I think this will fare better). I love my Urban Decay Perversion, but you know, I just wanna try something new. I've been interested in trying out new liquid eyeliners as well because I'm in a bit of a rut (there are a lot that I like, but none of them are my ride-or-dies — I used to love the Lancôme one, but I think I've become allergic to it because it leaves an angry red rash on my eyelids), so I also picked Ardency Inn's liquid liner, as well as two new eyebrow pencils: the new Brow Beater from Urban Decay, and another Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown (I have Taupe, which was a bit too ashy, and Soft Brown, which is a bit too dark, so this is in the middle).
Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream and Clarisonic Sensitive Skin Replacement Brush Heads
Boscia Sake Treatment Water and Black Charcoal Blotting Linens
Finally, I got some essentials: a new tube of Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream, which besides smelling awesome (like lemon cupcakes) is also super-hydrating and non-greasy so I like to use it at work (I love the L'Occitane hand cream because it's more repairing, but I only use it at home because it takes a lot longer to absorb); a new brush head replacement twin pack for my Clarisonic because I've had the same brush for over a year now (yeah, I'm gross like that); and a couple of packs of my favourite Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens, which I still think are the best oil-absorbing sheets on the market today (also, these ones smell really good). The only skincare item I got is the new Boscia Sake Treatment Water. I've gotten really into "essences" lately (which is that step after cleanser and toner, but before serums and moisturizers) and have been loving May Coop's Raw Sauce, so when I read the reviews for the Boscia one, I was immediately interested in it. It's totally not necessary ('cause, really, who needs a five-step skincare regimen?), but I have found it to make my skin extra soft and hydrated and smooth (could be a coincidence, but I've been getting a lot of compliments on my skin lately), so I think this might become essential for me, at least in the winter months.
Shu Uemura Shu:Palette Pressed Eyeshadow Palette
Maison Kitsuné for Shu Uemura Party Mixer Glitz Nail Enamel in Plum Glitz and Indigo Glitz, and Curious Eye-Opening Premium Curler Eyelash Curler
I thought I was done with all my cosmetics shopping after the Sephora VIB sale, but I was clearly mistaken. Because that's when I got an e-mail for Shu Uemura's VIP sale, which they have every year in November (right around the same time as Sephora's VIB sale, actually, so I don't think it's a coincidence), and offer 25% off everything from their website. I did not need one damn thing, of course, but I couldn't resist because I am a fucking makeup junkie. So I finally picked up the highly-lauded, overly-hyped Shu:Palette, which was created to "re-define 'nude' to perfectly blend in with Asian skin tones and eye shapes." I was like, "Well, I'm Asian. I have eyes. I need this." So that was that. And of course, I had to get something from the Maison Kitsuné collaboration 'cause it's so goddamn cute, so I picked up both of the nail enamels in Plum Glitz (a reddened plum with magenta and gold micro-shimmer) and Indigo Glitz (a dark navy with blue, teal, and copper micro-shimmer), and the gold eye lash curler because I had to replace my old one, anyway (I get a new one every year because Shu Uemura doesn't sell the rubber pads on their own), and this one is made with 24K plated gold. I think I'm allergic to their original one, actually, because I always get these little eczema patches where the curler touches my face, and this one doesn't do that, so I think the original has nickel in it. Either way, they're the same price. And this one is gold.
MAC Fluidline Pen in Retro Black, Indelibly Blue, Privet, and Vintage Brown
China Glaze Cheers Collection: Coal Hands, Warm Heart; Brand Spankin' New Year; Don't Get Elfed Up; I Soiree I Didn't Do It; Break the Ice; and Bring on the Bubbly
TokyoMilk Dark Excess No. 28 Shea Butter Handcreme
I thought November would be the month where I would make no purchases from MAC, but again, I was mistaken. On Black Friday, they did a one-day preview release of their new Fluidline Pen (it is now available online for purchase), so I bought all four shades (black, navy, teal green, and dark cool brown). And they are stunning. It is similar to the Stila one in the ease of use and the flow of ink, but I find I can manipulate the nib more and the ink is more matte. This one might actually become my ride-or-die. I will test it further and report back. Lastly, I bought some new nail polish. I don't buy a lot of China Glaze (I think the last shade I bought was like, four years ago?), but their Cheers collection for Holiday 2015 is gorgeous. I was looking at swatches online and got my six favourite shades. And because I accumulated a shit load of points on Nail Polish Canada, I redeemed them for a tube of TokyoMilk's Dark Excess No. 28 Shea Butter Handcreme. It reminds me of a really old house with creaky hardwood floors and wood-paneled walls that has just been cleaned (it has notes of amber resin, oak bark, blood orange, and patchouli)... but in a good, non-creepy, non-haunting way. I really like the darker, more gothic aesthetic of TokyoMilk, but I wouldn't personally spend $26 on their hand creams (they are made by Margot Elena, who also does Lollia and Love & Toast) which smell good and have fantastic packaging, but I don't find particularly soothing or repairing or hydrating as other brands like L'Occitane, Bliss, or Caudalie, which all have similar price points. So I wait until I have enough points to redeem for it, because you should always redeem your points on the shit you'd never pay for with your own money.
Zara Lace Jacket and Zipped Crepe Blazer
Zara Combined Lace Top and Draped Top
I did actually buy non-cosmetic items, too, you know. I recently switched positions at work so I thought it would be a good opportunity to update my wardrobe. Normally, I'd shop at Aritzia, especially since they were having their big Black Friday sale... but nothing really caught my eye, and their prices, even on sale, are still pretty steep. So I hopped over to the Zara website to see what they have. It's the weirdest thing, because I never shop at Zara (I think I bought a coat from them like, five years ago), and the things I bought weren't on sale, either. But I realized that they have a great variety of styles and trends and are really quite affordable. Not like, H&M or Forever 21 affordable, but like, half-the-price-of-Aritzia affordable. I hate going into Zara stores because they're always packed and their displays are always a mess and there's always a massive line-up for the dressing rooms, but I don't know why the hell I never shopped there online before, especially for black clothing, 'cause they have a great selection plus free exchanges or returns in store. Anyway, I bought two new jackets, a couple of silky tops, and a couple of their body shaping leggings (which actually make my butt look quite good). I also took the opportunity to look for some shoes from Aldo during their Black Friday sale, and ended up getting the Arielle booties for $69.99 from $130, the Umalen booties for $62.99 from $130, and the Amela boots for $62.99 from $120. I'm tempted to grab a couple more pairs of boots because it really is a ridiculously good sale...
Pitch Perfect 2, iZombie: The Complete First Season, Bitten: The Complete First and Second Seasons, and Orange is the New Black: Seasons 1 and 2
Last, but not least, I picked up some DVDs. Weird, right? I've been so into reading that I haven't properly watched TV in well over a year, whether it's through streaming, downloading, or Netflix (which I don't even have). But Amazon was having their Black Friday sale, and I was like, "Eh, there's no harm in just browsing." I saw that Pitch Perfect 2 was on sale for 70% off, so I added that to my cart... and then I noticed that iZombie (developed by Veronica Mars creator, Rob Thomas) was 50% off, so I added that... and then I saw that Seasons 1 and 2 of Orange is the New Black were on sale for 70% off, so I got those, too... and Seasons 1 and 2 of Bitten were also on sale for 60% off... And now I have enough television shows to last me the next year.
What did you get during the Sephora VIB sale? Did you get any good deals during Black Friday?
Last month's haul actually began at Lush, a brand that I had successfully banned myself from for nearly a year. I just had too many products from there that I couldn't use up before they expired, so I put myself on a ban until I used up a good portion of my hoard. I still haven't gone through my stash completely, but I did make a pretty good dent (I only have bath bombs and bubble bars left, but as I don't take baths, I have decided I will give them away), so I decided to allow myself to go into the store. There's just something about Lush during the holidays that is irresistible, and I wanted to see what new goodies they had for the season. And thus, I picked up two new shower gels, one in The Comforter (which smells exactly like these blackcurrant candies I used to eat as a kid) and one in Beautiful (which smells like peaches — definitely my new favourite scent from them), plus the new Shower Jelly in Santa's Belly (which smells exactly like my favourite So White bath bomb, the most perfect fresh apple scent) and two bars of soap in Baked Alaska (it smells like my beloved citrusy Snow Globe soap which was discontinued) and Snowcake (which smells like vanilla and almonds, or marzipan, and is one of my seasonal favourites from Lush). And now I am putting myself on a Lush ban once again until I use these items up.
Can I just say, I got some awesome birthday presents this year? My friend Suzie managed to get me the highly sought-after Marc Jacobs No. 15 The Shape brush that I'd been eyeing (I don't often care for brushes from any of the brands carried at Sephora, but I really wanted this one and it was sold out everywhere); my friend Viv gifted me my first ever Burberry Light Glow Blush in Tangerine Blush No. 06, a gorgeous soft tawny peach shade that is totally up my alley; my friends Chelsea and Adrian picked up three shades of my favourite Too Faced La Crème lipsticks in MLBB shades that had been on my wishlist, as well as Urban Decay's limited edition Gwen Stefani eyeshadow palette that they knew I had been lemming hard over (they both work at Sephora, so when the palette went up for sale online for the one-day VIB preview, they snatched one up for me); and my friend Austin got me a gift card for Holt Renfrew that I haven't redeemed yet but intend on using on some Charlotte Tilbury. (Or Tom Ford. I haven't decided yet.)
Of course, the Sephora VIB sale happened as well. And we all know I go a little overboard during this time. Even more so than the February one, because the November sale offers 20% off instead of 15%, and because I get birthday money from my family members which further enables my Sephora addiction. First things first, I finally got myself the Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powders in both Candlelight and Starlight. No, I didn't need both, nor do I need anymore highlighters, but they are beautiful. However, I also refuse to pay full price for them (they are $53 each). So when the opportunity came up to get 20% off of them, I snatched them up, no questions asked. I then picked up several Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipsticks; I love the formula but have never bought any of the permanent shades. I'm really into nudes and MLBB shades right now, so after some major swatching, I decided on Retsina, Cava, and Musk, which, yes, are different enough from each other to merit buying all three. My friend Chelsea also surprised me with their limited edition Mauvember lipstick for my birthday; it's a gorgeous medium muted pinky mauve that Bite Beauty released in partnership with the Movember Foundation, and is a Canada-exclusive shade. And to round out the lip category, I also bought some new lip glosses. No one was more surprised by this than me. It started out with me wearing a matte lipstick and adding some gloss to give my lips more moisture because they felt like sandpaper. And then I looked at my lips in the mirror and was like, "Damn, my lips look fuckin' amazing!" So yeah, I started wearing gloss again. I decided to get three shades of the new Marc Jacobs Enamored glosses, 'cause the formula is fantastic: smooth, creamy, non-sticky, and semi-opaque with ultra-high shine and a subtle sweet peppermint scent.
And that leads me to eye products. I decided to get another Viseart eyeshadow palette because I love the other three that I have (honestly, they've become my favourite eyeshadows of all time, which is saying a lot). I especially love the Neutral Mattes palette, but it's mostly warm shades, so I decided to get the new Cool Mattes palette to round them out. I've found that Viseart's matte shades are especially noteworthy — they're ultra-pigmented but blend like a dream, and there's no powdery kickback or fallout at all. They're just gorgeous, gorgeous eyeshadows; expensive for a pre-filled palette but worth every penny. I also picked up two mascaras I've never tried before but have heard amazing things about: Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 and Armani's Eyes to Kill (I have tried Eyes to Kill Excess, which I liked but found a little too clumpy for my liking — and I like a bit of clump in my mascaras — so I think this will fare better). I love my Urban Decay Perversion, but you know, I just wanna try something new. I've been interested in trying out new liquid eyeliners as well because I'm in a bit of a rut (there are a lot that I like, but none of them are my ride-or-dies — I used to love the Lancôme one, but I think I've become allergic to it because it leaves an angry red rash on my eyelids), so I also picked Ardency Inn's liquid liner, as well as two new eyebrow pencils: the new Brow Beater from Urban Decay, and another Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown (I have Taupe, which was a bit too ashy, and Soft Brown, which is a bit too dark, so this is in the middle).
Finally, I got some essentials: a new tube of Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream, which besides smelling awesome (like lemon cupcakes) is also super-hydrating and non-greasy so I like to use it at work (I love the L'Occitane hand cream because it's more repairing, but I only use it at home because it takes a lot longer to absorb); a new brush head replacement twin pack for my Clarisonic because I've had the same brush for over a year now (yeah, I'm gross like that); and a couple of packs of my favourite Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens, which I still think are the best oil-absorbing sheets on the market today (also, these ones smell really good). The only skincare item I got is the new Boscia Sake Treatment Water. I've gotten really into "essences" lately (which is that step after cleanser and toner, but before serums and moisturizers) and have been loving May Coop's Raw Sauce, so when I read the reviews for the Boscia one, I was immediately interested in it. It's totally not necessary ('cause, really, who needs a five-step skincare regimen?), but I have found it to make my skin extra soft and hydrated and smooth (could be a coincidence, but I've been getting a lot of compliments on my skin lately), so I think this might become essential for me, at least in the winter months.
I thought I was done with all my cosmetics shopping after the Sephora VIB sale, but I was clearly mistaken. Because that's when I got an e-mail for Shu Uemura's VIP sale, which they have every year in November (right around the same time as Sephora's VIB sale, actually, so I don't think it's a coincidence), and offer 25% off everything from their website. I did not need one damn thing, of course, but I couldn't resist because I am a fucking makeup junkie. So I finally picked up the highly-lauded, overly-hyped Shu:Palette, which was created to "re-define 'nude' to perfectly blend in with Asian skin tones and eye shapes." I was like, "Well, I'm Asian. I have eyes. I need this." So that was that. And of course, I had to get something from the Maison Kitsuné collaboration 'cause it's so goddamn cute, so I picked up both of the nail enamels in Plum Glitz (a reddened plum with magenta and gold micro-shimmer) and Indigo Glitz (a dark navy with blue, teal, and copper micro-shimmer), and the gold eye lash curler because I had to replace my old one, anyway (I get a new one every year because Shu Uemura doesn't sell the rubber pads on their own), and this one is made with 24K plated gold. I think I'm allergic to their original one, actually, because I always get these little eczema patches where the curler touches my face, and this one doesn't do that, so I think the original has nickel in it. Either way, they're the same price. And this one is gold.
I thought November would be the month where I would make no purchases from MAC, but again, I was mistaken. On Black Friday, they did a one-day preview release of their new Fluidline Pen (it is now available online for purchase), so I bought all four shades (black, navy, teal green, and dark cool brown). And they are stunning. It is similar to the Stila one in the ease of use and the flow of ink, but I find I can manipulate the nib more and the ink is more matte. This one might actually become my ride-or-die. I will test it further and report back. Lastly, I bought some new nail polish. I don't buy a lot of China Glaze (I think the last shade I bought was like, four years ago?), but their Cheers collection for Holiday 2015 is gorgeous. I was looking at swatches online and got my six favourite shades. And because I accumulated a shit load of points on Nail Polish Canada, I redeemed them for a tube of TokyoMilk's Dark Excess No. 28 Shea Butter Handcreme. It reminds me of a really old house with creaky hardwood floors and wood-paneled walls that has just been cleaned (it has notes of amber resin, oak bark, blood orange, and patchouli)... but in a good, non-creepy, non-haunting way. I really like the darker, more gothic aesthetic of TokyoMilk, but I wouldn't personally spend $26 on their hand creams (they are made by Margot Elena, who also does Lollia and Love & Toast) which smell good and have fantastic packaging, but I don't find particularly soothing or repairing or hydrating as other brands like L'Occitane, Bliss, or Caudalie, which all have similar price points. So I wait until I have enough points to redeem for it, because you should always redeem your points on the shit you'd never pay for with your own money.
I did actually buy non-cosmetic items, too, you know. I recently switched positions at work so I thought it would be a good opportunity to update my wardrobe. Normally, I'd shop at Aritzia, especially since they were having their big Black Friday sale... but nothing really caught my eye, and their prices, even on sale, are still pretty steep. So I hopped over to the Zara website to see what they have. It's the weirdest thing, because I never shop at Zara (I think I bought a coat from them like, five years ago), and the things I bought weren't on sale, either. But I realized that they have a great variety of styles and trends and are really quite affordable. Not like, H&M or Forever 21 affordable, but like, half-the-price-of-Aritzia affordable. I hate going into Zara stores because they're always packed and their displays are always a mess and there's always a massive line-up for the dressing rooms, but I don't know why the hell I never shopped there online before, especially for black clothing, 'cause they have a great selection plus free exchanges or returns in store. Anyway, I bought two new jackets, a couple of silky tops, and a couple of their body shaping leggings (which actually make my butt look quite good). I also took the opportunity to look for some shoes from Aldo during their Black Friday sale, and ended up getting the Arielle booties for $69.99 from $130, the Umalen booties for $62.99 from $130, and the Amela boots for $62.99 from $120. I'm tempted to grab a couple more pairs of boots because it really is a ridiculously good sale...
LOL that Shu palette. It was "OMG sold out" upon release and now it's miraculously back.
ReplyDeleteI totally associate drapey black tops with you now. Very Denise!
Haha, right? I actually wanted it when it first came out, but it's such an expensive palette so I didn't get it (and I discovered the Viseart palettes)... but when I saw that it was still around during the VIP sale, I was like, "FINE." LOL. It's actually really hefty in real life. I think it's the biggest palette I own!
DeleteYou know me and my drapey tops! They're just so comfortable. And layerable. And easy to move in. :)