Pick-Ups & Deliveries: July 2016

Oh, hello. It's that time of the month again. No, not that time. Haul time. I don't actually do a lot of shopping in malls because I'm working all the time, which means I do the majority of my shopping online. (And also because Ebates.) I bought some books and a super-cute new agenda from Indigo as well as some clothes from Zara, but the for the most part, my purchases in July came from three places.

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in St. Moritz, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger, and Becca Perfect Skin Mineral Powder Foundation in Buttercup
The first place was, of course, Sephora. I feel like I've been in a foundation rut; MAC's Studio Fix Powder will always be my ride-or-die, but I've been thinking of ways to incorporate new products into my routine. I thought I'd take baby steps toward getting back into liquid products with NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint. It's been testing it out for a couple weeks now, and I really quite like it. I use a pea-sized amount and buff it onto my skin with a MAC Oval 6 brush to create a sheer base (it doesn't cover freckles or blemishes or pigmentation, it just lightly evens out skin tone with a natural finish), and then blend a bit of the NARS Creamy Radiant Concealer (I actually prefer the consistency of Urban Decay's Naked Concealer because it's more lightweight, but NARS makes my perfect shade) on my cheeks where I get freckles and redness before dusting my MAC Studio Fix Powder on top. I actually like full coverage but hate the feel of full coverage foundation, so this is a nice combo for me. The addition of the Velvet Matte Skin Tint makes my skin look smoother and more even in colour, and it keeps my skin more matte for longer in this disgusting summer humidity, so I think it'll become a staple of mine. I also bought Becca's Perfect Skin Mineral Powder Foundation and I actually really like the texture and finish of it — I've been using it as a touch up powder because it doesn't get cakey and makes my skin feel and look really smooth. However, at $48, it's just way too pricey for something I use so often, so I'll finish it up but probably won't re-buy it.
Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Splits Shimmering Skin Perfector in Prosecco Pop/Amaretto
Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Sun Dipped
I bought the Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette a couple months ago and have been using it almost every single day since. More specifically, the Amaretto blush and Prosecco Pop highlighter. So much so, that I feared that I would hit pan on those before the end of the year and wouldn't be able to re-buy them because they're apart of a limited edition palette. So when Becca released the Champagne Splits — a blush and highlighter duo — last month, and I saw that they were releasing one in exactly those two colours, I had to snatch one up right away. And then after much debate, I also got the latest ABH Glow Kit in Sun Dipped. I didn't need it at all, especially given that I already have both Gleam and That Glow (both of which I deem more essential than Sun Dipped) but the collector and highlighter fiend in me justified that Sun Dipped would be especially lovely for summer.
Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Face Exfoliant and Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum
I am nearing the end of my Fresh Soy Face Exfoliant, so I decided to pick up a tube of Umbrian Clay Mattifying Face Exfoliant instead because it's a little more abrasive and I am significantly greasier right now in the height of summer. I don't actually think it has any long-term mattifying abilities, but it makes my skin feel ultra-clean and super-smooth without being tight, and I actually think it makes my skin clearer, too. Finally, I picked up a full-size bottle of my beloved Sugar Lychee. I'd been buying the smaller size of it because it's more travel-friendly, but I go through so much of it that it's just far more worth it to buy the big one. And yes, I know, I've gone through dozens of bottles of this perfume now, but I just don't love another scent as much as I love this one. I had originally bought Stella McCartney POP in an attempt to break the habit because I liked it when I tested it in-store a couple weeks prior, but when I tested it at home, the dry-down was just too musky and headache-inducing, and I knew I had to return it. So I went back to Sugar Lychee. It's been my ride-or-die for over a decade now. At this point, I don't even know why I bother to change that.
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Deep Dive Cleansing Gel
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Skin Twinkle Lighting Palette
Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette
Tarte Tartelette in Bloom Amazonian Clay Palette
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Drench Lip Splash Lipstick in Skinny Dip, Beach Bum, and Cabana Boy
The second place was Tarte. As a whole, the brand hadn't really intrigued me in a while and I hadn't bought any of their products in a couple years, but their new Rainforest of the Sea line piqued my interest so I took a peruse on their website. I've been a pro member for a few years now, which allows me to get 40% off most products, so I ended up purchasing quite a few things that I probably wouldn't have considered if I didn't get a discount (not because I don't think they're good, but because I didn't actually need anything and it would have seemed wasteful to pay full price). From the Rainforest of the Sea collection, I got their Skin Twinkle Lighting Palette, three of the Drench Lip Splash Lipsticks, and a bottle of the Deep Dive Cleansing Gel (which apparently removes even waterproof makeup, so we shall see if it replaces Philosophy's Purity Made Simple Gel as my holy grail makeup remover). I also finally picked up both the Tartelette and Tartelette in Bloom eyeshadow palettes because my pro discount was finally applicable on them (new products are usually not eligible for discounts, so I decided to wait). I remember everyone was raving about them when they first came out and they have pretty good ratings across the board, so I'm excited to play around with them.
MAC Tendertalk Lip Balm in Pretty Me Up, Side Dish, and Candy Wrapped
MAC Eyeshadow in I'm Into It, Oh My Mocha!, Fashion's Field Day, Suspiciously Sweet, and Up at Dawn; MAC Matte Lipstick in So Select; Fix+ Finishing Mist; and Mineralize Charged Water Skin Hydrating Mist
Finally, I got some things from MAC. They released their new Tendertalk Lip Balms last month, which are lip balms that change colour on your lips based on your body chemistry (very much like the Dior Lip Glows), so I bought three shades. I love this type of product on my days off, when I want something low maintenance but still pretty and moisturizing. MAC also released new eyeshadow extension shades, so I picked up five of my favourites (right now, that means warm oranges and reds), as well as the new MAC Select lipstick, a new bottle of Fix+ (which I use to diffuse makeup, add glow, and as a binding agent), and a new bottle of Mineralize Charged Water (which I use solely as a hydration mist — also, it's the exact same thing as Smashbox Primer Water, down to the last ingredient and the manufacturer, but significantly cheaper). I've decided to skip on the Good Luck Trolls collection (well, I might still be tempted to get the Glow Rida highlighting powder — we'll see if I still want it when pro discounts are applicable in a couple weeks) to save up for the upcoming Star Trek collection. I actually don't care that much about Star Trek, but the collection looks stunning.


What did you buy last month? What is your holy grail perfume? How do you keep your makeup looking fresh in hot weather? What upcoming collections are you looking forward to?