Holy shit, can you guys believe it's already December? I know everyone always says time goes by fast, but it's like we didn't even have a proper fall season. It feels like we went from sunny days and high humidity to snow and freezing temperatures in a matter of days. I've been incredibly busy at work and feel perpetually exhausted as a result but, of course, I found a wee bit of time to do some online shopping. November seems to always be the most expensive month for me, for a few reasons: the Sephora VIB sale, holiday collections, my birthday, and Black Friday sales. This month in particular also saw a promotion and a fat bonus cheque so, you know, that was cause to celebrate, too. And as with every November haul, this one begins with the Sephora VIB sale.
Tatcha Polished Deep Rice Enzyme Powder, Balanced Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer, Luminous Deep Hydration Firming Serum, and Luminous Overnight Memory Serum Concentrate
May Coop Raw Sauce
Fresh Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream and Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment
My Sephora haul started with a whole slew of new skincare by Tatcha. Their high price tags had deterred me from trying them out sooner, but I finally bit the bullet because my friend Chelsea works at Sephora and she got an extra 10% off the VIB Rouge 20% discount. So far, I've only used the Luminous Deep Hydrating Firming Serum, because I'm trying to be good about finishing all of my old skincare before opening new products. I don't necessarily need firming but I need the hydration, especially in the winter, and this makes my skin look and feel super-smooth. It has a heavier texture than some other hydration serums out there and it is a bit sticky after application, but once it absorbs, my skin feels like a baby's bum. And once I finish up the last bit of my Lancôme Bienfait Aqua Vital moisturizer, I will replace it with the Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer to use after the serum as my morning skincare routine. I also finally got myself a new bottle of my beloved May Coop Raw Sauce. It's an essence so it's meant to be the step before your serum, which seems a bit excessive, but I'm telling you, this stuff makes my skin feel so soft and so smooth and so well-hydrated, and any product I put on top of it seems to absorb better and work more effectively. I intend on using this as part of my night-time routine with the Tatcha Luminous Overnight Memory Serum Concentrate as my moisturizer. Finally, I bought a new jar of my favourite Fresh Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream, the only eye product that seems to get rid of dry patches that I sometimes get on my lids (it's from using liquid eyeliner everyday), and a new tube of Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment.
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick in Nude, Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer, NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, and Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens
Anastasia Beverly Hills Master Class by Mario Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Total Perversion Reloaded Duos
I didn't buy a ton of makeup items during the Sephora VIB sale, but I did want to try two new items: the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick (which I surprisingly like because it's lightweight, easy to blend, and covers my freckles, so I use it in lieu of concealer) and the Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer (it's not really meant for oilier skin which is what I usually look for in a primer, but I really like this one because my makeup goes on so smoothly without any silicone). My friend Chelsea also snatched up the coveted Anastasia Beverly Hills Master Class by Mario palette for me. I do wish there were a couple more matte shades, but I love the colour scheme (overall warm with some moodier, autumnal shades), and the quality of the Master Class palette is definitely on par with the Modern Renaissance palette — that is to say, every colour went on smooth like butter and with full colour pay-off. I gotta say, ABH is really hitting it out of the park this year. I also took the opportunity to get some staple products, including a new tube of NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (still my HG); several packs of my favourite Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens; and two Urban Decay Total Perversion Reloaded sets, which includes full-size versions of my beloved Perversion Mascara and my new favourite Perversion Eye Pen for $28, so basically the mascara is free (my friend Vivian even got me a third set for my birthday because I was raving about it so much).
Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum
Makeup Geek Highlighter Bundle in Medium: Psychedelic, Daybreak, and Rekindle
On that note, I got some lovely birthday gifts this year, including my favourite Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum from my friend Corrado and three of the highly anticipated Makeup Geek highlighters from my friend Chelsea. I already had a taste of the Makeup Geek highlighters when I got the Kathleen Lights Highlighter Palette, so I am beyond excited to use these. In fact, I was so excited that I ordered the Fair Bundle a week after getting the Medium Bundle. I have not touched them yet because I am waiting to get all of them before doing a full review, but from what I have seen in live swatch videos and in swatch photos, these are going to blow my mind.
Violet Voss x Laura Lee Eyeshadow Palette
Jeffree Star Cosmetics Beauty Killer Eyeshadow Palette
Jeffree Star Cosmetics Skin Frost Highlighting Powder in Peach Goddess and King Tut and Lip Ammunition in Celebrity Skin
I saw that BeautyBay had the Violet Voss x Laura Lee Eyeshadow Palette back in stock a few weeks ago, so I snatched it up 'cause they have free international shipping and no taxes or duties upon delivery. I'd been eyeing it for a while but could never get it 'cause it was always out of stock on all the Violet Voss retailers that ship to Canada, so I'm glad I finally tracked it down. (Now I just have to get my hands on the Holy Grail Palette to complete my collection.) I also did some damage with Jeffree Star Cosmetics. I am really quite indifferent to Jeffree Star himself, but Jeffree Star Cosmetics is a brand that I actually had absolutely no interest in until this year. I loathe the cheap-looking packaging, and neither the liquid lipstick formula nor shade range impress me in the least. But then he came out with these stunning highlighters in gorgeous shades and the most massive compacts ever, and I was in love. I no longer cared about how tacky the hot pink packaging looked. I needed them. I managed to get the two I really wanted, Peach Goddess and King Tut (they were out of stock for ages and I finally got a notification of a re-stock through Instagram), and then I also got the gigantic Beauty Killer Eyeshadow Palette (which basic bitches won't like, but I love the neutral-neon combo), and one single shade of his new Lip Ammunition lipstick (finally, not a liquid lipstick!) in Celebrity Skin. 'Cause, you know, I had to make that shipping cost worth it.
MAC Nutcracker Sweet Face Compact in Peach and Copper
MAC Nutcracker Sweet Smoky Eye Compact
MAC Nutcracker Sweet Magic Dust Powder in Sweet Vision and Yum Yum Yum
MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Soft Frost, Double-Gleam, Show Gold, and Beaming Blush
Of course, November always marks a big month for MAC, because that's when holiday collections are in full swing. I bought almost everything from this year's Nutcracker Sweet collection, including the coveted Face Compacts, the Eyeshadow Palettes (Smoky, Warm, and Cool), the Magic Dust Powders, the Magic Dust Eyeshadows, and the Lipsticks. But perhaps the most exciting launch for MAC this past month was In the Spotlight, in which they released four of their ultra-hyped Extra Dimension Skinfinishes. I've been wearing them almost everyday since they launched. Seriously.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus + Sonix Phone Cases in Sushi and Liana Peach
Finally, in non-beauty purchases, I got two tops and two scarves for 50% off from Aritzia during their Black Friday sale, three pairs of leggings and a military blazer from Zara, and... an iPhone 7 Plus 128GB. Yeah, I splurged and went for the big one. My contract was up with Fido and I decided to upgrade with a contract renewal. I technically didn't need to upgrade because my iPhone 6 is in perfectly good condition, but I wanted a bigger hard drive and the 7 Plus has amazing camera capabilities (12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras with 2X optical zoom and 10X digital zoom), so I decided to treat myself for my 30th birthday. (And I obviously had to get cute new cases for it, too. The sushi print one was just calling my name.)
Wish me luck in December. I just got a $25 off coupon from Sephora.
I didn't buy a ton of makeup items during the Sephora VIB sale, but I did want to try two new items: the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick (which I surprisingly like because it's lightweight, easy to blend, and covers my freckles, so I use it in lieu of concealer) and the Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer (it's not really meant for oilier skin which is what I usually look for in a primer, but I really like this one because my makeup goes on so smoothly without any silicone). My friend Chelsea also snatched up the coveted Anastasia Beverly Hills Master Class by Mario palette for me. I do wish there were a couple more matte shades, but I love the colour scheme (overall warm with some moodier, autumnal shades), and the quality of the Master Class palette is definitely on par with the Modern Renaissance palette — that is to say, every colour went on smooth like butter and with full colour pay-off. I gotta say, ABH is really hitting it out of the park this year. I also took the opportunity to get some staple products, including a new tube of NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (still my HG); several packs of my favourite Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens; and two Urban Decay Total Perversion Reloaded sets, which includes full-size versions of my beloved Perversion Mascara and my new favourite Perversion Eye Pen for $28, so basically the mascara is free (my friend Vivian even got me a third set for my birthday because I was raving about it so much).
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