Pick-Ups & Deliveries: Haul No. 67

Hello, August! I genuinely can't believe that the last month of summer is here. Time flies faster when you're an adult, but I honestly feel like I just came back from NYC (which was in May!) and now it's almost Civic Holiday weekend. It feels like I just did a haul post, and I've already accumulated enough to do another one? It's ridiculous. I did ease up on excessive spending in July, but managed to sneak in some naughty shopping. I mean, the damage I can do on my phone while sitting on the couch is pretty impressive. Online shopping is just too easy.

NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist and Sanskrit Saponins
The Ordinary High-Spreadability Fluid Primer (x 2)
I tried to keep skincare purchases to a minimum this month because I bought so many serums and moisturizers in June, but I was on the Deciem website to purchase a couple of bottles of my holy grail face primer that had just gotten re-stocked, and decided to continue browsing; partially because the primers are only $7.90 each and there's only free shipping in Canada on purchases over $25, but mostly because I've been intrigued to try more of Deciem's other products. I ended up getting two products from their NIOD brand: the Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist (or SDSM2), which is a "dermal treatment mist — not to be classified mistakenly as a 'toner' — that acts as a fundamental daily force against oxidative stress, water loss and the look of inflammation, all of which contribute to loss of visible skin quality over time," and Sanskrit Saponins, a "viscous and intense cleansing balm" that "visibly targets all forms of build-up, blemishes, congestion and impurities."

I haven't opened up the cleanser yet, but I have been using the SDSM2 for a few weeks now, and I gotta say, it might be the most impressive facial mist I have ever used. I didn't really know what to expect because most mists I've used are nothing to write home about. A lot of them have fancy packaging and come in various scents promising this and that, but they don't actually make a difference to my skin. In fact, they can make my skin feel even drier or more dehydrated than it was prior to using a mist. But SDSM2 leaves my skin feeling so hydrated for so long that I can forget to put moisturizer on. My cheeks can get itchy and red, but after I spray SDSM2, my skin immediately feels soothed and relieved. I guess what I'm trying to say is that SDSM2 gives both short- and long-term benefits, which is more than I can ask for in a face mist.
Lush Big Shampoo
On a whim, I decided to go into the Lush store while shopping with my friend Austin one afternoon, and ended up getting a tub of my tried-and-true Big Shampoo. I stopped buying Lush for a while because I just got sick of their products (when you have friends that work at Lush, you end up with a lot of products that you just can't get through before they expire), but one product that I maintain is worth getting is this shampoo. I use it twice a week (there's sea salt in it, so it can dry out hair if used everyday) and it's gloriously clarifying, getting rid of any grease and product residue without drying out my scalp. And my hair is shinier and fluffier without being frizzy. The majority of Lush's products are overwhelming in fragrance, but Big smells amazing — light, fresh, beachy, and citrusy (it kinda reminds me of Simply Limeade, which might be why I'm so drawn to it). I hadn't used it in a couple years, but now that I've started again, I don't know why I stopped using it to begin with.
Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Priming Spray, Naked Heat Palette, and Perversion Mascara (x 2)
One of my good friends now works for Urban Decay, and she picked up a few goodies for me last week. She got me a new bottle of their B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Priming Spray, which I actually like to use as a form of oil control on days that I'm not wearing makeup; the Naked Heat Palette, which I have been eyeing since the first swatches of it were leaked online several months ago (I absolutely do not need another red-toned eyeshadow palette, but it's so up my alley, I could not resist); and a couple more tubes of my holy grail mascara because I go through one of these every 1.5 months, so I like to have a nice little reserve of them. I've never understood how people can buy their staple products only after they've finished them. Like, if I'm in the middle of doing one eyebrow, and my eyebrow pencil finishes and I don't have another one in my stash? And all of a sudden, I have one perfectly sculpted brow and one that looks like a patchy tadpole? It's just too risky.
Sephora Rouge Gel Lip Liner in Creme de la Creme, Rose Wine, Rum Raisin, Wine-O, and It's Cherry
Anastasia Beverly Hills Aurora Glow Kit
It's not a real Denise haul if there isn't something from Sephora. Now, I usually don't care to try out new lip pencils (I stick to my tried-and-true MAC ones and never feel the need to venture out in this category) and I definitely don't ever give a shit about anything from Sephora Collection. But my friend Chelsea told me to try out Sephora's Rouge Gel Lip Liners, which quickly became her new favourites. So I went in store to swatch them, and I was sold. They're creamy, ultra-smooth, non-drying, long-lasting, come in a great range of colours, and are only $15 a pop (less if you have a Sephora hook-up like I do). I bought five shades (the basics: a nude, a rose, a plum, a wine, and a red) to start out with, but I'm probably gonna get a few others in brighter and darker shades. My only question is, why does no one talk about these?
At the end of June, Sephora sent out a coupon to their VIB Rouge members to get $15 off a $50 purchase. Whenever I get coupons like this, I always like to spend it on new and hyped products that I wanna try, but don't know if I'd pay full price for off the bat. Enter the Anastasia Beverly Hills Aurora Glow Kit. Now, I had originally written this off because I didn't think the shades would be particularly flattering. But it's surprisingly gorgeous on a multitude of skintones (I thought it would be like the Moonchild Glow Kit, which is pretty to look at but not very versatile for non-fair skintones) while being one of the most unique highlighting palettes on the market right now. I was very pleasantly surprised, and was really glad I ended up getting it. You can find my review of it here.
Ciaté London Glow-To Highlighter in Starburst and Moondust
Ciaté London Glow-To Illuminating Blush in Baby Doll and Date Night
Last week, Sephora had another coupon for VIB Rouge members to get $20 off a $100 purchase! Not sure why there's a sudden surge of these coupons right now — I think cosmetics companies are all hurting to make more money this year — but I'm not about to complain. I took this opportunity to get the new Ciaté London Glow-To Highlighters and Illuminating Blushes, which have been getting a ton of hype recently. I've always known Ciaté London as a nail polish brand, so when I originally heard they were expanding to makeup, I was deeply uninterested. (Butter London did this several years ago, and no one gave a shit.) But my friend Chelsea showed me her Ciaté products a few weeks ago, and after swatching them and applying them, I ate my words. I had to get both of the highlighters (obviously) and I got the two shades of blush that were still available. The other three shades are sold out, but I'm snatching them up when they get re-stocked, coupons be damned. 
Cirque Colors Nail Lacquer in Central Park After Dark, Lady Liberty, Paraiba, La Tropicale, and 8 Crazy Nights
Cirque Colors Nail Lacquer in Rhapsody in Blue, Vaporwave, Tanzanite, and Crystal Tokyo
ILNP Nail Polish in Surfboard, Super Juiced, Ruby Sky, After Party, Alexander, and Caesar
I went on a nail polish rampage. If you know me, you'll know that I go through phases with nail polish now. I used to buy dozens of nail polishes every month, but I've found that I get less and less intrigued as brands keep copying each other, and the amount of dupes I have just grows and grows. So I haven't bought nail polish since February. I decided to peruse Nail Polish Canada after receiving an email about some new collections they got in stock, and actually ended up getting a lot of shades from ILNP and Cirque Colors that are from much older collections (some of them are even discontinued). I always try to push myself to try a bigger range of shades, but what can I say? Cool brights, moody darks, and all things glittery are my go-to's all year round.
Quay Australia Hidden Hills Sunglasses
It's gotta be said that I am indifferent to Kylie Jenner. I've never really cared about her cosmetics line or her clothing company or any collaboration that she is involved in. But, I am on a sunglasses kick right now (I think I'm making up for all the lean years when I didn't care to wear sunglasses) and love Quay Australia for their oversized styles (my head is big, my nose is flat, and my eyelashes are long — Quay makes great sunglasses that fit these facial features really, really well!), so when I saw the Hidden Hills style from the Quay x Kylie capsule collection, I fell in love. I never thought I'd actually ever go for a shield-style frame, but they kind of remind me of The Terminator and I'm obsessed.