March 2013 Buys & Beauty Products to Come!

I don't like to post hauls because they don't include a review of the products, and I tend to buy a few things here and there which aren't big enough for a haul. But here are just some things I wanted to share, and a sneak peek of products that will be up for review soon!

Here are just some things I picked up on a couple recent trips to the mall :)

Balea Masks from Shoppers! They are 3 for $5 which makes out to $1.67 per mask. I haven't tried these yet but hope to include them for my March Empties once I do. I didn't know the Warming Foot Balm is actually a lotion *bummer* but I guess I will use it after the Smoothing Foot Peel!

I believe this was from 2 Saturdays ago, B&BW was having a promotion, buy any home fragrance and get a candle for free! I got Pineapple Mango and Tiki Beach for $6 and the Market Peach for free! Market Peach smells like Peach Milk Bubble Tea to me haha, but I really love Tiki Beach.. it smells like vanilla and coconut water mm.

I have a hard time finding clothes and colours that will look good on me because of my weird slim shape, but I really liked this yellow blazer from H&M for $30 and got a colorful top for $10 to go with it. 

Ran into Topshop before close and found these cute studded flats for $25, showed my student card and got an extra $5 off! They aren't the best quality but neither is the way I walk :p for $20 I think they were a steal!

Here is a sneak peek of a bunch of things I have picked up or received over the past few months and am hoping to review in the next little while! 

L'Oreal Warehouse Sale Spring 2013!

L'Oreal Canada is currently having a Spring 2013 Warehouse Sale, that runs from March 13-30th: every day of the week except for Sundays! I was lucky enough to get a ticket from a fellow beauty enthusiast! The ticket is good for 2 visits for 2 people, with a maximum expenditure of $600 altogether. Of course I knew I wouldn't be spending that much and was hoping to keep it under $80 which I did!

I went yesterday, what I thought was the opening day, however looking at other reviews some got to go a bit earlier, on March 9 & 10. My friend and I actually took public transportation to the sale, which I guess had it pros and cons..... mostly ...cons... Although for one we didn't have to wait in the line to get into the parking lot yay! :D But we had to walk pretty far from the bus stop and it was freezing out! We actually started to run (struggling though) 5 minutes into the walk because we were so cold! 

There was no line to get in since we got there so late at 3pm (result of loafting). I was hoping to take photos there but once inside we were so overwhelmed with beauty products! Also I wasn't sure if we were even allowed to, but I doubt it.

Anyways, here is my haul :) My friend is hopefully going to send me a photo of hers so you can see what she got as well! I'll list prices and full product titles at the bottom.

All in all the sale was not as spectacular as I thought it would be, but I got some good deals! I saw photos of someone who went on the weekend and was able to get a product from the new Garnier line, 'Pure Control' but I didn't see it there. I'm guessing it was either sold out or not yet restocked. 

They had Matrix shampoo/conditioner, Redken, Garnier, L'Oreal, high end perfumes like YSL, Viktor & Rolf, Diesel Loverdoser. There was Vichy, Biotherm, and La Roche-Posay singles and sets at discounted prices but nothing that seemed like an amazing deal. 

Other than that I saw a ton of LOreal Ombrelle sunscreen, a few Garnier skincare products that weren't discounted at all, the dark circle eye roller was the same price on sale at Shoppers.. People seemed to be super excited about the Lancome products I didn't even really have a chance to look at them. I think the sign was $10ish for the glosses, possibly $15 for the eyeshadow quads? Don't quote me on that I just took a quick glance! There was Maybelline Fit Me foundation and powder, however, they only had about 4 colours or so in stock.. most were dark, they also had the Instant Age Rewind foundations in 3-4 colours (dark again) but no concealers *tear*.

I picked up 2 250ml L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray in Strong Hold & Extra Strong Hold. I have a love/hate relationship with this hairspray but it seems to work decently for me, it is light, it tangles my hair if I spray at the ends but otherwise, I think it's alright, and for $3 each why not!

A lot of the Color Show polishes were on display as testers but they seemed to only have less than half of that for sale. I just picked up the colour Onyx Rush which is a dark pretty opaque black with tiny sparkles. They had a rack of Essie polishes with a small selection of colours, the cuticle softener, and I think another base or top coat. I picked up the All in One Base coat, and the colour Navigate Her. They were $6 each or buy 5 get 1 free which would make them $5 each. They had a bigger selection of the L'Oreal 24hr Infallible Eye Shadow but I just picked up 1 in Iced Latte for $4.50. The Maybelline Color Tattoo selection was kind of upsetting. I love these, but they only had maybe 5 colours. I dug in that bin for like 5 minutes too! The lipstick selection was okay overall, seemed like there were a lot of darker colours. I also picked up La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo because I have heard it works well for acne.. it was $15 so it better not break me out! 

Price List:

Essie All in One Base Total Nail Treatment = $6

Essie Polish in Navigate Her = $6

Garnier Fructus Anti-Dandruff Intense Shampoo = $2 (bought for the bf, no photo, sorry!)

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Double Action Acne Treatment = $15

L'Oreal Color Riche 235 Nude = $2.50

L'Oreal Colour Riche 401 Peach Parfait = $2.50

L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray Strong Hold & Extra Strong Hold (250ml) = $3 (x2) = $6

L'Oreal Infallible 24hr Eye Shadow in Iced Latte = $4.50

Maybelline Color Sensational 815 Tenacious Taupe = $2

Maybelline Color Show Polish in Onyx Rush = $3

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Beige = $3.75

Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Ivory light 2-3 = $3.75

My total was $64.47 with tax ($57.04 without) for 13 items! Okay so I think I overspent considering I didn't need or even go into the sale wanting these, but I will use everything I bought except for maybe one (maybelline tenacious taupe lipstick, washes me out), and I am happy I only splurged on one item (the la roche-posay)! If you went to this sale, I'd love to see a link or photo of your haul :)

L'Oreal Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner Review

Swatches using different strokes/sides of the brush to show how easily it can be controlled:

Wear: I have very thin lashes right now, result of curling too much :( 
Bottom 2 photos were taken 13 hours later (in artificial lighting). You can see the liner has faded mostly in the inner corners. But I think it stayed put for how long I wore it, considering my oily lids and eyes that like to randomly water up all day.

This liner is dark, definitely a deep black to me. It's my darkest liner so far and it doesn't tug or hurt my hooded eyelids. It was almost instantly opaque for me. I really love the brush and how you can control a thin or thick line very easily. I'm not sure how the 24hr thing works out, but it seemed to last pretty long without retouching. I have slightly sensitive eyes and the liner doesn't bother them at all.

The liner itself was really creamy, and no pressure is really needed to transfer the product onto the brush or onto the lid/upper lash line.

Ease of Use & Control: It definitely is mistake proof like the package claims (at least for me), and I think this is great for both beginners and those that are already accustomed to gel liners. The brush is amazing to me because I've never used one in this shape. I feel very in control using the brush and it is super soft on my eye area.

I'm not sure how this works on the lower lash line because I stay away from dark, harsh eyeliner there due to my eye shape. Packaging could be improved to be more 'fancy' but I think it looks important (hehe) and it doesn't bother me.

Edit: I forgot to mention, that it is quite difficult to remove. But I used an oil-based remover (Yves Rocher Express Eye Makeup Remover with Cornflower Water) and I only really have trouble with the liner closest/between my lashes. Sometimes I actually just give up and hope it'll disappear in the morning. It's bad but when I rub my lashes too much they all fall out :p The brush is also harder to use and less precise since washing a few times. I now prefer a thinner brush. 

Overall, I would definitely purchase this again and am glad I have something to replace my super old Elf gel liner with!

What did you think of this Loreal Gel Liner? Do you have any gel liner recommendations? 

LA Colors Nail Polish Remover Pads Review

L.A. Colors Nail Polish Remover Pads are small pads used to remove your nail polish conveniently and acetone free! The pads are about the size of a cotton round (about a 2" diameter) and come in this travel-friendly compact case! Each case comes with 32 pads in a variety of 6 different fruity scents to choose from: Lemon, Strawberry, Grape, Peach, Melon, & Pear

I was given these by a family member because she thought they looked cute. I have been using them to take off my polish for the past month or so, and I think they are a great alternative to an acetone polish remover. The 3 scents that I have are Strawberry, Grape, and Melon. I personally have only opened Strawberry because I don't want the other 2 to dry out before I can use them! But I will update this post about how I feel about the scents when I do try them!

Ingredients: Propylene Carbonate, Butyl Acetate, Alcohol (Ethanol), Water (Aqua), Parfum (Fragrance)

As you can see these wipes are extremely thin and oily with perforated holes. They are so thin you can see I'm guessing these holes are to prevent the wipe from being so smooth, and help to grab onto the polish.

I personally like to use these, because I want to refrain from using acetone as much as I can. I know others have said these are easy to use, but I find them time consuming, and I have to rub my nail for maybe half a minute to a minute to get all of the polish off, depending on how much pressure I apply. The smell is like strawberry candy, and it is very light.

Because the pad is very oily, it tends to smudge around the polish. It can get under your nails if your not careful (I get it under my nails every time, but it washes off under running water) or leave some nail polish residue on your nail. You can just use another pad or acetone if you'd like to remove the remaining residue, if there is any. For light coloured polish 1 pad is sufficient, but for darker colours you may need 2 or 3. I have to rub a bit at first to see the colour start to come off, it does not just instantly wipe off. To me these are very different from a typical acetone nail polish remover.

These are a complete pain to take off glitter polish.. the fabric get stuck on the glitter because it is so thin, it just falls apart. I would definitely not recommend them for glitter polish because it will frustrate you and make you think it'll never come off, although I have done it.

Thought I would show a photo of the residue it sometimes leaves..

Pros:
- Pre-moistened
- Removes polish without acetone
- Super cheap/affordable
- Gentle
- Easy to use
- Minimal ingredients
- Isn't drying
- Compact; travel and purse friendly
- Lovely and lightly scented
- Only 1 or 2 pads typically needed for 10 nails

Cons:
- Time consuming
- Pads are super thin
- Can get messy with darker colours, and under nai
- More rubbing necessary than acetone removers
- Can leave polish residue
- Very oily
- Can't easily remove glitter polish, but it is possible with patience

Where to Buy: These are about $1 in the States (apparently can be found in some dollar stores! so it wouldn't hurt to check here), but here in Canada I believe they can go anywhere from $1-$4. For anyone located in Toronto that is interested in these, my aunt claims she found them at the Holt Renfrew Centre in one of the smaller shops there for under $5 each (she couldn't remember the exact pricing). I'm sure they can be found at other shops (specifically downtown) but I have yet to see them in larger department stores.

They can also be found on eBay, but are extremely marked up at about $7 and up.
Edit: Spotted them at Buck or Two at Centerpoint Mall! I'm guessing many dollar stores that have L.A. Colors will have these. It doesn't hurt to try to them for the $1, if you have patience & don't mind oily fingers!

Empties #2: February 2013

Most of these empties are actually travel sized or samples, but I am trying to use those up right now! Honestly  I don't know how others can finish huge bottles of empties in a month! I like to hoard the 1/4 of product I have left for some reason and start using something else.

Aveda invati Solutions for Thinning Hair Shampoo & Conditioner: So I can't say I like these. I love the idea of preventing thinning hair but their samples are just to small to realize whether it is working or not. Personally, my hair is thin and weak, breaks easily, and I didn't notice any difference with this. The smell is strong and very herbal/hemp-like, doesn't bother me but may bother others. Formula is very liquidly and runny, hard to lather and I needed to use the full 10ml samples for both shampooing and conditioning my long hair.
Purchase Again? No

Evolvh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner: I don't see all the hype about these. To me, they smelt like bleach, especially the conditioner.. I hated it. Shampoo did not lather well, I don't know if this is it due to being sulfate-free? I like that the product claims to be sulfate/paraben/sodium chloride free but I just wasn't fond of the texture and the way it felt on my hair in the shower. It did feel soft and detangled afterwards though.
Purchase Again? No

Pssssst! InstantDry Shampoo: I originally got this in Buffalo at UO for $1! It was marked down from $5. It lasted me quite a while, I don't use much product because otherwise it will make my hair greasier.  This one is an on-the-go size, air travel friendly, and claims to build volume and preserve colour. It doesn't spray too overpoweringly strong. It does add a little bit of volume and I find it to be better than Tresemme and Batiste Volume xxl on my thin, oily hair.
Purchase Again? Yes!

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser: Was recommended at Sephora when I wanted something natural for sensitive skin. I mentioned break outs and was told this would help too. It didn't do anything, I broke out a lot while using this. It isn't very natural at all either, and too expensive for how much product is given. It takes off my makeup but not as easily as I would have expected.
Purchase Again? No

Crystal All Natural Body Deodorant: This is super old, I honestly felt like it did nothing to help stop me perspiring, but then I realized it isn't suppose to do that, just eliminate odor. There are only 2 ingredients; aqua (water), & potassium alum. It seems to have some good claims on the bottle but I didn't think it was anything special. I bought it for my back and I didn't find it helped in any noticeable way. I didn't finish the bottle completely, but the spray nozzle stopped working, so I decided to put it to rest anyway!
Purchase Again? Maybe, to properly review and test it out again.

Diesel Loverdose Eau De Parfum: I love this scent! Smells just like a strong vanilla-licorice to me. It settles down to smell like candy. I adore it but couldn't find myself wearing this everyday. It's a fun scent and I am thinking of picking it up one day but not for the retail price.
Purchase Again? Yes, but only at a discounted price!

Fresh Picked Strawberries Hand Sanitizer (Bath & Body Works): I love all BNBW hand gels/sanitizers! They always come out with new ones so I doubt they'd have this one. But I buy these all the time and they do last me a decent amount of time if I use them sparingly!
Purchase Again? Yes!

Everyday Minerals Finishing Dust: I got this a while ago, it has 1g of product, they don't give out samples like this, they come in packets now. This honestly lasted me a while, it worked well as a finishing powder. I don't think it really stopped or hid how much oil my face produced.
Purchase Again? Yes!

Dead Sea Mud Spa Mask by Montagne Jeunesse: This mask was super cold and cooling on the face. I left it for 5 minutes too long so it dried up before I could massage it in. When I washed it off my skin was literally cold to the touch, even after 10 minutes of washing it off! It didn't burn my skin or cause redness. But it did feel very moisturized afterwards. I'd have to try it again to see if it helped or caused breakouts.
Purchase Again? Yes!

KT Tape: Honestly I don't understand this product. It is suppose to help soothe the muscle with targeted pain relief. All it is is a stretchy tape you use to tighten the skin which tightens the muscle. Followed the instructions properly and it actually hurt my wrist and was making the muscle crack. Tried it on my bicep and it wouldn't stick on, I think this is just a waste of money and it comes off quite easily.
Purchase Again? No

Burt's Bees Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion: Supposedly 99% natural.. this smells terrible though. I couldn't stand it. Smelt like expired milk + flowers. I don't know if the sample was old or Burt's Bees just wasn't thinking. My bf has to finish this for me, he didn't seem to mind it.
Purchase Again? No never!

Cuccio Naturale Butter Blend in Pomegranate & Fig: I loved this cream. It goes on very light and absorbs into the skin so quickly. The only issue I found is that it doesn't seem so natural, the entire back of the tiny sample is full of ingredients. I would purchase again if they came in small sizes like this, but I have too many creams right now I need to use up before thinking about purchasing any more.
Purchase Again? Not right now! But I would recommend.

Pure'n Gentle All Purpose Wipes Travel Pack: These wipes are alcohol free, hypoallergenic. The ingredients seem safe enough to use for the face but I haven't risked it for that. I just used this for freshening up. I like that it's a travel pack, but the downside is it dries up pretty quickly.
Purchase Again? Yes

If you have done an empties post for February, I wouldn't mind you linking it in the comments! I love discovering new products!

L'Oreal Colour Caresse: Shine Stain Vs. Lipstick (Review + Lip Swatches)

I wanted to do a quick comparison on the new L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick and Wet Shine Stain. I currently only have one of each as I am really picky with what I buy. I typically have to look up shades, reviews, and swatches before purchasing. I have quite pigmented lips, so knowing how dark lipsticks show up on me I tend to buy them sparingly to avoid ending up with a bunch of colours I can't use. I know these are popularly compared to the YSL's, but I've never tried those (and probably never will, I can't justify spending $40 on one lipstick or gloss) so I can't compare these to them!

I was only planning on picking up the Lipstick in 181 Sheer Linen, because I don't like glosses. Right now the only other glosses I own are those previously given out in beauty boxes. But I ended up getting the Wet Shine Stain in 187 Infinite Fuchsia during a spur of the moment thing. Gee what a waste of $10!

Infinite Fuchsia looks to be a hot pink with a hint of red in the tube, like a true deep fuchsia. Sheer Linen looks like a medium brown, but it actually comes off much lighter than what you see.

L'Oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain:

Available in 12 Shades - $9.96 for 0.21 oz or 6.3 ml

What It's Suppose to Do: L'Oreal claims this to be a hydrating gloss with staining properties. It is suppose to contain 30% water so the lips will be left soft and hydrated for up to 6 hours. Product is suppose to feel 'barely there' with a non-sticky feel. 

My Opinion: My first dislike was the smell. Some have said it smells like flowers, it smells like strong chemicals to me.. medicine or something. I can smell the floral scent, but it definitely does not smell like real flowers! I can't comment on how long this stains on me, or whether it dries out my lips or not, because I couldn't wear it for longer than 15 minutes. It did leave a stain in that span of time but it left it in all the wrong places. I can say that this gloss/shine stain needs to be applied evenly very quickly because otherwise it will end up very blotchy, and stain darker in certain areas. I am quite pale with dark hair, and thought this looked too overpowering on my skin, it was way too dark. Maybe on tanned skin, with smaller lips, it would look a lot less "whoa". That's actually the reaction I got while trying this on at home, which discouraged me to want to wear it out!

Swatches: Okay, so, the first two photos look okay, but I can assure you it's quite darker in person. When I applied multiple layers (I actually just accidentally kept slathering it on, you will see...) it seemed to cling to certain areas, ended up being really blotchy. 

Taken on a different day... (this was actually attempt number 1 below, I know.. BAD application on my part!)

So in order to get an even, opaque, colour, you need to apply multiple layers, or you will have a very light stain (which can be better!) But on my lips, Infinite Fuchsia is definitely a no. The colour isn't right for me. Would definitely not buy this again, but besides the colour, I don't like the formula or the scent either. the fast drying doesn't leave a lot of time for those who aren't so quick with application. I don't feel like the sheer colours from this line are even worth it because they wouldn't leave a noticeable stain without layers and layers of application.

Pros:

- Colour can be built with layering
- Does leave a stain
- Thin, wet, formula

Cons:
- Colour not right for my skin tone or lip size

- Scent smelt chemically

- Need to apply quickly

- Requires multiple layers for opacity

- Applies blotchy and accentuates darker spots

L'Oreal Colour Caresse Lipstick:

Available in 12 Shades - $9.96 for 0.1 oz or 2.96 ml

What It's Suppose to Do: "Formulated with 50% less wax than traditional lipstick, the revolutionary Lightfeel System delivers a feather-light finish that’s never sticky or heavy."

My Opinion: More on the sheer side, but can be built up for opacity. I LOVE this lipstick and am planning to buy a lot more from this line. I can wear it for the entire day without feeling like it's drying out my lips too much. I don't have to worry about the colour fading because it is similar enough to my true lip colour. I can't explain how much I love this. It feels buttery and smooth, doesn't accentuate any dark or deep lines in my lips, and it hides the redness or dark spots from my lip picking habit.. (hehe). I found that Maybelline Color Whisper went on smooth (not as smooth as this) but ended up drying out my lips in a few hours that I couldn't even re-apply, I had to use a balm instead. With these, I can wear the colour on my lips all day. Okay actually, they can be a bit drying on my lips, but I realize that everything from lip butters to lip treatments to lipsticks dry out my lips and causes me picking them in the end. I think I need to apply a balm in between application. This is definitely a wearable nude that doesn't lighten up my lips too much. The scent is pleasant, smells like candy, and it doesn't taste bad.

Swatches:

Pros:
- Sheer but can be built up

- Feels buttery soft, light on lips

- Very wearable nude

- Covers redness or dark spots

- Has a much better, candy scent to it

Cons:

- Rubs/fades away quickly, needs often reapplying
- Slightly drying after an hour or so, although my lips seem to dry out from almost everything

So this kind of ended up turning into a 'Reasons Why I Don't Like the L'Oreal Wet Shine Stain' post but I had to express the things I dislike about it, and to warn others who have darker or more pigmented lips to avoid these darker colours. The Colour Caresse lipsticks definitely win by a landslide in my books. I don't believe buying a lighter colour in the Wet Shine Stains would have made a difference either, I don't like the formula in general. 

Which do you prefer, if you have tried both? L'Oreal's Colour Caresse Lipsticks or Wet Shine Stains?