Sephora Haul- Skincare Edition

I understand that Skincare products are more difficult to review because results don’t come right away, it could take from 3-5 weeks until you start noticing big results. I purchased these items about 2 weeks ago and I’ve been using them but I don’t want to provide a detailed review yet. Just to give you some insight on my skin, I have combination/oily skin. I don’t have major breakouts but I do get the occasional “monthly breakout” but its nothing that I can’t tame so my face is pretty good. I wanted to try out some new skincare products because I feel like as I get older, the skincare products don’t work as well aas they use to. I’m starting to notice a few wrinkles  around my eyes and more dry patches. It could also be the weather changes and the lack of summer we had this year (had to throw that in there).  Let’s begin.

First up is the Kate Somerville Blemish Banisher Kit. I’m really enjoying this line, I always wanted to use Kate Somerville but its so expensive. I finally decided to purchase it because although it is expensive, its for my face and you only have one face so you have to maintain it. And I read some many amazing reviews and watch a ton of Youtubers praise the line that I had to try it for myself.

Purity Made Simple Mask was my next purchase- I am a big fan of the Purity Cleanser, I think the cleanser is amazing! It’s gentle, does not have a strong scent and removes dirt. I’ve only used the mask 4-5 times and I usually use it before I jump into the shower, I cleanse my face then apply this mask on my face and neck and wait 60 seconds then shower. I haven’t noticed any changes and it didn’t break me out but I don’t think I would repurchase it simply because there are a lot more mask out there for the same price that could work better for me.

I purchased a “travel set” of the Dr. Dennis Gross- Alpha Beta Peel, Extra Strength Formula. It comes with 5 treatments and it’s a 2-step process. You are suppose to apply Step 1 onto your clean face in circular motion and wait 2 minutes. Do not wash your face. Then apply Step 2- Deeper Treatment again, in circular motion and don’t wash it off. I like the way it makes my face feel, its so hydrating and I feel really refreshed the next morning.

My last skincare purchase recently is First Aid Beauty- Ultra Repair Cream. I haven’t used it yet but I’ve also heard a lot of good reviews on this particular products so I’ll keep you posted.

That’s all for my Sephora skincare haul. But before I go…IF you have not already, go to your nearest Sephora or check Sephora.com to see if they still have this amazing 500 point perk. It’s a YSL bundle and it comes with a lipstick, eye pencil, mascara and a SUPER cute mirror. If you have the points I would definitely suggest picking it up before its gone.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

With Love, Maggie

Where has the time gone?

Are we really in September and outside feels like 10 degrees? Are the leaves really changing colors as we speak and jackets, sweaters, scarves and gloves are coming out from storage?? I can’t believe we are almost nearing the end of 2014!! This year has gone by so fast! I remember waiting for summer, for longer sunny days, warm nights and hot humid beach days. This was probably one of the colder summers we’ve had and I think there was only a handful of humid days. I have been occupying myself with so many different projects and going back to school that I had to set aside blogging (even though I started to blog this year). BUT, I have to get back into it. I didn’t want to wait until new years and have it be my “new years resolution” because, let’s be real, new year resolutions barely make it pass March and I don’t want this blogging to end so my goal is to try and get this out now and continue it…..

I have a Haul for today’s blog. I’ve been addicted to Sephora lately for some reason, so addicted that earlier into the summer I received the VIB Rouge Card. I don’t go to the malls and shop on a daily basis but something about Sephora.com and those free deluxe size samples and additional samples at checkout gets me every time and now having the free shipping option…oh boy… but let’s just get started.

My first items are from Sephora’s Favorites- Draw the Line it comes with 6 different eyeliners from different popular brands, they all come in deluxe sizes with the exception of one. My FAVOURITE out of the 6 is Marc Jacobs- Highlighter Gel Eye Crayon in Blacquer 42.  It glides on so smooth and it lasts all day! I use it on my waterline and it does not smudge and I can wear it for 5+ hours and not have to re-apply. I actually have to use a q-tip with makeup remover to remove this as it doesn’t come off with just a cleanser. And it is SO pigmented! This has become one of my holy grail products, I use it every time I go out whether it be to run errands or a night out dancing or grabbing a drink with friends. I will definitely purchase the full size when I’m done with this deluxe size. 

My second favorite is the Kat Von D Tattoo Line in Trooper. I like the tip of this eyeliner, it has a very precise application and the line is so thin, its not as pigmented as Marc Jacobs’ Gel Eye Crayon but for a liquid liner, it does its work. The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil in Rockstar and Pervision. I still have one from the Naked Palette and I like it but its not as pigmented and it doesn’t last that long on me. My eyelids are oily so I have to always use a primer. I tried to go without a primer and used this liner and it smudge all around my eyes, I looked like a panda! I am still trying to finish the one that’s opened and then I won’t be repurchasing this because there are other brands that have much better pigmentation and staying power. Next is the Stila Stay All day Waterproof liquid eyeliner in Dark Brown. Before discovering the Marc Jacobs Highlighter Gel Eye Crayon, I would say the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid eye line in Jet Black was my holy grail eyeliner. Don’t get me wrong, I still reached for it from time to time but Marc Jacobs takes the top lead for now because of it’s long lasting power. However, the Stila liquid eyeliner is the blackest of black that I have ever used and it stays on all day. Nars Larger than Life, Long-Wear Eyeliner, it definitely meets its expectations and is long wearing, I remember going to Sephora a couple months back and trying testing this eyeliner on my hand. I walked around and noticed it stayed on until I got home. When I tried to wipe it off with a tissue, I couldn’t. I actually had to use makeup remover, EYE makeup remover to wipe it off my hands. I like this liner and this one was actually the reason why I bought the value set but when it comes to applying it onto my eyes, it didn’t go on smooth and it is not as pigmented as the others. I have not opened the Sephora Contour Eye Pencil 12 HR wear yet and I’ve read mixed reviews so I’ll open that one when I’m finished with the others but its not one that I would gravity towards. Overall this was an amazing deal! For $30CDN I was able to try out 6 different eyeliner without having to purchase them full price and although they are deluxe sizes it’s definitely a bang for your buck! I recommend this to anyone that is looking for a good eyeliner but don’t want to pay full price and test out different brands.

My next purchase was Nars Pressed powder in Mountain. This is my second one and I absolutely love it. I have oily skin and this powder absorbs the oil and leaves a matte finish without looking too “cakey”. For the summer, I’ve been using a concealer to cover my imperfections and this powder to set it along with blush and eyeliner and THAT’S it! I don’t use liquid foundation unless I’m going out at night or attending an event. For everyday errands its just concealer, powder, blush and eyeliner and this powder is my fav!

Speaking of Nars, I purchased another Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger. I like the consistency and how blendable this concealer is. I don’t use it under my eyes because I recently noticed that whenever I use it, I can see little bumps under my eyes. My under eye area is quite dry but I don’t have bad dark circles, I just need to apply eye cream before concealer but I didn’t notice it until last month. Its kind of a bummer but I use another concealer or sometimes I don’t use concealer at all. But it does hide my imperfections around my face.

I purchased another Bite Beauty Contour Lip Liner in Nutmeg. OMG! I love this color! It’s so creamy, so buttery and it’s like a “MLBB- My lips but better” shade. I wear this under the Buxom- Full on Lip Cream in White Russian and I’m set. I have establish a new love for Bite Beauty Lip products, they are so pigmented and the colors are so beautiful and they smell heavenly.

I was able to get my hands on the Tarte Sultry Sunset Collector’s Palette a few weeks back. I was on the Sephora website and I went to the sale section and saw this beautiful palette. At first when I clicked on “Add to Basket” it went through but when I got to my Cart it said it had been sold. I refreshed it and was able to successfully purchase it (I must have refreshed it over 5 times until it actually went through). I love the colors but my only concern is that it’s not as pigmented as I thought it

would be. I have to really pack on the color in order to get enough and it was a bit streaky when I tested it out on my arm. I will try it out and see how it goes.

Lastly, The Original Beauty Blender, I got the online offer that gives you 2 beauty blenders and liquid blendercleanser. I haven’t used the liquid blendercleanser because I am still going through the solid Blendercleanser. I’m sure everyone is familiar with the beauty blenders; you can use it dry or damp. If you use it damp, just run it through water and squeeze out the water. After squeezing out the water, I dry it with a towel. The beauty blender becomes twice the same when damp. I use it with my liquid foundation and it blends beautifully. I also use it when its dry to wipe off any mascara or eye liner around my eyes instead of wetting a q-tip and messing up my makeup.  

I didn’t realize how long this post was going to be. My fault for waiting so long to blog! I’ll put this in two parts- Makeup and skin care. Next post will be my Sephora Haul for Skincare and hopefully I’ll have that up soon. Thanks so much for stopping by.

With Love, Maggie

Mario Brothers Baby Shower

I'm back from my trip to California and I must say, it went by way too fast. It was a short 6 days trip to throw my cousin a Baby Shower. It was a Mario Brothers Themed Baby Shower and it turned out better than I expected.

We did a lot of DIY decorations and spent most of our days leading up to the shower planning how the set up would be.
Here are some pictures of the baby shower. The left picture was our dessert table. We had cupcakes, sugar cookies, lollipops, cake and blue, green and red chocolates and candies.
We painted glass jars into piranha plants and put some blue, green and red chocolates inside of them. The sugar cookies were made to look like stars, chompers and piranaha plants. We also made Gooma cupcakes and ordered what i think is the BEST cupcakes I've ever tasted from "Nothing Bundt Cake", if you have never tried those I definitely recommend it, the most moist mini goodness ever!

"Nothing Bundt Cake- Assorted Flavors of Bundtini"

We printed out mario themed water bottle wrappers and used packing tape to stick it onto the water bottles. Also I cut out mario and luigi mustaches and use a hot glue gun to glue them onto red and green striped paper straws.

 We also printed out a bunch of bricks and the yellow question mark boxes and put them all around the house and even glued some on the ceiling. My other cousins made the banner and made the pipes at the bottom.

The Banner and front entrance view

And lastly, I made a diaper bike (I can do a step by step tutorial in a future post)

All in all, everything turned out amazing! She loved the party and the games we played kept the guest happy! It was well worth the trip (even though it was very short). I'll try to do a DIY tutorial for my next post. Thanks for reading!

With Love, Maggie