New at Sephora (another Wishlist!)

I would love to try this at home gel nail kit!  I change my nail colour every few days so there is no way I could go for two weeks with the same colour. 

This eye palette looks interesting and pretty... not like I need another eyeshadow lol. 

And I've wanted one of these palettes for a really long time:

Vegetarian Face and Foot Packs

I think I've seen these on blogs before, but I never saw them in person.  I actually got these at a pharmacy, they had tons of them...

I should have read more clearly because I thought the foot one was lotion.  It isn't- it is a cream that turns into a thick powder, like a foot deodorant.  It doesn't come off though, my feet stayed cool until I showered.  It's super refreshing and it's also very strong, but it's blueberry mint, a really pleasant scent.  The problem was I could have used it three times but there's no way to "save" it. 

I love the face masks and I swear they're like addictive- I don't usually use but these smell soooooo good and they are so creamy!  The white chocolate one turned a little hard while it was on and it made my face kind of itchy right afterwards, but the vanilla fudge one didn't.  The fudge one was super warm and gooey too.  They have so many to choose from it would be hard to find one you don't like, in my opinion.  My face was really smooth and clean after these.  They aren't harsh like an exfoliant, but my pores still felt like something was working. 

I thought it was cool that they used so many natural ingredients. I took a close up of the white chocolate package:

I really loved these, and they are super inexpensive and a nice way to feel clean!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear 09, 91

I got these two beauties... 91 is So Poppy and 09 is Disco Ball.  I had been looking for a simple clear glitter polish for a few weeks now.  I love it so much that I've worn it all week and I've even worn it alone! 

An Expensive Enough Foundation?

If I had to pick one product I really don't like, it's foundation.  I swear I've tried them all, and I have a couple of favourites but if my face is in good condition, I'd rather go with powder alone.  I just don't like it all over my face.  I definitely don't need another foundation, I have about at least 6 almost completely full bottles.  I was browsing the other day and the saleslady was really pitching this La Prairie to me.  They are a Swiss company specializing in skin care.  I've never bought anything from them and I don't know if I ever will, but this is what they are promoting now, "Skin Caviar". 

This is one of the products from the collection, "Skin Caviar Concealer Foundation".

... and this is what they have to say about it:

"Lavish your skin with a unique combination of colour and care in one brilliantly conceived skincare product with the superb nourishing, moisturizing, energizing attributes of Caviar Extract.

Two products in one: One part luxury foundation that tints, firms and protects your skin while counteracting signs of aging, one part professional-level concealer, the two work in beautiful synergy to provide long-lasting yet weightless coverage.

You will notice an immediate improvement in the condition and appearance of your skin."

Now for the clencher....

it is

(ONLY)

$200. 

$200!!

Man that is a bit of a stretch, even for me.  I got a small sample of Cle de Peau when I bought a lipstick but I never bought the full size, which is over $100.  I have bought an Armani foundation for around $70, and I think that's the most I've ever spent.  The ones I like are in the $40-$50 range.   

To say that it has a concealer with it, is that really a selling point?  I am perfectly fine with a budget concealer as long as it performs well.  I like Nars and it's like $20.  I also like Inglot and it was like $5.  I've seen these products, with real caviar, gold dust, diamonds, whatever, and I've not been even slightly interested in them. I've learned a long time ago that when it comes to cosmetics, price and quality don't always correlate, which can be good or bad.

There is a more reasonable "Anti-Aging" La Prarie foundation, a bargain at $105. 

Honestly this one looks pretty good, especially if you are looking for something with anti-aging properties- La Prarie is known for their anti-aging cellular therapies.  I think short of a cosmetic procedure, the most effective option would be a foundation like this.  I can totally see myself buying this in 10 years maybe.  When you consider the risks and costs involved of having "work done" this seems like such a good option in my opinion.  I personally would definitely rather resort to buying expensive makeup as long as the results were good, but that's my opinion now, who knows what it will be 10 years from now. 

I wonder if any celebrities use this. 

Has anyone tried this or something similar? 

L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Eyeshadow

I just started hearing about these not too long ago, and it was driving me crazy that I never saw them!  L'Oreal is kinda weird over here, cause in the U.S. it is with all the drugstore brands and not very expensive for the most part, but here it's not in shops that sell Maybelline, for example. 

I finally found it though, and I paid almost $17 for it, which is at least double of what it goes for in the U.S.  Ughhh.........

I did not know it at the time, but this one is a matte shade.  They only had one other one though, it was grey/silver, but even though these come sealed, the product was all broken up inside, so I didn't want that one. 

This is called "Blue Curacao".

It is more of a pressed pigment, although I found the texture very pressed, so it's almost just like a regular eyeshadow. 

And the swatches:

These have been compared to Armani Eyes to Kill, but honestly, I would not compare the two except for the fact that they come in similar pots.  To be fair though, this may be my opinion because this is a matte shade, and the Armanis are not mattes.  I thought the L'Oreal was more dense in terms of product, but the Armani has been more pigmented for me when applied. 

I struggled to get the colour seen in the pot on my eyelid- rather than sweeping I kind of had to do a sweep-pat, sweep, pat.  However, the shadow itself is very smooth and buttery with no fallout (Armanis do have fallout in case you were wondering!).  It also never creased on me, and fading was only evident after 10-12 hours.  I slept in it once just to see if the 24 hour claim was true, so if you need 24 hour coverage, it will probably work for that.  I know every time I go on a really long plane trip I like to wear long lasting makeup so I don't get off the plane looking like crap. 

Overall, this is a good eyeshadow, and even though I don't love it, I would like to try one of the shimmery shades.  I just don't know if it's worth the time and effort to get one. 

*UPDATE*  I went back to see if they got another grey one and they did, I bought one but guess what???  It's a matte shade too.  I felt like an absolute idiot, except I've used it a couple times and I really love it.  But now I am a little obsessed with finding a shimmery one!!

Here are a couple of Inglot shades I swatched next to this one.  I would recommend Inglot even if it doesn't last 24 hours cause realistically I don't need that kind of wear- Inglot gave me better colour payout right away, it's easier store as well, since the single shadows are not the most sufficient use of space for me. 

How to Fix This??

Help!!!  When I see my own profile picture it turns out fine, but this is how it shows up on other people's blogs...

What the heck???  It's not nice to see this!!!  What can I do?? 

Cool Nail Polish Set!

Wow I really wish I could get this!!!  Both of these look like shades I would definitely wear.  It looks like a good deal too!

Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick Swatches Part 2

These are Delish, Heavenly, Rush, Darling, and Divine:

I never noticed it before but Heavenly and Darling are really similar:

Same Inglot, Different Day...

This may sound kind of petty, but I really wanted to give Inglot a piece of my mind.  I just didn't know how to do it without calling the employee out, so I went in person- I had to do it today before I left.  The last time I emailed Inglot I didn't get a response at all.  I really didn't want to have that one bad experience ruin the brand for me.

I am really glad I went in, and it was a totally, completely different experience, thankfully! 

The employee was immediately smiling, friendly, helpful, and really made my day.  It really made a huge difference and I think too many times it's easy to say negative, but I thought it would be great to email them with my positive experience which was unsolicited since I didn't even mention my previous visit .  The employee was very attentive and patient and made sure I had what I wanted.  I appreciate that!!

I did purchase a few things (one of them I was just told yesterday was out of stock) so I will make sure to update/review as soon as I can....

Art Deco Eyeshadow Base Review

Eye primers have to be one of the most debated products on the planet.  Some people love a certain one, others hate it.  My eyelids are what I would call "normal"- neither oily nor dry. 

I always wear eyeshadow primer unless it is to test a product.  I had always used Urban Decay in the past, and I still have plenty of tubes left, but I am almost out of the original one.  I bought Too Faced and it was all right, but I prefer the texture of Urban Decay.  Of course they don't have that here- if they do I have yet to find it at least.  I didn't set out to buy this in particular but picked it up with a few other things and here is my experience with it.  

The first thing you will notice is the smell.  Yeah, it pretty much reeks since it's not a subtle smell but it's easy to get over it.  I did not notice the smell transferring to my eye. 

One thing people were complaining about is the "unsanitary" pot.  So if you know it's in a pot and that's how you feel about pots, my suggestion is to skip this product.  Or you could be a little bit more reasonable and use a brush, that's what I do.  I am not trying to be rude but nobody's forcing anyone to stick their fingers in anything.  I honestly don't see how anything but a baby's finger could even fit in this small pot.  I use a brush for all my cream shadows so it makes no difference to me. 

Another thing is it does look a little shimmery, but it didn't make a slightest difference when I used non-matte shadows, and I had to look really closely even when using a dark matte on my eyelid.  I do often use primer on my actual brow area because I have to fill in over half of my brows, and where my brows are very sparse (read: non-existent) I did not feel comfortable using this because it did look a little too shiny.  But that is just my personal experience, it is an eyeshadow base, not a brow base. 

For the purpose of this review I used the following eyeshadows by WetnWild:

I could tell immediately that my eyeshadow looked better with the base.  I tried my very best to capture good, accurate photos but even if it is a bit difficult to see, I did see a big difference in person. 

After three hours, the non-primed lid started to fade a teeny bit, but after six hours it was easier to see the difference. 

I was quite pleased with the performance 6 hours in.  I have also used MAC paint pots as a base on occasion without that much success.  Speaking of which, this product does not have the same texture as a paint pot, it's much thinner and more moist. 

At 9 hours, the Art Deco based eye was about the same, the non-primed eye was showing more wear.  By 12 hours, I knew I was done. 

I've used this primer daily for about a week, and I think the results are very good.  I was looking for something more easily available, and the low price and good performance make it even better for me.  

Why Shopping Sucks

I love makeup, but after today I can safely say with 100% certainty, I hate shopping for it.  I always know for sure what I want to buy, I haven't went in any makeup place "just browsing" in years. 

I made it to Inglot and never been more offended/depressed/humiliated/appalled by a makeup store.  I can only remember one other incident that would even come close, and I solved that by restricting myself to online shopping, which of course, isn't an option for me now. 

I don't even blame the employee, in these tough times I am sure people just apply for any job.  But I can blame the employer.  When someone (a non-makeup wearing employee no less, not that it should matter, but it's still noticeable) swatches something for you in disgust, because "we don't have testers" then I feel as a consumer, it's time to walk away.  But when someone blatantly rolls their eyes when you ask a question, when someone expects your two year old to wait outside or tries to direct you to have them sit in a corner, then I feel as a mother, it's time to run cause that's a little inhumane.  No product is worth that!!!

I love my son and I love my dignity.  Inglot you really need to improve your screening processes!!

Inglot Visit in the Works....

Tomorrow I am going out of town, and I heard there was an Inglot store there (not like I am planning my trip around it haha). 

I just want to pick up a few things (not eyeshadows!) and here is what I have on my list so far...

1.  Freedom "EBP" (Eyes, Blush, Powder) Palette- I will have to pick a powder and blush to go in it. 

2.  Gel Eyeliner- I always wanted to get one but I never got around to it.  I loooove #83 but it is so bright, I am leaning towards #74, an eggplant-burgundy. 

3.  Cream Lip Paint in a Tube- looks really nice and creamy, and less messy than their pot lip paints. 

I can't decide on anything else now, but maybe a nail polish or a pigment! 

H & M Cosmetics

I have been curious about H & M cosmetics for a while, but never tried them out.  Honestly it's not a store I shop at.  I did venture in there a couple times before but wasn't very impressed.  It's always quite crowded as well. 

I don't know if they have more cosmetic selections at other stores (the store I went into was really big though- two floors!) but I was already in there, so I bought a few things. 

Here are swatches of the lip gloss and eyeshadow:

Honestly I was not impressed with anything.  The nail polish was a good deal and really cute, but I wouldn't go there just for that.  The eyeshadow basically wears right off, I definitely don't recommend unless you're looking for something fun, to use as some kind of face or body highlighter.  I think anything from there would be cute for a stocking stuffer or something similar, but if you're looking for something budget friendly there are much better quality performing products.  

Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick Swatches Part 1

These are L to R- Hot, Eternal, Soulmate, Spellbound, and Embrace: 

OPI Nail Envy??

I am wondering if there is a product (surely there must be!) that compares to OPI's Nail Envy.  I didn't realise how much I loved it (and needed it!) until now, when I don't have it anymore.  For me it worked great as a strengthener, filler, and base coat.  I've since tried only Sally Hansen and one from Boots, and neither one comes close although the Boots one is a good smoother. 

I did get a Sally Hansen "Triple Strong" product but I haven't used it yet, waiting to take my polish off.  It cost me more than Nail Envy ever did, not like that is an indication of anything really.  But it says "gel nail fortifier" and it doesn't look or feel gelatinous at all, so I just have to wait and see. 

Oh Nail Envy where are you???  Or have I just not found a good replacement yet? 

Covergirl Queen Collection Lipstick Swatches

I decided to swatch all my Covergirl Lip Perfection lipsticks.  These are the ones I have from the Queen Collection.

L to R:  Penelope Pink, au Naturale, Berry Bling, Ruby Slipper, Fine Wine

Interested? Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick

The other day I was looking for something new to buy.  I came across a display of Dior's new "Addict Extreme" lipsticks.  They have 12 shades out. 

Based on the advertising pics, I think if I were to get one, I'd get "Plaza". 

Don't get me wrong, I like Dior lipsticks for the most part.  (Their glittery ones can pretty much go somewhere for all I care lol).  But I was just so un-impressed by these.  They were pretty, and felt smooth and rich, so I am not sure the reason but I wasn't inclined to purchase.  Usually I'll ask a mundane question about price or colour to feign interest, but I simply walked away.  I do like the cannage styled case of the Rouge lipsticks better, these are just plain black.   They do look moisturizing and smooth.  I always liked their Black Tie colour, it's like Clinique's "Black Honey" where it looks atrocious in the tube but a really pretty berry hue on the lips. 

I guess it's hard sometimes to justify a "splurge" when you don't even really want it, especially when you know that these are not the most prosperous of times.  

I did find something that really caught my eye though.... an artist created this Dior couture paper doll, a couple years ago so I'm a bit late coming across it but wow is it a beautiful creation! 

Then I saw these vintage ones...

Ohhh man I cannot wait for that movie!  

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow Swatches

These are swatches of the eyeshadows I got, from L to R:

#40 Permanent Taupe, #55 Immortal Charcoal, #60 Timeless Black

Immortal Charcoal is a lot more shimmery than the photo for some reason, I am wearing it alone today and it's really pretty. 

I did go to Maybelline's website (in a few locations) and no, they did not have Timeless Black on the US site.  But I did find this "Mega Plush" mascara coming out soon that looks interesting: