LOOT - Bath & Body Works Paris Amour Launch

Last Saturday was the launch event of Paris Amour, B&BW's newest signature scent collection. It was a perfect day to hoard, even though I have about 9 bottles of lotion that I still need to use up!

But three of them were giving me a headache =/ I figured I would replace them with fruity and light floral scents this time around :)

I got Into The Wild, Peach Citrus, and Carried Away body lotion; they were 2 for 1.
I also got 5 PocketBacs in Sweet Pea, Peach Punch (x2), Passionfruit Colada, and Chocolate Chew.



During the event, they were giving out a pink Paris charm cosmetic bag and a full size body lotion of your choice for free! I picked up Paris Amour, of course. The travel sized Sweet Pea lotion was also free because I had a coupon.


Guess who will be smelling good this school year? Hahaha...

NOTD - Ice Queen

Hey guys!

Quick NOTD:

I have a matte deep Tiffany's blue shade with micro-silver shimmer as a base colour from Icing (there's no name). I got this np as part of a set.





I topped it off with Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in Ice Queen. The sales associate at Sephora was complimenting me on the np - micro holographic glitter, blue and purple circle confetti suspended in a clear base.

Random - Mini Shopping Trip & thoughts

Here are some of my recent purchases!

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara in very black, waterproof
-I absolutely hated this when I first got it. It smudged like crazy and weighed my lashes down. Since it has gotten a chance to dry out a bit, it helps my lashes stay defined and curled for hours (even when I fell asleep with it on!). I still think there are better mascaras out there though.

Eco tools - 6 piece kit: blush, concealer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, eyelash brushes, foundation brush (bought separately), and brush holder/pouch
-I love these soft, environmentally-friendly brushes. My favorites are the blush, concealer, and eyeliner brush. I don't really care for the other brushes.

MUFE Mat Velvet + foundation in shade 25
-Throughout my childhood, my mom has always lectured me on the importance of never using cheap face makeup because it will screw up my skin. This lecture imprinted into my brain and my face makeup usually comes in the form of a $40 price tag -.- On the bright side, Mat Velvet + does not break out my sensitive skin or make me look like a grease ball in the summer. It matches my weirdly pale skin, looks natural, and looks great in pictures. It has great coverage for my acne scars but now that the scars have faded, I've been mixing it with my Shiseido Sun Protection Cream to make a tinted moisturizer. The only thing I don't like is it can be a bit drying and if you have dry patches of skin, it will be emphasized 10 fold.

I had never heard of Origins until I watched MakeUpByTiffanyD rave about the Vitazing. I did some research and was sold on the company's philosophy on using natural ingredients in their products.

Origins Spot Remover - This was the first thing I bought from Origins and I love it so so much. Like I mentioned in a previous blog entry, when Pro-Activ didn't cut it I started using this too. There was some minor stinging upon application but I started seeing results in a matter of weeks. If I spot a pimple right away, a dab of this will make it go away by morning. It dried out pimples and shrunk them without drying out my skin (even though I was putting it on practically everywhere on my face...). I wished that it came in a bigger size because I went through this thing very quickly which isn't surprising by the way I was using it! This is my newfound miracle product.
*There is now a new Super Spot Remover that just came out recently!

Origins Vitazing (sample) - The idea of an all in one product is always nice. What is there not to love about a moisturizer that has spf, skin goody ingredients, and a magical formula that transforms to match the colour of your skin?
Firstly, the coverage isn't that great. Secondly, you run the risk of looking like an Oompa Loompa. I didn't like this.

Origins A Perfect World eye gel (sample) - This eye gel was the least memorable thing I tried. I didn't see any results whatsoever.

The second time around, I got:

Origins Out of Trouble 10 minute mask: So I thought to myself, $20 for a mask? Seriously? But when your face is breaking out into a pizza party, you become a little desperate... I can tell you now that this mask works, compared to the sulphur mask from Pro-Activ which I find does nothing for me. The texture of my skin has improved and I just can't say enough good things about this product. It also doubles up as a overnight spot treatment now that I'm out of the Spot remover. If you hate masks that crack up on you when it dries, this mask does not do that.

Origins Sensory Therapy Peace of Mind: I figured since school brings stress and headaches that I try some of this aromatherapy in a bottle. You basically rub this in on the temples, behind the earlobes, and neck - breathe deeply and find relief. I like it and the cooling sensation but it's just an okay product for me.

I got the following for free with purchase. All were 15mL samples.
Origins Starting Over Age Erasing Moisturizer with Mimosa: I really like this moisturizer. It has a nice scent and moisturizes well without leaving my skin greasy. I also like to use it as an eye cream because it doesn't give me milia.

Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturizer with Green Tea: I don't think this moisturizer does anything for me... but I will continue to use it up.

Origins Modern Friction: This is a gentle scrub that doesn't irritate acne prone skin. I'm not a fan of scrubs in general so I think it's just okay.

Lastly! I got my hands on the Maybelline Age Rewind concealer for $2.50 at Walmart. I don't understand why people like this stuff. It dries all cakey on my skin :(

I also picked up some random sunscreen - Banana Boat Baby in spf 50. It was only $5 at Winners but if you hate thick greasy sunscreens, it's best to avoid this product.

Nivea Sun Lip Care in Spf30 lipbalm - does it leave a total white cast when you slather it on? Yes! It oddly smells like licorice to me too... Despite that, what this works great for is if you have a dark lip colour that you want to tone down.

Scünci hair accessories - I spotted these at Zellers for $1 a pack and love them. The claw clips have great grip and the thin headbands are super comfortable! The hair elastics are too tight so that was disappointing.

NOTD - Canucks Nail Art

This is an old NOTD from the 2011 NHL Playoffs. And no, I was not downtown when the riot happened.

I still love my team :)





Okay, so these took me 2 hours to do because I don't have all those fancy nail tools. The fanciest I ever got was with toothpicks to draw in all the details.

As for what nail polishes I used:
Blue - Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue It (metallic)
White - Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On (cream)
Green - OPI Green-wich Village (cream)
Base & Top coat - Nutra Nail Triple Power

NOTD - OPI Black Shatter

As OPI makes more colours in shatter formula, the original black shatter became easier to find and I was able to pick one up months and months ago. It's fun to play with but I'm going to save the black for fall/winter.





For this look I used, (from L->R)
OPI Black Shatter, OPI Catch Me In Your Net, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue It, OPI Wing It!, OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress, and Nutra Nail Triple Power as base and top coat.



The camera doesn't really pick up on the pretty micro glitter in Catch Me In Your Net and Wing It! on my nails :( These were released as part of the 2010 Summer Flutter Collection.

Random - Skincare: To Proactiv or not?

My acne nightmare did not start until my first year of university. My skin was basically clear before that so I didn't know what to do except wonder, 'shouldn't acne be going away at this age instead of emerging?'

My parents freaked out. I was too stressed out over school to properly take care of my skin which made it even worse.

I went to the dermatologist who labeled it 'hormonal acne', recommended creams that didn't work, and pills that I did not feel comfortable taking even if they did clear my skin. Because of the commercials on TV, I went to the mall and bought my first set of Pro-Activ (at the time it was close to $100!). I was desperate to try anything after my confidence took a bad beating.

My first experience with Pro-Activ was a positive one. I followed the system religiously, starting out with only a night application during the first week and increasing it to twice daily like suggested. I never skipped it, even when I had to carry the whole system with me to my best friend's during sleepovers. Summer came and I could go out without any makeup on at all.

Then I began to question all the chemicals in this product. Like many users, my skin hated me when I tried to quit by exploding into breakout hell. I began to look for new products to replace the expensive system. Nothing really gave me that clear skin Proactiv had given me.

My skin was in pretty bad shape in December 2010. I work teaching an after school program and my students thought I had allergies. I'm going to be a teacher soon and that motivated me to put my best face forward =P

When I went back on Pro-Activ in December, I felt like I was at rock bottom. I wanted what it had given me three summers back - the coveted flawless skin. That's not what I got. My acne did not get better. It got worse. Things didn't get better after 3 months. The most logical thing was to quit and find something new but I wanted to use all the product up before moving on. I hate wasting stuff.

At the end of March, I started seeing noticeable results. To speed up the process I began to delve into the Origins skincare line. Their promise of natural product ingredients sounded very appealing to me. The Spot Remover was awesome! A little bit dried out pimples really quickly. I loved it!

I have clear skin now, just some scarring and hyper-pigmentation. I think they could have been preventable if I had started dealing with my acne issues sooner rather than later. It makes my life easier to have a good skincare routine then rely on makeup as my quick fix.

My verdict? I will be repurchasing this system. I don't think Pro-Activ is a miracle product but I'm glad it has worked for me (despite the delay the second time around).

FYI - I have sensitive skin. The system (Cleanser & Toner, 120mL, Repairing Lotion 60mL) lasts me a good 7 months.

LOOT - 3 for 3 Bath & Body Works

I found myself pulled into B&BW once again on the last day of their buy 3 get 3 free sale.



I got 3 body creams, 1 body lotion, 2 perfumes, 2 candles, and a candle holder.



The lotion in Bali mango smells really good but it can be a little intense.
I love the texture of these body creams. They're not too thick and have greatly improved the look of my skin while leaving a subtle scent behind.
Coconut lime verbena: I hate coconut and would never have picked this one up if my bf didn't make me smell it. The lime really changed my mind and oddly makes me think of 7Up when I put this on.
Warm vanilla sugar: Vanilla is one of my favorite scents so I'm pretty picky about anything vanilla. This is not overly sweet but there is something about it that I don't quite like... can't put my finger on it though. Even though I was going to save it for the winter as I do find it a little heavy, I do pull it out on cold rainy days (which we still have a lot of in Vancouver).
Country chic: My favorite scent. It reminds me of apples for some reason.



The candle is peach Bellini scented and it smells delicious. Don't you just love the little tropical candle holder? CUTE.


Because of my love for the Mango Mandarin body cream, I got the perfume to go with it. The black raspberry vanilla is another favorite of mine. I like to spray it over the warm vanilla sugar cream or on stationery as I do quite a lot of letter writing. My only gripe with these are the scents don't last very long which is what I expect from an EDT.

NOTD - Hello Kitty!

I rarely do nail art but Kandee Johnson had a great nail tutorial here:
http://youtu.be/Y8posThBPqU
I decided to give it a try even though I'm not as pro as her :)

For reference (although you can use any polish), the polishes I used were:
Red: Rimmel Lycrawear 10 - Hot Gossip
Yellow: - Icing (oh darn, no colour name!)
Black: L.A. Colors Art Deco
White: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - White On
Top Coat - Nutra Nail Triple Power Gel Strengthener

I used the tip of a pushpin to draw in the details.

NOTD - SH Lacy Lilac vs. OPI Done Out In Deco

Today's sunshiney, spring flowery, pastel shade is...
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac.
This shade has been out for awhile now, but I just got my hands on it today after months of walking past the display at Walmart and telling myself I needed to exercise some form of self-control. Xtreme Wear ($2.50) are one of my favorite drugstore polishes; it is so easy to go overboard and put a ton of these into my shopping basket =/

Lacey Lilac (LL; 2 coats) is a gorgeous lilac creme that somehow manages to be vibrant and muted at the same time. I've been a fan of lilac/lavender nails eversince I saw Sarah Michelle Gellar's nails back in '97 (but that's another story). The Xtreme Wear polishes tend to get goopy and thick after the 3rd nail or so of application. I usually just screw the cap back on, roll the bottle in the palm of my hands to warm it up [Because ladies, we do not shake our nail polishes and cause gross air bubbles. We roll ;) ], and it'll go back to a liquidy consistency. I know it's a drag but I think it has something to do with how quickly these polishes dry that gets it goopy really quickly.


Right, LL reminded me so much of my beloved OPI polish in Done Out in Deco. Can you tell which nail is LL and which is DOID?
It's the one on top. I know not everyone can justify spending $10 on a bottle so LL is a great alternative.

DOID (left) is slightly darker and more greyish than LL (right). I wanted a lighter version of DOID since forever so I'm thrilled! I felt like DOID looked a tad dirty (still nice & still a favorite though!), like those taupe-grey-purply colours (RE: OPI for Sephora Metro Chic, Rimmel Steel Grey). Yeah, I never really understood why those colours are pretty =/

I will stop my rambling but I'm still looking for the OPI Black Shatter. I.want.it.so.bad.

LOOT - Bath and Body Works, Crabtree & Evelyn

It was my first time trying products from Bath & Body Works (yes, because I still live in the Stone Age, haha). My boyfriend bought me all the goodies because I got into another Bachelors program at school and he thought I deserved some presents for my hard work. He's so nice!

B&BW:
Triple Moisture Body Cream: Cucumber melon (fresh and light), Mango Mandarin (tropical, fruity, yummy... oh darn it's my favorite. Definitely going back to get the body mist/perfume), Japanese cherry blossoms (sweet... loved it at first but it's beginning to get sickening and too heavy for my taste)
-I adore the consistency/thickness of these creams! I feel like I've neglected my skin to the point of no return and regular lotion just would not cut it. After a week of continuously using these my skin is all glowy and radiant. I usually put these on after my shower to lock in the moisture, and I rotate the scents.

Slatkin and Co. mini candles: Pineapple Mango (*my favorite out of the 4), Passion Flower, Island nectar, Caribbean Escape (not shown)
-Small but they seem like they burn for a very long time. Burns cleanly and one mini is enough to fill my room with an awesome scent.

Pocketbac: White Citrus, Japanese cherry blossoms, Watermelon (not shown)
-I had to get these after my classmate used one that smelled sooo good. I'm so used to the alcohol smell of antibacterial so these just wowed me. Watermelon is the best! Too bad I gave it away :(

C&E
Rosewater Hand Therapy (far left)
C&E hand lotions are definitely a splurge at $13 for a small tube. After my first time using these, I have not been able to go back to any drugstore lotion. They absorb quickly, are nongreasy, and leave your hand silky (even silkier if used with the hand treatment/scrub). I thought I'd get the Rosewater (smells exactly like roses) instead of the usual Gardeners scent. The packaging is in a metal tube which looks great but can be a bit difficult to get the product out when you're running low; you have to be careful that other things in your bag don't squish the tube or you will end up with a mess =/ I wish C&E came out with more scents because I've tried them all...

Summerhill body lotion
I got this lotion in a mini size bag of 5 products or so for $8 a couple of years back. C&E has great deals, travel sizes you can try out, customer appreciation days, and $10 off coupons periodically :) When we went into the store, I was surprised my bf remembered I had used this. This scent made him all nostalgic so he got me the full size bottle. The consistency is not too watery and moisturizes darn well (It has to. I mean $20 for a bottle of lotion?!). Silky smooth, anyone?

Lily body lotion
This is part of the new revamped line at C&E. It's a light lotion that also leaves skin nice and smooth. The scent lasts for awhile and is noticeable... almost like a perfume. I would not slather myself in this just because I'm afraid it might be a tad overpowering.

That's a wrap of this skincare edition =P

LOOT - Sephora Part II

I think this came in the mail months ago but guess who always neglects to post on time :(
I usually stock up on things at the end of the year because of Sephora's free shipping over $120 for Canadians.


L-R: Stila Lipglaze Set 2010, Viva La Juicy (gave to my sister, smells great on her!), Gucci Flora, Murad Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer with SPF 15, Clarins Multi-active Night Youth Recovery Cream (gave to my mom), Korres Basil Lemon Body Scrub (shared with my sister), Philosophy Purity Cleanser, Sephora Free Getaway Kit, Stila Artist's Inspiration palette, Stila Adventures in Aspen, and Stila Trendsetting in Tokyo.



Can you believe I got all this for free inside that Sephora travel bag?!
Shiseido Benefiance Concentrated Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream - The skin around my eyes is starting to flake and this thick cream has been the only thing that helps. I apply a very thin layer so it doesn't give me milia. Shiseido products are always awesome quality, at least for me.
Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx - The liner glides on smoothly, but I don't know what's up with my eyes because this smudged from my top to bottom lid making me look like a raccoon :/ I even put a black eyeshadow over it but no luck.

Tarte MultiplEYE Effects Eye - This didn't do much for my lashes except weigh them down. Probably going to be another mascara sample that will soon end up in the trash.

Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate, Anastasia Clear Brow Gel, Philosophy Hope in a Jar Daily Oil-Free Moisturizer SPF 30 - I gave these to my mom and sister so I can't say much about them...

Sephora Collection Colorful Mono Eyeshadow in Peach Beige, MAKE UP FOR EVER Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in 36 Satin Fuchsia, LORAC Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss in 3D, Sephora Collection Advanced Lash Booster - These I haven't even touched!


Eight shades of Stila’s best selling Lip Glaze in Kitten, Guava, Grapefruit, and Apricot and new limited edition shades: Seashell, Blush, Majesty, and Merry Merry.

LOOT - Sephora

The purpose of school: gives me a spanking degree after 5 years of insane debt, makes my hair turn white and fall off, an ocean size load of stress (which I bet will do something awful in the future), and great memories I share with my friends.

AND it also prevents me from going shopping so I save a lot... only to compensate for the lack of shopping by going crazy during my breaks -.-

Round 1

Samples:
DDF Erase Eye Gel - Goodness, this is ineffective and did nothing it promised to do. Not only that, it burned my eyes.
DKNY Be Delicious and Red Delicious - You know how perfumes interact differently with each person. Let's say I had a better interaction with the red one =P


Benefit - To Go Beauty Bestsellers ($30 value) for $10
This set is no longer available, but they still sell these individually. I bought two of these and gave away a set to one of my bestfriends and "That gal" to another.

The set includes:
Some Kind of Gorgeous - At first, I loved this because it evened out my skin tone (it matched my skin, even though it only comes in 3 shades or so. probably because it's sheer) and has a nice powdery finish. It's very lightweight (I don't like to feel like I'm wearing makeup if you know what I mean). Then I stopped using it because it highlighted every dry spot on my face, ick.

That Gal - A light pink brightening face primer that smells like strawberries. Again, another lightweight product that does seem to smooth and brighten my complexion. I stopped using it when I blacklisted it as the culprit that made me break out. We'll see if this is the case... and I'm going to see how it works with foundation.

High Beam - I don't care much for highlighting but I do like this. I dab it on top of my cheek bones, blend, and it gives me a nice subtle glow. Pretty, pretty.

Posietint - Probably my favorite. I use it solely as a lipstain. It is drying as most stains are (balm is a must) but the staying power is decent. The light pink was buildable and showed up on my lips. It's a really nice colour.


Stila A Couple of Crushes (Still available individually)
I have an issue with lipstains; I love them more than glosses, balms, & lipsticks. I'm so incredibly lazy and the appeal of putting something on and having it last forever on me is very appealing :)

Pomegranate Crush - This is a berry red stain that smells (yes, scents are very important to me haha) delicious, but is my least favorite. It doesn't last long and once the colour disappeared, I was left with a ring around my mouth like I had lined my lips and forgot to fill them in! Gahhhhh. Better off sticking to my beloved The Balm Stainiac in Beauty Queen (my HG).

Mango Crush - Love, love, love. This orange coral stain with slight silvery shimmer is great for spring and summer. It looks gorgeous on both lips and cheeks and lasts a lot longer than pomegranate. The scent is kind of gross. I will definitely buy this again when I run out. When using stains, you should make sure your lips are exfoliated and free of dry flakes and wait until the stain is completely dry before putting a balm or gloss on top of it!

I wore this under Revlon Super Lustrous Gloss in Life's a Peach in my graduation photo.






Philosophy Chocolate Chip Cookies - Another yummy smelling product from Philosophy, but the smell doesn't linger for long. I love using their products as shower gels and how they have actual recipes on the bottles. Fun, although a bit pricey for a bath product. It does lather up but I can't say much about the moisturizing department.


Sephora Beautiful Eyes Birthday Gift
Colorful Mono Eyeshadow in Aspen Summit - I like this silvery-white e/s in the corner of my eyes. It's not very pigmented (by this I mean stark white) so I can get away with it as an all over lid colour to brighten up my lids when I'm lazy.

Nano Eyeliner in Silver Green - The colour is so so pretty! It tugs when I apply it and doesn't show up so I have to keep going over the same spot which is annoying. I have eyeliners that just glide without me having to warm up the tip with my fingers. Even when it is warmed up, the application sucked. Sharpening it was a pain as well.

Lash Plumper Volumizing Mascara in Black: Definite miss. It didn't look like it did anything for me except make my lashes droop. In the trash it went.


This is a picture of me wearing the eyeshadow and the liner which you can barely see -.-

That's it for now. I will have the OPI for Sephora in Just Another Fairy-tail swatched in a separate post. After all, this is still a NP blog, not just some site for another shopaholic.