January Hauls

I realize that we are only nine days into the new year, but I've already had some major hauls this month:

Joe Fresh Beauty

Janetta and I went to Loblaws to do some grocery shopping last week, and that's when I realized: I had not been to a supermarket in a very, very long time. And Loblaws has gotten really fancypants! Everyone's been talking about Joe Fresh for a while now, but since I haven't been to Loblaws in ages, I never tried their products. They got so popular that they have now expanded to the US. Joe Fresh sells clothing, accessories, and cosmetics, but I was mostly interested in the make-up (obviously). They are known for great quality cosmetics in sleek minimalistic packaging at very affordable prices (in fact, cheaper than most drugstore brands!). I found that they offer a lot of fun, trendy colours along with more classic shades, which makes it appealing to everyone. I ended up getting three Cream Lipsticks in Grapefruit, Big Apple, and Baie Sauvage at $6 a pop; three Matte Lipsticks in Rose, Fuchsia, and Poppy at $6 a pop; and three Nail Polishes in Lagoon, Cobalt, and Twilight at 3 for $10. Seriously, when is the last time I bought a lipstick for $6?!

Models Own Nail Polish

Having been so excited at finding a site that sells hard-to-find nail polish brands (at least, in Canada), I took the opportunity to buy some shades by Models Own. I have wanted to try polishes from this UK-based brand for a long time, but for whatever reason, have never seen them in Toronto. (Maybe England hates us, because Illamasqua won't come here, either. If Butter London can do it, so can you!) Thusly, I ended up getting seven shades. Three awesome duochrome shades from the Beetlejuice collection: Golden Green, Aqua Violet, and Purple Blue. And then four super-pretty glitter shades: Disco Mix, Pink Fizz, Juicy Jules, and Emerald City. And the best part? They're only $8 a bottle! Oh, yes, I see many more Models Own polishes in my future. Reviews forthcoming!

Boscia skincare

My Sephora order finally arrived last week, and in it was a slew of new Boscia skincare products. I've been interested in trying Boscia for a while now — I've used their Blotting Linens for years (and they're still my favourite), but nothing more than that. I didn't even realize it was a Japanese brand until about two weeks ago! Many beauty bloggers have been raving about their products for a while now, and after reading many reviews, I ended up getting a jar of Revitalizing Black Hydrating Gel, a bottle of Detoxifying Black Cleanser, a tube of the Clear Complexion Moisturizer with Botanical Blast, a bottle of the Clear Complexion Cleanser with Botanical Blast, and the Purifying Cleansing Gel. (What? I go through a lot of cleanser, okay?) I've used a few of the products already, and so far, I'm really enjoying them. I do need more time to test them since I've only started using them, so I will do a review of these in the next couple months.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm

And, of course, I couldn't make an order from Sephora without Jack Black Lip Balm. It's actually been such a life-saver for me this winter. You can read my original review of this lip balm here, but all you need to know is that I am very prone to dry, cracking, sometimes bleeding lips (I am a lip-licker and a smoker, and yes, I know it's bad, but this just means I have even drier lips in the winter and no one will trust a make-up artist with hideously flaking lips, am I right?). And this lip balm, that I apply twice a day, has made my lips soft and smooth — and kept them that way. Even after trying on and taking off eight lipsticks back to back. Phenomenal, and for only $7.87 a tube (online Canadian pricing; it's normally $8.50 in stores). I'm nearly done the ones I have, so I bought two new scents: Grapefruit & Ginger (my new favourite — smells like grapefruit soda!), and Black Tea & Blackberry (which smells exactly as it sounds, sweet and comforting).

MAC Mineralize Skincare

Along with MAC, Naturally and Iris Apfel (of which all the lipstick shades are now sold out in stores!), MAC also released a new Mineralize skincare line last week, which includes four new products and one re-promoted product (Charged Water Face & Body Lotion, which was previously called Mineralize Face & Body Lotion), all of which are being made part of the permanent line. I got the four new products: Charged Water Skin Hydrating Mist (great for setting make-up, refreshing make-up, revitalizing skin, and for use as a toner, so it's like Fix+ but without glycerin and rosewater), Charged Water Cleanser, Charged Water Moisture Eye Cream, and Charged Water Moisture Gel. These products feature "a super-charged water technology that is infused with gemstones," which adds ions to the water, thereby "increasing the energy level of skin and help maintain or replenish skin's moisture." It's sort of like... vitamin water for your skin.

These are all great basic skincare products that have been added to MAC's current skincare line. They are great for all skin types, even sensitive, except very oily or very dry. I didn't use eye cream before (I know, I know), and this one is actually quite nice — it's a simple super-hydrating eye cream that helps with dry lines. It's not too rich or too lightweight, and it doesn't have any special anti-aging properties with unrealistic promises. Nice and simple. Likewise with the Moisture Gel. The Water Cleanser is better suited for those who wear lightweight make-up; this is not to be mistaken for an eye make-up remover. It is simply to remove light make-up and to clean the face without scrubbing, massaging, or leaving a residue. I reckon this would be great for those who go to the gym or want a quick cleansing when strapped for time. Overall, I would recommend these products to both girls and guys who want a simple, no-fuss skincare routine.

Butter London nail polishes

As many Canadians will already know, The Bay has started carrying Butter London, making them much more widely available than before. Obviously, I had to take advantage of the fact that I no longer need to order them online or go all the way to Holt Renfrew, and also of my beauty savings coupons from The Bay (save $10 off a $50 purchase). I bought some nice permanent shades that I'd been eyeing: Rosie Lee (rose pink glitter), Teddy Girl (pale pink cream), All Hail The Queen (mid-tone beige with micro-shimmer), Muggins (pale greyed lavender), Marrow (deep violet with micro-shimmer), and Big Smoke (deep smoky blue with micro-shimmer). Because I needed more nail polishes, you know?

And, not pictured, but while I was at The Bay last week, I picked up a pair of black Kenneth Cole Love Lockdown leather motorcycle boots that were on sale for $83.99 from $180. I asked the salesgirl if they had any black leather boots that were cut just under the calf, because my massively huge calves won't fit into anything higher. And she looked around and suddenly had this look on her face: the lightbulb face (you know, when you get a brilliant idea). She said there was a pair she had in mind, but there was only one size left. She asked me what my size was, and what do you know? The last pair just so happened to be my size. Obviously, it was meant to be. These boots are so comfy and so warm, and have the softest faux fur lining on the inside, with two silver buckles on the side. And they look bad-ass.