Photolog 2018: Day 338 of 365

Hi, I bought clothes! The Golden by TNA Larsen goose down parka that I bought online during Aritzia's Black Friday sale arrived this morning, which was quite exciting. (Also, do you like how I draped it on my couch, all casual like? As if that's where I normally put my coats?) I usually wear a longer wool/cashmere coat when I have work or if I'm wearing more professional outfits (which is more often than not), but I like to wear parkas on my days off when I'm in casual clothes. My old Community parka from Aritzia went missing (seriously, I still have no idea where it went and I've checked every possible place in my house so I'm guessing it was accidentally donated when I did Spring cleaning earlier this year) so I bought this one to replace it. It's warmer and fits better than my old one, anyway, so blessing in disguise, I guess. I also spent my Uniqlo gift card on the new black KAWS x Sesame Street graphic print hoodie (I'm not usually into hypebeast items like KAWS, but I thought this collab was really cute) and a black fleece zip-up jacket that was on special for $29.90.

Finally, BT21 is launching at Hot Topic stores in Canada this week so I went to my closest location to check it out. I hadn't been into a Hot Topic store since I was an emo kid in high school (before Hot Topic even came to Canada) so it was a little jarring when I went in, but I went straight to the salesgirl at the cash to ask if they received any BT21 items yet, and she showed me a stack of hoodies that she had just finished folding to put out on display. They only received the grey hoodie and this white graphic print tee today so I picked up both, but she said they'll be getting more styles this week so I'll probably return in a couple days to see if they got anything new. To my immense relief, Hot Topic will just be an retail outlet for BT21, which means that the BT21 items they'll be carrying in their stores are designed and manufactured by Line Friends, and are not collaboration pieces between BT21 and Hot Topic (e.g. Hot Topic branding does not appear anywhere on the items). It's unlikely that I'll have time to visit the BT21 pop-up store when they re-open this weekend so I'll make do with these.

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: June 2015

Happy Canada Day! I can't believe it's already July. No, seriously, I've been so busy with work and freelance (tons of weddings right now) that May and June have been a complete and total blur, with only Instagram posts as a reminder of things I've done (e.g. eaten). And on that note, I've been kinda absent from this blog because I've been spending a lot more of my free time socializing (a.k.a. eating all the things) with friends. Over the winter, I spent so much time by myself indoors (which I love, lest you think I'm a sad hermit) that I forgot what it was like to just... hang out. Not that I don't love the Internet, mind you, but I've found myself not going on my laptop for two or three days in a row at a time, and it's kind of refreshing. Anyway, back to the point of this post: the beginning of a new month means last month's haul! I feel like I just did one of these posts, so sometimes I wonder how I found time to do all this shopping, but you'll be surprised to know that I actually did more non-beauty shopping this month (aren't you proud of me?)!

Kate Spade Layton Wellesley Wristlet, Cedar Street Stacy Wallet, and Toucan iPhone 6 Case
Gucci GG 3166/S Sunglasses
I'm not usually a huge fan of outlet mall shopping because I find that either the deals aren't that great or the styles aren't to my taste, but I found myself going to not one, but two outlet malls last month. I went with Vivian to the Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, and aside from picking up some chocolate at the Lindt outlet, we managed to find some fun new accessories for summer at Kate Spade. Everything in the store was 50% off, so I snatched up a wristlet in a mint green colour, a snap wallet in a bright chartreuse yellow, and a cute new phone case (it has toucans on it!). Then on a trip to Buffalo with my mom, we stopped by the Fashion Outlets in Niagara Falls, where Solstice Sunglass Outlet was having a designer sunglasses sale, so I finally decided to retire my old Dior ones (by "retire," I mean "give my mom") and got a new pair of Gucci ones that are slightly bigger and more modern (and don't hit my eyelashes!) for 30% off. I figure if I only buy one pair of sunglasses every five years, it's okay to splurge on a fancier designer pair. Cost per use, right?

Wilfred Chevalier Jacket and Babaton Billie T-Shirt
Wilfred Meryon Blouse and Aritzia Scented Candle in Baies Noires
Aritzia was having their semi-annual private sale (called "Clientèle") a couple weeks ago wherein everything is on sale, so I took the opportunity to stock up on some more black clothes (so I can wear them to work and to go out). I picked up a new black Chevalier jacket (my old one has a hole in the sleeve now, so I figured it was time to replace it) in a black Japanese crepe fabric, and a couple of lightweight, breezytops to wear during the summer (and appropriate for layering all year round). And like every private sale, they offer all clients a gift with purchase, which was a luxury handmade candle from France. I picked the Baies Noires scent, which smells exactly like Diptyque's Baies, and it's same size, too. So, suck on that, Diptyque. I got this one for free.

Aldo Alyson Sandals
Aldo Torrazza Ballet Flats
Also, I bought two new pairs of shoes from Aldo, including my first ever pair of sandals, and some new ballet flats to replace my old Tory Burch ones (which I refuse to re-buy because they are totally not worth $250).

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in Tawny
Bobbi Brown Custom Eyeshadow Palette with Champagne 13, Peach Cloud 4R, Rose Gold 8, Heather Mauve 23, Taupe 4, and Eggplant 5 Eyeshadows
MAC Fix+ in Rose, Coconut, Yuzu, and Cucumber
Okay, so you didn't expect me not to pick up any cosmetics, did you? I mean, I tried to minimize my make-up spending this month, but I'm not that good at resisting. The Estée Lauder warehouse sale took place during the first weekend of June, and while I did bypass a lot of things, I snatched up a limited edition Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Tawny for $25, plus six permanent shades of Bobbi Brown eyeshadow for $12 a pop from $28 (that I put into a Bobbi Brown custom eyeshadow palette that I picked up from the Cosmetics Company Store for $12). And aside from all the Dazzleshadows I picked up from MAC's Le Disko collection (which I have reviewed here, here, and here), I also picked up four of the new scented Fix+ that MAC came out with a couple weeks ago. It's funny because I remember when MAC first launched scented Fix+ (in Lavender and Rose) several years ago, they weren't that popular and they were desperately trying to get rid of them at the warehouse sales, but people are going crazy for them now (they're already sold out online and at most locations). So if you were intrigued by them (my favourite is Yuzu, which is a fresh citrusy scent), I would see if your local MAC location still has any and snatch them up ASAP.

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Craving
Clinique Foaming Sonic Facial Soap and Exfoliating Scrub
Hudson's Bay is currently offering a $10 off any $75 purchase promotion, so I snatched up the NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Craving, plus Clinique's new Foaming Sonic Facial Soap (it was developed for their Sonic System Brush, but it works the same with a Clarisonic) and a new tube of Clinique's Exfoliating Scrub, which has become a favourite of mine (it's has the perfect amount of grit, is lightly foaming, and has a nice minty-fresh after-feel). Clinique has a new program with Hudson's Bay that started about a month ago, wherein they track all your purchases on a card and when you buy ten products, the 11th product is free (up to the average price of your previous ten purchases, so if you spent an average of $25 per product, then you can get a $25 product for free). This is a great loyalty program (and unheard of in the world of prestige cosmetics) to drive Clinique users to shop at Hudson's Bay, so if you use their skincare or are thinking of getting some of their new Cheek Pops (my favourite), then definitely head over to Bay locations to shop.

Bath & Body Works Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gel in Pearberry, Cucumber Melon, and Eucalyptus Mint
Bath & Body Works Shea & Vitamin E Body Lotion in Pearberry, Cucumber Melon, and Eucalyptus Mint
The Body Shop Shower Gel in Papaya and Passion Fruit
The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Whip and Harvest Raspberry Body Lotion
Finally, I got some fun new body products. As you might know, Bath & Body Works was having their Semi-Annual Sale, which I was totally going to ignore... but then Vivian and I went in "just to look," and I noticed that they brought Pearberry and Cucumber Melon back (my two favourite Bath & Body Works scents in middle school!). They were doing a 3 for $12 deal (and I had a 20% off coupon on top of that), so I snatched up three shower gels in Pearberry, Cucumber Melon, and Eucalyptus Mint (my favourite Bath & Body Works scent from their current line-up), and the matching body lotions. I go through body lotion like it's water, so I didn't feel too guilty for stockpiling. And at the Body Shop outlet store at Toronto Premium Outlets, they had a ton of their discontinued limited edition products on sale for $4 a pop, so I snatched up four: their soap-free shower gels in Papaya (my favourite!) and Passion Fruit, as well as their body lotions in Sweet Lemon and Harvest Raspberry. I am gonna smell like a freakin' fruit salad this summer and I'm gonna love every minute of it.
What did you buy last month? Any good deals? What are your thoughts on outlet shopping?

NYC — Winter 2015: Pick-Ups & Deliveries (Part II)

And so the shopping saga continues. I did say that I did some heavy damage in NYC, and that included a plethora of non-cosmetic items as well. I never thought I'd ever become the type of person to spend an exorbitant amount of money on candles (and if I did, it'd surely be on Diptyque!), but I couldn't resist the allure of the ones at Ladurée. I am a compulsive shopper and am easily swayed by pretty things, so Ladurée's gift items are totally targeted towards suckers like me. Maybe it's because there are lit candles wafting delicious scents around their tea room, or maybe it's the exclusivity of these candles (only available at Ladurée!), but they are gorgeous and they smell amazing and I was just like, "These need to come home with me."

Ladurée Othello and New York Candles
Ladurée Othello and New York Candles
I smelled all the candles in the store (indeed, the girl helping me was really patient and very honest: "That one smells like cheap strawberry gum") and ended up getting Othello and New York (exclusive to the New York stores). Othello is meant to smell like "black tea leaves," and it does have that kind of smoky-sweet incense note to it, but more than anything, it reminds me of a really intense, really hot, really well-dressed guy (and really defined six-pack abs underneath, obviously)... but with an air of mystery and intrigue (like, you know, Christian Grey... or James Bond). I'm not usually into spicy, woodsy scents, but the thought of burning this in the winter is just divine. New York, on the other hand, is totally the kind of scent that I am usually drawn to: sweet, crisp, slightly tart apples that's fresh and lively, but with a kind of warm cinnamon-y note that keeps it comforting at the same time. Perfect for both Spring and Fall.
Vosges Super Dark Mini Bar Library and Mini Exotic Chocolate Bar Library
Vosges Super Dark Mini Chocolate Bars: Pomegranate & Goji (x 2), Coconut Ash & Banana (x 2), Açaí & Golden Berries, Reishi Mushroom & Walnut, Guajillo & Chipotle Chili, and Matcha Green Tea (x 2)
Vosges Mini Exotic Chocolate Bars: Red Fire Bar (x 2), Mo's Dark Bar, Bapchi's Caramel Toffee Bar, Mo's Milk Bar, Sri Lankan Coconut & Curry Bar (x 2), and Barcelona Bar (x 2)
I'm not a huge chocolate person, but there are times when I crave it (like, say, when I'm PMS-ing), and it's particularly intriguing to me when there are unique flavours being offered. There's a Vosges store in Soho that looks so pretty and mysterious, almost like an apothecary but with chocolates lining the deep purple walls instead of potions, that it's hard not to want to go inside and take a look. Since it was super-cold out, I decided to get a "Parisienne" sipping chocolate, which marries dark chocolate and vanilla bean; it's thick, creamy, and ultra-decadent — the way real hot chocolate should be. The vanilla bean sweetens the dark chocolate, but it's still deep and flavourful (which I prefer in chocolate), and an 8-ounce cup is more than enough to satisfy. While sipping on my drink, I perused their beautifully displayed offerings — Vosges is known for their exotic flavour combinations in chocolate, so I left with two "libraries" of mini bars, one featuring their best-selling milk chocolate bars (favourites are Barcelona with almonds and sea salt, and Naga with Sri Lankan coconut and sweet Indian curry), and one of their new Super Dark chocolate bars that are made with 72% cacao (my favourite is Coconut Ash & Banana). Figured they'd be nice to gift and share with other (more chocolate-loving) people.
Community Paradigm Parka and Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Quilted Blouson Jacket
Uniqlo Black Leggings Pants
Uniqlo Lounge Drape Pants
Muji Cut Cotton and Black Gel Ink Pens
As per usual, my only apparel purchases were from Aritzia and Uniqlo. I actually wasn't planning on even going into Aritzia because it's so widely available here, but we had time to kill while waiting for a table at Balthazar, and Aritzia's right next door. I had been eyeing the Community Paradigm Parka for nearly five months by then; I tried it on and really liked it when they first came out last October, but decided to wait until the holiday sales started. Of course, once Boxing Day rolled around, I decided to wait until it was further reduced because I knew that once their Spring stuff started rolling in, their winter jackets would have a more significant discount. It wasn't until I was in NYC, freezing from walking around all day in subzero temperatures, that I felt it was time to snatch that baby up. They had one left in my size (one that was in their stockroom, still wrapped and untouched), so I took it as a sign that it was meant to be. And now I'm wondering how I got this far into winter without having a parka. Later on at Uniqlo ('cause you know I can't go to NYC and not make a trip to Uniqlo), I bought a lovely ultra-light down-filled bomber-style jacket that is phenomenal for layering ($69.90 for a down jacket of any kind is a steal in my books), plus four more pairs of my favourite black Leggings Pants (I live in these), and three pairs of Drape Pants because I am always on the look-out for pajama pants with pockets (why is it that women's pajama pants don't come with pockets, but men's always do?). Finally, we made a quick stop at Muji, where I stocked up on their Cut Cotton (exact dupes of Shiseido's Facial Cotton, but for $2.25 instead of $12!) and a few of my favourite Gel Ink Pens.
NYX Powder Blush in Coral Dream, Apricot, Ethereal, Pinched, and Bourgeois Pig
NYX Butter Lipstick in Little Susie, Fizzies, Pops, Snow Cap, Fun Size, Candy Buttons, Lollies, Gumdrop, Taffy, and Razzle
NYX Butter Gloss in Madeleine, Fortune Cookie, Crème Brûlée, Tiramisu, Angel Food Cake, Strawberry Parfait, Sugar Cookie, and Merengue
NYX Butter Gloss in Éclair, Vanilla Cream Pie, Peaches and Cream, Cupcake, Maple Blondie, Apple Strudel, Peach Cobbler, and Cherry Cheesecake
A couple weeks before I went to NYC, I made two huge orders to be sent to my brother's apartment so I could pick them up while I was there. One of them was from NYX, because their website carries all of their products at the original US prices (not the seriously marked-up prices at Rexall), and it's free shipping within the US (they don't even ship to Canada). I took the opportunity to get five more blushes, plus ten shades of Butter Lipstick and a whopping 16 shades of Butter Glosses (at $5 a pop, why the hell not?) because I've been wanting to try them for so long. I figure this will be the only order I ever put in with NYX, so I'd make it count.

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Tipsy, BFF, Button, Cookie, Frida, Brink, Bound, Lumière, Wifey, Brills, Grind, and Leather
ColourPop Rebound Super Shock Shadow Set: One & Done, Too Soon, Ex, and Adios
ColourPop Megan Naik x ColourPop Super Shock Shadow Set: Onai, Lectra, Amira, and Farah
ColourPop Minx Society x ColourPop Super Shock Shadow Set: Girly, On The Rocks, Get Lucky, and Roulette
ColourPop Shaaanxo x ColourPop Super Shock Shadow Set: XO, Selfie, Deluxe, and Rebel
ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Truth, Smash, So Quiche, Sequin, Cheeky, Game Face, On The Rocks, Bandit, Mooning, Hustle, Lace, Bae, Hammered, and Shameless
As you all know, I am an addict and a hoarder of all things make-up. So after reading all the rave reviews and looking up swatches of ColourPop (which have been having a moment of intrigue recently, showing up in a multitude of beauty blogs and YouTube videos), I decided to put in a huge order with them, too. I chose 12 shades of Lippie Stix plus a total of 30 shades of Super Shock Shadow, 12 of which are included in "foursome" sets (three of the sets are collaborations, but I have no clue who or what Megan Naik, Shaaanxo, or Minx Society is). Again, at $5 a pop and free shipping in the US, I could not resist. I technically didn't buy these in NYC, but I picked them up in NYC, so I figured they could be counted in this haul. And with that, I'm done. And so is my wallet.

Ladurée Soho398 W BroadwayNew York, NY 10012(646) 392-7868
Vosges Haut-Chocolat132 Spring StreetNew York, NY 10012(212) 625-2929
Aritzia524 BroadwayNew York, NY 10012(212) 965-2188
Uniqlo Soho546 BroadwayNew York, NY 100121-877-486-4756
Muji455 BroadwayNew York, NY 10013(212) 334-2002

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: October 2014

October was a surprisingly spendy month for me. Not that I don't do some crazy shopping most months of the year, but I didn't actually expect to spend so much (or find so many deals) last month. More surprising was that it all started with The Body Shop. I usually only shop there once or twice a year, when they're having their crazy good sales, so when I got an e-mail saying they were having a sale for 50% off all their body products, I took the opportunity to stock up:

Bar Soap in Honeymania (x3), Shea, Moringa, Mango, Satsuma, and Pink Grapefruit at $2.50 each
Shower Gel in Moringa, Mango, Honeymania, and Pink Grapefruit at $4.50 each
Spa Wisdom Africa Shea Butter & Sesame Body Balm and Spa Wisdom Polynesia Monoi Body Balm at $12 each
Body Butter in Japanese Cherry Blossom, Atlas Mountain Rose, Fijian Water Lotus, and Indian Night Jasmine at $10 each
The best shower poufs in the world (!) at $1.50 each
And then Lush came out with their holiday stuff. You might have noticed that I've slowed down on my Lush hauling. I go through phases with Lush, and their spring/summer offerings never entice me as much as their fall/winter ones. But I still have about 20 bubble bars and bath bombs from last year that I have yet to use, so I've decided to keep those to a minimum this holiday season. It's not too difficult for me as I don't take baths often and I don't like most of their holiday scents. But I did make one exception, and that is So White. It smells like fresh, crisp apples. Not the cloying, overly sweet, artificial apple smell. But the real, slightly tart kind. And it's amazing. It doesn't smell Christmassy at all, so I'm not sure why they only release it during the holidays, but it's possibly the best scent that Lush has ever come out with (along with my beloved Slammer Shower Gel, which was discontinued). So I picked up one bath bomb even though I said I wouldn't buy anymore this year. Because I will clean my tub and carve out time to take a bath just to use that damn thing. And because the Lush gods finally heard my pleas, they have also released So White Shower Gel (!), so I obviously had to buy the biggest bottle of it that I could find. I also picked up a tub of the new Snowman Shower Jelly 'cause y'all know my love for their shower jellies and this one smells fresh and fruity (again, don't know why this is released for holiday only). And I finally bought the New Charity Pot (I hated the original, but the new one has a lovely soft floral scent), of which 100% of the selling price goes to grassroots charities.
Lush So White Bath Bomb, So White Shower Gel, Snowman Shower Jelly, and New Charity Pot Body Lotion
Then Sephora happened. Sephora always happens. But this time around, I went in with my friend Viv, and her friend who works there gave us two Friends & Family sale coupons, which entitled us to get 20% off. I was like, "What! Pre-VIB-sale sale!" So, I bought things:
Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder in Aura and Perversion Mascara
NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia, Callisto, and Phoebe
Lancôme Grandiôse Mascara and Artliner Precision Point Eyeliner in Noir
Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Face Exfoliant
Aritzia, notorious for only ever having sales at the end of seasons, surprised their Canadian customers by having a ridiculously good online-only Thanksgiving weekend sale: 40 - 60% off fall/winter styles. So, yet again, I found myself having to take full advantage:
TNA Redington Jacket (for $69.99 from $120) and Babaton Alfred T-Shirt (for $42.50 from $75)
Wilfred Arnauld Blazer (for $112.50 from $225) and Babaton Augustus Blouse (for $59.99 from $120)
Finally, I bit the bullet and got myself the new iPhone 6. I'd been using an iPhone 4S for two years and it's been slowly deteriorating (apps freezing up, phone restarting on its own, battery life draining exponentially faster, etc.), on top of the fact that 32GB just wasn't cutting it. I started having to delete a photo for every new one I wanted to take. So I reserved a silver 64GB iPhone 6, and it arrived this past weekend. Signed a new two-year contract (in which they let me keep my grandfathered 6GB data plan), redeemed my Fido dollars, and got my phone for about 1/3 of the retail price. 
Apple iPhone 6
And as I am writing this on the heels of a shopping spree from Sephora's VIB Rouge sale, I can tell you now that November is looking to be even more dangerous than this past month.