Photolog 2018: Day 336 of 365

A belated birthday gift from my friend Chelsea! Two pairs of my favourite fuzzy socks from Bath & Body Works, the cutest birthday card I have ever seen (it has beaded sushi on it), a mint green We Bare Bears power bank from Miniso (I have the black one already but had wanted an extra one in case I forget to charge one), and a $50 Uniqlo gift card. Just in time for the KAWS x Sesame Street collab!

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: Haul No.72

Welcome to 2018! What better way to start off the year than a haul post? December wasn't really that exciting for me in terms of shopping because I bought so much in November (and also because it's that time of year to give to others, so I did buy more gifts for others than myself), but I did get score a few really good deals and received some sweet Christmas presents, too.

Etude House Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Foam, It's Skin Supersize Pore Tightener, It's Skin Aloe Relaxing Toner, and It's Skin Pure Moisture Snow Blossom Essence
May Coop Raw Sauce
The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Set
The Face Shop Love All the Wishes Hand Cream Set
December was the month of Korean skincare. On a trip to Pacific Mall with my friend Viv, we discovered that It's Skin was having 40% off all of their products, so I picked up an Etude House Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Foam, a bottle of their Aloe Relaxing Toner, a jumbo bottle of their Pore Tightener Toner, and a bottle of Pure Moisture Snow Blossom Essence. Sephora sent me a coupon for $25 off a $50 purchase for being a VIB member, which they do every December (I guess it's to keep up the shopping momentum after their VIB sale in November). I ultimately decided on a bottle of May Coop Raw Sauce which helps considerably with hydration and skin texture (and I found out that Sephora has just stopped carrying it, much to my dismay). Finally, The Face Shop was having a Buy 1, Get 1 Free sale on all of their holiday sets, so I picked up two of their Rice Water Bright Cleansing Sets (which comes with full size and travel size formats of their Foaming Cleanser and Makeup Remover for Eye & Lip) for $19, and two of their Holiday Hand Cream Sets (with Sweet Berry, Love Blossom, and Romantic Musk scents) for $15. 
Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Birchwood & Juniper, Garden Sage & Mint, and White Cherry & Thyme
Bath & Body Works Wallflowers in Turquoise Waters Fresh Bamboo, Midnight Blue Citrus, Cucumber Melon, and Blue Ocean Waves
I also took advantage of Bath & Body Works' Semi-Annual Sale, along with my $10 off coupon and snagged some Gentle Foaming Hand Soaps and some new Wallflowers. Nothing that exciting, but I love the aesthetic of these particular hand soaps, and the much more luxe, sophisticated scents. Wish they had decided to keep them permanent.

Fruits & Passion Cucina Lime Zest & Cypress Olive Oil Hand Soap and Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate & Argan Oil Nourishing Hand Therapy
NARS NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette
Sonix iPhone 7 Plus Ice Cream Case 
I got some lovely Christmas gifts last month. My Secret Santa at work got me a huge bottle of my favourite hand soap (I have been raving about this stuff at work for the last couple months) as well as a tube of Crabtree & Evelyn's Pomegranate & Argan Oil Nourishing Hand Therapy after she found out that it was my go-to hand cream for years (the only reason I stopped buying it is because I no longer lived near any Crabtree & Evelyn stores). My friend Chelsea got me the NARS NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette that I'd been eyeing, along with a new tube of my favourite Urban Decay Perversion Mascara. My mom, who got me for our family Secret Santa, got me two big bags of Starbucks ground coffee and a cute coffee mug because she knows my caffeine addiction is real. My friend Viv got me the Sonix Ice Cream phone case I wanted for months (as it turns out, she sneakily bought it while we were at Pacific Mall together).

BTS Love Yourself 承 'Her' EP
And finally, my friend Shannon got me the BTS Love Yourself 承 'Her' EP after hearing me go on and on and on about BTS for the last two months. (She told me, "In the years that I've known you, this is the fastest and most intense I have ever seen you get obsessed over something." It's totally true.) I haven't bought a physical copy of a music album in a long, long time (I pretty much exclusively use Apple Music these days), so I was surprised and absolutely delighted to see how gorgeous the latest BTS record is. Along with the CD (that has two bonus tracks!), it comes with a beautifully bound photo and lyric book as well as a mini book of notes written by the members (apparently there are four different versions of the physical album and each one comes with a different book of notes and they all tie in to the insanely elaborate story that they've been telling through their music videos and short films for the past two years; it's one of the most intriguing concepts I've ever seen by any musical artist), all in stark white with a holographic abstract floral design. It's honestly the most gorgeous physical music album I've ever owned.

If there's one thing I can predict, it's that I will only become more obsessed with BTS in 2018.

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: Haul No.71

Both my birthday and Black Friday happened in November, and I was totally spoiled this year. By my friends and, you know, myself. Because if there's one thing I've learned about myself in the last 31 years, it's that I cannot resist a sale. Discounts are my kryptonite and I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to shopping at marked down prices. (Plus, I got birthday money. Which means more shopping.)

Pat McGrath Labs LuxeTrance Lipstick in Donatella and LaBeija
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger and Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
Hourglass Ambient Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette
Violet Voss Taupe Notch Eyeshadow Palette
Huda Beauty Textured Shadows Palette Rose Gold Edition
As any good beauty addict will know, November means the Sephora VIB sale. Now, as I already stocked up quite a bit during October's Friends & Family sale, I didn't go too overboard this time around, but did pick up a few select items (because, you know, it would've been churlish not to). I caved and finally got the two Pat McGrath Labs LuxeTrance Lipsticks that I'd been eyeing but refused to pay full price for (despite how goddamn stunning the colours and packaging are, I do think the brand in general is overpriced), the new Hourglass Ambient Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette that I originally ignored before swatching in person and then totally fell in love with (the original palette is nice but way too subtle for me and this new metallic one is stunning), the new Violet Voss Taupe Notch Palette (I have been waiting for them to finally release a cooler-toned neutral palette), and the Huda Beauty Rose Gold Palette that I had been resisting for the better part of a year (it has somewhat mixed reviews, but I bought one for my friend Shannon for her birthday and actually tried it out on her, and it performs beautifully). I also picked up another tube of NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base — my holy grail staples that I've been using for a few years now — that I had simultaneously ran out of in the same week.

Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Prism Palette
Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief Eucalyptus Spearmint Gentle Foaming Hand Soap and Eucalyptus Spearmint Shea Butter Hand Cream
Bath & Body Works Lambie Shea Infused Lounge Socks, Aromatherapy Stress Relief Eucalyptus Spearmint Nourishing Body Cream, and Aromatherapy Stress Relief Eucalyptus Spearmint Candle
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Toilette
Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum, Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, and Boscia "Clearly Beautiful" Peppermint Blotting Linens
I also got some amazing birthday presents this year from my friends that showed just how well they know me. My friend Chelsea got me the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette that I have been drooling over since preview swatches were released a few months ago. My friend Shannon got me the Anastasia Beverly Hills Prism Palette that I was hell-bent on getting during the VIB sale (she actually gave me my gift early so she'd beat me to the punch), as well as two bottles of Foaming Hand Soap and two tubes of Shea Butter Hand Cream from Bath & Body Works in my favourite Eucalyptus Spearmint scent. My love for Eucalyptus Spearmint is so well-known, in fact, that my friend Milly surprised me with a birthday gift that included both the Body Cream and the 3-Wick Candle, along with a pair of my favourite Shea Infused Lounge Socks adorned with the cutest fluffy lamb. My friend Amanda, who now works for Shiseido in the Dolce & Gabbana fragrance department, gifted me a bottle of Light Blue (it was my go-to fragrance for years before I started using Fresh Sugar Lychee) after I asked her to get a bottle for me with her discount a few weeks prior. And my friend Viv got me some of my go-to staple beauty products from Sephora, including a new travel size Fresh Sugar Lychee, a tube of Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, and a pack of Boscia Peppermint Blotting Linens in the cutest special deco packaging for holiday.

MAC Snow Ball Gold Face Bag
MAC Snow Ball Pigment and Glitter Kit in Pink and Gold
MAC Oval 6 Brush
On my actual birthday, my friend Shan also gifted me with some of the MAC holiday sets that she knew I'd been eyeing, including the Snow Ball Gold Face Kit, which contains one of my favourite and most-used highlighters of all time, Whisper of Gilt. Not sure why MAC hasn't made this permanent yet as it's been five years since its first launch and people are still going crazy over it, but until then, I need all the back-ups. And this year's version is the most gorgeous I've ever seen it in rose gold packaging and a snowflake imprint on the powder. Plus, it comes with the 140S brush, which is one of my favourite powder brushes (I bought three of them when they launched). She also got me both of the Pigment and Glitter Kits, 'cause she knows my love for eye bling, and she added an Oval 6 brush as well, which is my favourite face blending brush. It was honestly too much from her, but I really, really appreciated it.

Bobbi Brown Bobbi to Glow Highlighting Trio
Philosophy Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in Melon Daiquiri and Señorita Margarita
The Face Shop Chia Seed Fresh Foaming Cleanser and Belif Bergamot Herbal Extract Toner
Illume Sugared Blossom Lavish Hand Cremes
ILNP Nail Polish in Ava, Cable Car, Treehouse, By Nightfall, Cityscape, and West Wing
As for Black Friday, I didn't go crazy but as I mentioned, discounts are my kryptonite, so you know I had to buy a few things. After perusing the Sale section on Sephora's website, I ended up getting the gorgeous Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder Trio for $64 from $85 (I was actually quite surprised to find it on sale at all, so I knew I had to snatch it up right away), plus two of my favourite Philosophy Shower Gels in Melon Daiquiri and Señorita Margarita for $15 each from $22. The Face Shop was having a 40% discount on everything on Black Friday, so I picked up my favourite Chia Seed Fresh Foaming Cleanser and a bottle of the new Belif Bergamot Extract Herbal Extract Toner, plus a massive glass bottle of Fruits & Passion Cucina Olive Oil Hand Soap and a tube of Nourishing Hand Butter in Lime Zest & Cypress. My current favourite hand cream, Illume's Sugared Blossom, was on sale at Indigo for 30% off, so I bought two more tubes. (I'm not usually that into vanilla scents, but this one is blended with jasmine and sandalwood and it's absolutely gorgeous.) I also got quite a big paycheque from Ebates last month, so I bought a bunch of cool new ILNP nail polish shades from Nail Polish Canada. (While not actually on sale, I technically got them for free and I ordered them on Black Friday, so I'm counting it as a Black Friday deal.) Finally, I also bought a few non-beauty items: the black Babaton Markos Coat from Aritzia at 10% off (not exactly a steal, but I was planning on buying this coat regardless so a little discount was better than none), plus another pair of my favourite Black Pepper Boyfriend Sweatpants and the matching Black Pepper Original Kanga Hoodie from Roots at 30% off.
Now I'm just waiting patiently for Boxing Day.

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: Haul No. 69

Remember how I was all like, "I need to cool it with makeup for the next month" in my last haul post? Well, I didn't. And it's all Rihanna's fault.
Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Blotting Powder, Portable Highlighter Brush 140, Match Stix Matte Skinstick in Sand, and Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 240
When the first swatches and descriptions of Fenty Beauty's products came out, I had totally written the whole line off. The highlighters caught my interest at first (of course) and then I read that they were "cream-to-powder" which quickly killed any desire to get them. I have a primer, concealer, foundation, and blotting powder that I am totally happy with. I didn't need or want anything from Fenty Beauty. But then the reviews and first impressions videos starting rolling out. Reviews from people of all skintones and skin types. My colleagues fell in love with the products and kept raving about them. So, I went to see for myself. And what d'ya know? I was suckered in. And pretty much bought everything. Even the liquid foundation. If you know me, you'll know that I do not use liquid foundation. Pretty much ever. They generally feel too heavy or clingy or sticky, take too long to apply, and then I'd have to get a powder specifically to set it. But this formula dries down fast, feels super lightweight, is easy to blend out, and has a soft matte finish. It definitely falls more into the medium coverage category than full, but it otherwise does what it says it will. The only downfall is that it oxidizes. Like crazy. It was the perfect shade for about three hours, and then it slowly got darker and darker and darker. To the point where I had a colleague ask me if I added bronzer to my face on my lunch break. So I will probably get a lighter shade to mix and test it again. (Props to Rihanna for launching 40 shades of foundation in one go, but I still can't find the perfect shade for me — where's the light to medium shade with yellow undertones?) If that fails, then sadly, I'll have to return it.
I also picked up the concealer stick, which I actually ended up really liking. I prefer it underneath my powder foundation rather than on top of the liquid (it doesn't seem to sit or blend as well on top of liquid), but it's smooth, not too creamy nor too waxy, gives medium coverage, and is really blendable so it looks like it's apart of the skin. They market these sticks as conceal/correct/contour sticks, but I got the shade that actually matches my skintone to use as a concealer and it's been great for covering the redness and freckles on my cheeks. It doesn't replace my love for the Hourglass Vanish foundation stick or my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, but it does the job and is cheaper than both. And as I'm always on the lookout for a good blotting powder, I also picked up the Invisimatte Powder. I'm usually weary about white translucent powders because they can end up looking ashy on the skin, but this really does go on invisibly, no matter how much I pack on. It doesn't keep me matte as long as MAC's Blot Powder, but I will say that my skin does look smoother and more diffused after using it. I don't know if I'd buy it again at $40 a pop, but I don't regret getting it. I keep it in my purse as my touch-up powder right now. The most surprising thing that I ended up loving is the portable highlighting brush. I use it for my blotting powder or my MAC Studio Fix Powder when I'm on the go. The shape is ideal for touching up oily T-zones, and the angle is perfect to get right in the nose crevices. I also get those annoying indents on my nose from my sunglasses, and I use this brush to blend them right out 'cause it's small enough not to disturb the rest of my makeup. I'm considering buying a second one.
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer
I was hesitant to pick up the Fenty Beauty primer because I'm so satisfied with The Ordinary's High-Spreadability Fluid Primer, but I decided to give this one a go because the texture is lovely. I don't really have an issue with The Ordinary's because it's ultra lightweight, but it still has a slightly slick, velvety dry down from the silicones that I can feel on my face after I've applied it (nothing to the extent of heavier silicone-based primers like Smashbox, Benefit, Too Faced, or Becca, all of which feel heavy and almost sticky — I would say it's most comparable to Hourglass; not enough to bother me, but still somewhat noticeable). The Fenty Beauty primer is more like a lotion texture, which I initially had my doubts about because I've found that primers with this kind of texture usually makes the skin look shinier (e.g. Laura Mercier, MAC, Marc Jacobs, etc.), but this one gives my skin a soft matte finish while also smoothing out texture and keeping my skin feeling hydrated without feeling clingy or balling up. It doesn't keep me matte as long as The Ordinary's and it's not a replacement, but I think it'll be a nice option for colder weather. It also looks amazing over bare skin — it gives a filter-like diffusing effect, just as the name implies.
Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Metal Moon and Trophy Wife
Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter Duo in Lightning Dust/Fire Crystal, Mean Money/Hu$tla Baby, Girl Next Door/Chic Phreak, and Ginger Binge/Moscow Mule
When I finally got around to swatching the highlighters in person, I realized that they are not cream-to-powder as marketed. They are straight-up powders. What they mean to say is that they are creamy powders; they have a soft, smooth texture that goes on like a cream but they are powder-based. If I had to compare them to another formula, I'd say the closest would be Becca. Trophy Wife, the one that's been getting the most hype, is an intensely sparkly yellow gold that looks kinda scary at first but blends out beautifully. It's not gonna be for everyone and it's definitely geared for deeper skintones, but the finish is stunning and it looks amazing as an eyeshadow as well. On the flip side, Metal Moon looks scarily white in the pan but goes on as a soft pearly champagne sheen that actually looks quite subtle on the skin; I've been loving it mixed with Trophy Wife. The duos include a shade that has a softly illuminating satin finish that's great for eyebrow and nose highlighting (or a more subtle cheek highlight), and then a high-shine metallic shade that's for beaming, almost wet-looking cheekbones (or eyeshadow, if you wish). Basically, I had to buy them all. So I did. And I don't regret it one single bit.
MAC Select Extra Dimension Duo Compact in Select 1 and Select 2
MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipstick in Nicki's Nude and The Pinkprint
MAC x Nicki Minaj Nude Lipstick in The Right Note, Stripped, A Girl's Got Needs, Easy Babe, Mmmmmm, Baby's All Right, Among the Fireflies, and Age/Sex/Location
I like that MAC is streamlining their limited edition collections now so people can get more excited about new launches. You'll notice that MAC is coming out with one major collection every season now instead of multiple collections every month, which was a smart move because only hardcore collectors could keep up with the almost-weekly launches. Aside from the Extra Dimension Duo Compacts that are exclusive to Select members (which I don't count as a collection), MAC has only released one limited edition collection for fall — their collaboration with Nicki Minaj. I'm totally indifferent to Nicki Minaj, but the collab is a nude lipstick collection and I am a nude lipstick addict, so I got really excited about it and ended up buying both of Nicki's lipsticks (the ones that she created herself) and eight of the accompanying nude shades that I hope will become permanent at some point. And now I look forward to the massive holiday collection that MAC will launch next month.

The Chemistry Brand Extreme Hydration Concentrate
The Chemistry Brand Hand Chemistry
The Chemistry Brand HA3 Hand Hydrator
I'm kind of obsessive about hand cream because I have to sanitize my hands so often and also have hand eczema. After doing some research, I learned that Deciem makes some phenomenal formulas under The Chemistry Brand, which is the only brand in their umbrella that has hand products. They have three different formulas: Extreme Hydration Concentrate ($20 for 100 ml), which creates a protective barrier on the hands to provide long-lasting hydration; Hand Chemistry ($7 for 30 ml), which focuses on firmness, elasticity, density, evenness, brightness, texture, smoothness and hydration; and HA3 Hand Hydrator ($9 for 60 ml), which provides instant hydration, lasting hydration, and below surface hydration. I didn't know which one would work the most effectively because they all sound phenomenal, so I bought all of them.

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Moisturizing Body Cream in Focus and Stress Relief
Bath & Body Works recently revamped their entire Aromatherapy range. I've always loved the Aromatherapy line for the Eucalyptus Spearmint and Eucalyptus Tea scents (both were under the Stress Relief name, but now Eucalyptus Spearmint is called Stress Relief and Eucalyptus Tea is called Focus), but the packaging was absolutely hideous and it was always more expensive than all their Signature scents so it was never included in their promotions. But the range finally got re-designed into much sleeker packaging, and although it's still at a slightly higher price point, it's also now included in promotions. Aromatherapy was on a Buy 2, Get 2 Free, so I stocked up on the body creams, but I do wanna try the new Nourishing Body Oils and Oil to Cream Cleansers next.
Drybar Super Lemon Drop and Verb Blow Dry Brush
I bought some hairbrushes from Sephora. I'm not huge into hair products or anything, but I wash my hair everyday, which means I have to detangle wet hair and blow dry hair every day, and hairbrushes have become important. I have a Tangle Teezer, which does a phenomenal job at detangling wet hair effortlessly, but I absolutely hate the design of it. They say that it's "ergonomically designed to fit snugly in your palm for creative styling and easy handling." Well, I pretty much drop it on the floor every time I use it because I can't get a good grip on it. So I decided to go back to my trusty Lemon Drop by Drybar, which I was using before I had bought the Tangle Teezer. It detangles almost as well as the Tangle Teezer (which I admit still wins in the detangling department) but it has a soft-touch handle that is slip-free (it's also bright yellow, which just makes me happy). I was also looking for a new brush for blow drying hair because my old Sephora one is looking seriously frayed (the heat from the blow dryer has pretty much dented all the bristles and melted the plastic nubs off) and came across the Blow Dry Brush by Verb. Aside from being gloriously lightweight (also with a slip-free handle!) that makes it easy to drag through wet hair, it actually cuts my drying time in half. I thought the reviews were just bullshitting, because all brushes that are marketed for blow drying has a claim that it speeds up drying time. But no, seriously, I can dry my (really) long hair in about three minutes. Three minutes! I'm buying a backup.
Casetify iPhone 7 Plus phone cases I got some new phone cases from Casetify. I kept seeing their ads pop up on Instagram and saw some cute designs so I finally checked them out, proving that social media marketing really works. But what I think really sets them apart from other device case companies is just the sheer amount of variety they have in their designs. Like, hundreds and hundreds, for a multitude of technological devices. You can do custom designs, too. And once you've picked the design you want, you can actually pick the type of case you want — glitter, snap, grip, leather, etc. So if you want a case that has pizza and burgers, or sushi and ramen, or ice cream cones with holographic unicorn glitter, you totally can.Cocofloss in Fresh Coconut, Pure Strawberries, and Cara Cara Orange
Also, I ordered some really bougie dental floss after reading about it on Karen's blog. Random, I know, because I don't usually make quite a fuss about dental hygiene. But I haven't gone to the dentist in years (I know, I'm really bad because I have benefits, too, so I really have no excuse) and I really want to take better care of my teeth other than brushing twice daily. So I ended up buying two three-packs (which includes Fresh Coconut, Pure Strawberries, and Cara Cara Orange — so extra, but it makes something really tedious that much more fun). I figure this way, I can make myself feel guilty for not flossing because I'll be all, "You bought some overpriced hipster floss and you're just gonna waste it?" And honestly, it's totally working. I've been flossing everyday for a week now. 

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: May and June 2016

Hello! I've been crazy busy with work recently, so I apologize for this blog lacking in any real posts lately. The past several weeks have seemed to go by simultaneously fast and slow. I say fast because it seemed to whiz by as most months do in adult life. (Like, hi, it's already June.) But I mean slow in the sense that a lot happened and I accomplished quite a bit in a span of a month: taking trips to both Montreal and New York City, doing tons and tons of makeup appointments (prom and wedding season is upon us), interviewing for a higher position, getting promoted (!), etc. But I somehow found the time to do copious amounts of shopping in between.

Bella Pella Glycerine Soaps in Watermelon, Marula and Neroli, and Pear and Vanilla
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Caramello and Baci
Paul & Joe Limited Compact in 010 with Powder Blush in 01
Last month's haul started in Montreal, where I bought exactly six items. I didn't want to do any excessive shopping there partly because the retail tax rate is higher in Quebec than it is here in Ontario, but mostly because I was going to NYC literally one day after I came back from Montreal and I needed to save money for that trip. So aside from food, all I bought were three glycerine bar soaps from the Bella Pella boutique on Rue Mont-Royal, plus two Stila liquid lipsticks in Baci and Caramello (I'm not a fan of most liquid lipsticks, but I tried one of my friend's and actually liked the texture of this formula), and a super-cute Paul & Joe compact that I filled with a highlighting powder blush duo a sparkly warm ivory and a shimmering peachy beige) from Pharmaprix because they were having their 20x Optimum Points event. (Also, does anyone know if Shoppers Drug Mart carries Paul & Joe here?)

Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel
Marc by Marc Jacobs New Q Natasha Crossbody Bag
Uniqlo Cotton Stoles and Drape Pants
Uniqlo Drape Pants
Uniqlo Liberty of London and SPRZ NY Andy Warhol Slippers
That brings me to my trip to NYC, where I surprisingly didn't buy a single cosmetic item (!). I did, however, spend a good chunk of change on two new handbags. Bloomingdale's was having a Friends & Family sale, so when I saw that they had the Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel that I had been eyeing for months at 35% off, I snatched that baby right up. On a whim, I decided to take a look at their clearance section as well and ended up finding a Marc by Marc Jacobs New Q Natasha Crossbody Bag for 40% off, so I got that one, too. Needless to say, most of my budget went to those bags. The only other things I got were some favourite basics from Uniqlo: a couple of new lightweight scarves, a few more pairs of my favourite Drape Pants, and a couple pairs of new slippers (the floral print is a collaboration with Liberty of London, and the Andy Warhol print is a collaboration with MoMA).

Urban Decay Alice Through the Looking Glass Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Sheer Obsessed and Sheer Rapture and Revolution Lipstick in Lovelight and Native
Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Insanity, Uptight, Weirdo, Criminal, Backtalk, and Violate
I didn't buy any cosmetics in NYC, but I totally made up for it when I got back. I ended up making not one, but two orders on Urban Decay's website this past month. Their collaboration with the Alice Through the Looking Glass movie came out in early May, and while the lipsticks didn't interest me in the least, the eyeshadow palette was just too gorgeous to pass up. It's like a piece of art: frivolous and whimsical and not particularly practical to use, but made with great care and attention to detail and is just plain nice to look at. The shadows themselves are beautiful, of course, as you would expect from Urban Decay; smooth, silky, and pigmented, with equal parts neutrals and brights, frosts and mattes, that reflect the fanciful world of Alice in Wonderland to a tee. A must-have for make-up collectors. I also snatched up four more Revolution Lipsticks in shades that I had wanted but didn't already have, because they were becoming discontinued and on sale for $12 a pop. Why were they being discontinued, you ask? To make way for the 100 shades of the new Vice Lipstick range, which was released on their website last week. They are $21 each, making them cheaper than the Revolution Lipsticks were, so I put an order in for my top six shades to start with (you'll notice that they are all in the nude family because that's what I tend to reach for the most these days, but I'll probably get a few brights in the near future and then a few darker shades for fall). A lot of the shades are actually the same ones that were released in the old Revolution formula but just with different packaging now, so I made sure to get brand-new shades that were released specially with this range.
MAC Vibe Tribe Gleamtones Powder in Dunes at Dusk
MAC Vibe Tribe Powder Blushes in Modern Mandarin, Painted Canyon, and Adobe Brick
MAC Vibe Tribe Eyeshadow Palettes in Wild Horses and Call of the Canyon
MAC Vibe Tribe Lipsticks in Hot Chocolate, Arrowhead, Pure Vanity, and Painted Sunset
MAC x Chris Chang Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Pressed Powder and Plum Princess Lipstick
MAC had their major summer launches in May, and I picked up the majority of the Vibe Tribe collection (which I have reviewed here, here, here, here, and here), and both the Transparent Finishing Pressed Powder (which I like for blotting and oil absorption) and the Plum Princess lipstick (a cool greyish mauve) from their collaboration with Chinese fashion designer Chris Chang. I actually really love the aesthetic of the Chris Chang collection, which features really fun bright shades of lipstick and eyeshadow in super-cute colourful packaging, but I just have too many similar colours that I don't get a lot of wear out of, so I just got my two must-haves.

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks in Sake, Thistle, Honeycomb, and Meringue
Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette
Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Eyeshadow Palette 

Of course, a month can't go by without doing a Sephora haul. I finally caved and bought four of the new Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche lipsticks (three of the original range that I'd been eyeing for months and a new one, Thistle, that was released about a month ago as part of their summer collection), plus two coveted eyeshadow palettes that finally came back in stock: the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette and the Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Eyeshadow Palette. Sadly, the latter palette is no longer available as Becca decided to pull it after they discovered discrepancies with their batches; some people got the lovely smooth, pigmented, buttery ones, and others got dry and patchy ones. Luckily, I got the former, but it's a damn shame they had to pull it, because the colours are gorgeous and cohesive, and neutral but not boring or predictable (surprisingly, given Jaclyn's affinity for ultra-warm, almost orange-leaning shades, this palette includes a lovely rosy mauve and a deep plummy brown), making it a very ideal palette for daily use and travel. Both Jaclyn Hill and Becca are getting a lot of flak for this right now, but I respect them for being so upfront about the issue and for upholding the integrity of their brand. As it is, I've been wearing it for a couple weeks now and it goes on beautifully and blends like a dream, so no complaints here whatsoever.

NARS Pro Prime Pore Refining Primer, Fresh Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream, and Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment
Philosophy Purity Made Simple Foaming 3-in-1 Cleansing Gel (x 2)
I have been on a hunt for a good silicone-free foundation primer that will keep my skin looking matte for longer, so I decided to pick up NARS' Pro Prime Pore Refining Primer. I am currently using Laura Mercier's Oil Free Foundation Primer, and it feels nice and lightweight, but isn't particularly mattifying or oil controlling, so I'm hoping the NARS one might be more effective. I'd also been looking for a good hydrating eye cream because wearing liquid eyeliner every day causes these dry patches on my lids and the inner corners of my eyes, so the girl at Sephora recommended Fresh's new Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream. I usually take recommendations by Sephora's salespeople with a grain of salt because I know that they have to sell a certain quota of new products from specific brands, but I'm very pleasantly surprised by how effective this eye cream is. The dry, flaky patches that were on my lids are now completely gone and I've only been using the cream for about two weeks (I had finished an entire jar of Kiehl's Avocado Eye Cream and it did nothing for me). I definitely recommend the Fresh one for anyone looking for extreme hydration without feeling greasy or heavy. Finally, I picked up a couple of essentials: a new tube of Fresh's Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment because I finished up my old one (it's fucking expensive but it works really well, it smells really good, and it's in a twist-up tube so I don't have to get my fingers all sticky), and two tubes of Philosophy's Purity Made Simple Cleansing Gel, my holy grail makeup removing cleanser.

A England Russian Soul Collection: Katyusha, Kalinka, Waltz of the Flowers, Polovetsian Dances, and Natasha's Dance / War & Peace
Chanel Le Vernis in 536 Émeraude
In nail polish news, I picked up A England's latest collection, Russian Soul, which includes five holographic shades inspired by Russian music and dance, and one single shade from Chanel's summer collection, Émeraude — one of the more unique colours I've seen from Chanel in a while. It seems that summer nail shades aren't just about brights and neons anymore, and I don't mind it at all.


Tony Moly Egg Pore Deep Cleansing Foam, Aquaporin Watery Essence, The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Skin, and The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Essence
Tony Moly Butter Mellow Hand Butter and Pure Milk Hand Cream
On a trip to Pacific Mall with Chelsea to look for phone cases (I ended up getting this awesome watermelon one by Sonix), we made a pit stop at Tony Moly to get some skincare. Tony Moly has become my go-to brand for reasonably priced skincare; they make my skin look and feel smooth and soft, they smell good, they come in cute packaging, and most importantly, I haven't had any reactions to their products. I've been very into lightweight, super-hydrating formulas after this past winter of experimenting with much heavier creams (which made me break out or leave patches of red bumps), so I ended up getting another tube of their Egg Pore Deep Cleansing Foam, a bottle of Aquaporin Watery Essence, plus their new Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Essence and Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Skin "to become fully moisturized and healthy through its excellent anti-oxidizing and moisture-strong effects." I also picked up two tubes of hand cream: the Butter Mellow Hand Butter to replace my L'Occitane Shea Butter Handcreme at a third of the price, and the Pure Milk Hand Cream to keep in my purse because it absorbs fast and isn't greasy. Their fruit-themed hand creams are decent (and in the cutest packaging you'll ever see), but I've found these ones to be more effective, especially since I have hand eczema.

Bath & Body Works Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gel in Gardenia & Fresh Rain, Oahu Coconut Sunset, and Moonlight Path
Bath & Body Works Shea & Vitamin E Body Lotion in Gardenia & Fresh Rain, Oahu Coconut Sunset, and Moonlight Path
Finally, I went to Bath & Body Works to stock up on some new body products. They were doing their "Buy 3, Get 3 Free" promotion on their signature products, so I got their Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gels and matching Body Lotions in Gardenia & Fresh Rain (fresh and floral with a hint of apple), Oahu Coconut Sunset (sweet, tropical, and beachy, 'cause it's summertime and sometimes you wanna smell like a piña colada), and Moonlight Path (calming jasmine and violet with a hint of musk — smells exactly like The Body Shop's White Musk scent, which was my favourite). I also had a coupon for $20 off a $50 purchase, so I bought a bunch of hand soaps and anti-bacterial hand gels as well. I had stopped using their hand soaps for a while because whatever they had put in there before had made my hands break out in hand eczema, but they changed their formula entirely (their hand soaps are no longer anti-bacterial but called "deep cleansing" instead) so I can use them again (I've been using them for about a week and no reactions!). Of course, now they're having their goddamn Semi-Annual Sale, so I'm tempted to go back for some Cucumber Melon products...

What did you buy last month? Any good deals? What are your favourite K-beauty brands? What's your favourite B&BW scent? Do you know of any good silicone-free foundation primers?