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: Haul No. 67

Hello, August! I genuinely can't believe that the last month of summer is here. Time flies faster when you're an adult, but I honestly feel like I just came back from NYC (which was in May!) and now it's almost Civic Holiday weekend. It feels like I just did a haul post, and I've already accumulated enough to do another one? It's ridiculous. I did ease up on excessive spending in July, but managed to sneak in some naughty shopping. I mean, the damage I can do on my phone while sitting on the couch is pretty impressive. Online shopping is just too easy.

NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist and Sanskrit Saponins
The Ordinary High-Spreadability Fluid Primer (x 2)
I tried to keep skincare purchases to a minimum this month because I bought so many serums and moisturizers in June, but I was on the Deciem website to purchase a couple of bottles of my holy grail face primer that had just gotten re-stocked, and decided to continue browsing; partially because the primers are only $7.90 each and there's only free shipping in Canada on purchases over $25, but mostly because I've been intrigued to try more of Deciem's other products. I ended up getting two products from their NIOD brand: the Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist (or SDSM2), which is a "dermal treatment mist — not to be classified mistakenly as a 'toner' — that acts as a fundamental daily force against oxidative stress, water loss and the look of inflammation, all of which contribute to loss of visible skin quality over time," and Sanskrit Saponins, a "viscous and intense cleansing balm" that "visibly targets all forms of build-up, blemishes, congestion and impurities."

I haven't opened up the cleanser yet, but I have been using the SDSM2 for a few weeks now, and I gotta say, it might be the most impressive facial mist I have ever used. I didn't really know what to expect because most mists I've used are nothing to write home about. A lot of them have fancy packaging and come in various scents promising this and that, but they don't actually make a difference to my skin. In fact, they can make my skin feel even drier or more dehydrated than it was prior to using a mist. But SDSM2 leaves my skin feeling so hydrated for so long that I can forget to put moisturizer on. My cheeks can get itchy and red, but after I spray SDSM2, my skin immediately feels soothed and relieved. I guess what I'm trying to say is that SDSM2 gives both short- and long-term benefits, which is more than I can ask for in a face mist.
Lush Big Shampoo
On a whim, I decided to go into the Lush store while shopping with my friend Austin one afternoon, and ended up getting a tub of my tried-and-true Big Shampoo. I stopped buying Lush for a while because I just got sick of their products (when you have friends that work at Lush, you end up with a lot of products that you just can't get through before they expire), but one product that I maintain is worth getting is this shampoo. I use it twice a week (there's sea salt in it, so it can dry out hair if used everyday) and it's gloriously clarifying, getting rid of any grease and product residue without drying out my scalp. And my hair is shinier and fluffier without being frizzy. The majority of Lush's products are overwhelming in fragrance, but Big smells amazing — light, fresh, beachy, and citrusy (it kinda reminds me of Simply Limeade, which might be why I'm so drawn to it). I hadn't used it in a couple years, but now that I've started again, I don't know why I stopped using it to begin with.
Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Priming Spray, Naked Heat Palette, and Perversion Mascara (x 2)
One of my good friends now works for Urban Decay, and she picked up a few goodies for me last week. She got me a new bottle of their B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Priming Spray, which I actually like to use as a form of oil control on days that I'm not wearing makeup; the Naked Heat Palette, which I have been eyeing since the first swatches of it were leaked online several months ago (I absolutely do not need another red-toned eyeshadow palette, but it's so up my alley, I could not resist); and a couple more tubes of my holy grail mascara because I go through one of these every 1.5 months, so I like to have a nice little reserve of them. I've never understood how people can buy their staple products only after they've finished them. Like, if I'm in the middle of doing one eyebrow, and my eyebrow pencil finishes and I don't have another one in my stash? And all of a sudden, I have one perfectly sculpted brow and one that looks like a patchy tadpole? It's just too risky.
Sephora Rouge Gel Lip Liner in Creme de la Creme, Rose Wine, Rum Raisin, Wine-O, and It's Cherry
Anastasia Beverly Hills Aurora Glow Kit
It's not a real Denise haul if there isn't something from Sephora. Now, I usually don't care to try out new lip pencils (I stick to my tried-and-true MAC ones and never feel the need to venture out in this category) and I definitely don't ever give a shit about anything from Sephora Collection. But my friend Chelsea told me to try out Sephora's Rouge Gel Lip Liners, which quickly became her new favourites. So I went in store to swatch them, and I was sold. They're creamy, ultra-smooth, non-drying, long-lasting, come in a great range of colours, and are only $15 a pop (less if you have a Sephora hook-up like I do). I bought five shades (the basics: a nude, a rose, a plum, a wine, and a red) to start out with, but I'm probably gonna get a few others in brighter and darker shades. My only question is, why does no one talk about these?
At the end of June, Sephora sent out a coupon to their VIB Rouge members to get $15 off a $50 purchase. Whenever I get coupons like this, I always like to spend it on new and hyped products that I wanna try, but don't know if I'd pay full price for off the bat. Enter the Anastasia Beverly Hills Aurora Glow Kit. Now, I had originally written this off because I didn't think the shades would be particularly flattering. But it's surprisingly gorgeous on a multitude of skintones (I thought it would be like the Moonchild Glow Kit, which is pretty to look at but not very versatile for non-fair skintones) while being one of the most unique highlighting palettes on the market right now. I was very pleasantly surprised, and was really glad I ended up getting it. You can find my review of it here.
Ciaté London Glow-To Highlighter in Starburst and Moondust
Ciaté London Glow-To Illuminating Blush in Baby Doll and Date Night
Last week, Sephora had another coupon for VIB Rouge members to get $20 off a $100 purchase! Not sure why there's a sudden surge of these coupons right now — I think cosmetics companies are all hurting to make more money this year — but I'm not about to complain. I took this opportunity to get the new Ciaté London Glow-To Highlighters and Illuminating Blushes, which have been getting a ton of hype recently. I've always known Ciaté London as a nail polish brand, so when I originally heard they were expanding to makeup, I was deeply uninterested. (Butter London did this several years ago, and no one gave a shit.) But my friend Chelsea showed me her Ciaté products a few weeks ago, and after swatching them and applying them, I ate my words. I had to get both of the highlighters (obviously) and I got the two shades of blush that were still available. The other three shades are sold out, but I'm snatching them up when they get re-stocked, coupons be damned. 
Cirque Colors Nail Lacquer in Central Park After Dark, Lady Liberty, Paraiba, La Tropicale, and 8 Crazy Nights
Cirque Colors Nail Lacquer in Rhapsody in Blue, Vaporwave, Tanzanite, and Crystal Tokyo
ILNP Nail Polish in Surfboard, Super Juiced, Ruby Sky, After Party, Alexander, and Caesar
I went on a nail polish rampage. If you know me, you'll know that I go through phases with nail polish now. I used to buy dozens of nail polishes every month, but I've found that I get less and less intrigued as brands keep copying each other, and the amount of dupes I have just grows and grows. So I haven't bought nail polish since February. I decided to peruse Nail Polish Canada after receiving an email about some new collections they got in stock, and actually ended up getting a lot of shades from ILNP and Cirque Colors that are from much older collections (some of them are even discontinued). I always try to push myself to try a bigger range of shades, but what can I say? Cool brights, moody darks, and all things glittery are my go-to's all year round.
Quay Australia Hidden Hills Sunglasses
It's gotta be said that I am indifferent to Kylie Jenner. I've never really cared about her cosmetics line or her clothing company or any collaboration that she is involved in. But, I am on a sunglasses kick right now (I think I'm making up for all the lean years when I didn't care to wear sunglasses) and loveQuay Australia for their oversized styles (my head is big, my nose is flat, and my eyelashes are long — Quay makes great sunglasses that fit these facial features really, really well!), so when I saw the Hidden Hills style from the Quay x Kylie capsule collection, I fell in love. I never thought I'd actually ever go for a shield-style frame, but they kind of remind me of The Terminator and I'm obsessed.