Photolog 2019: Day 234 of 365

The highlight of my day was buying bar soap that I'm not allergic to. Yes, that's the kind of day I had.

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: Haul No. 65

I will be the first to admit that I went a little overboard last month. Like, more than usual. In case you haven't been following me here, I got a big promotion at work near the end of March, and proceeded to spend all of April celebrating. And by "celebrating," I really just mean shopping. (That's the point of making more money, right? Who needs to be a responsible adult when there's makeup to be bought?)

Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette
Benefit Box o' Powder Blush in GALifornia and Rockateur
Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lipstick in Naked Dolly, Sugar Daddy, and Naughty Nude
Pinrose Eau de Parfum in Merry Maker and Sun Saint
Sephora Collection Sprinkle Me With Kisses The Voyager
As we all know, all my hauls start at Sephora because I have a sickness. I picked up a few things during the VIB sale, and then I asked my friend who works there to snatch up a few things for me as well. Last Friday, the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette was available for early purchase for one day on the Sephora app, so I immediately snatched it up. The swatches all over Instagram were giving me serious lady wood and I knew I had to get my hands on it ASAP. If it's anything like the Becca x Jaclyn Hill Face Palette, the Chrissy Teigen palette will become this year's summer staple for me. I asked my friend to pick up two Benefit blushes for me as well: the stunning new golden pink GALifornia, and the rose gold Rockateur, which I surprisingly didn't own yet despite having all of the other Benefit boxed blushes. I also got three new Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lipsticks (two nudes that I didn't own yet, Naked Dolly and Sugar Daddy, and another tube of Naughty Nude because I finished my old one); two new summer scents in Merry Maker (nectarine, grapefruit, and rose) and Sun Saint (sea salt, coconut wood, and lime) from new niche perfume brand Pinrose (it's always a risk to buy fragrance online before smelling them, but I actually ended up loving both of these); and the cutest new makeup bag that features two things I love — ice cream and lipstick.

Jeffree Star Cosmetics x Manny MUA Skin Frost in Eclipse
Jeffree Star Cosmetics Skin Frost in Siberian Gold and So Fucking Gold
Jeffree Star Cosmetics Androgyny Eyeshadow Palette
When Jeffree Star announced his collaboration with Manny MUA, I really wasn't that interested until I saw swatches of the Eclipse Skin Frost. Obviously, I needed it, 'cause you know how much I love my blinding highlight. Plus, I've been wanting the Androgyny palette for a while now because there's just nothing like it on the market right now and I'm a huge fan of the Beauty Killer palette — which houses some of the smoothest, most pigmented shadows I've ever used. Both of them were surprisingly in stock, so I snatched them up... and also saw that both the Siberian Gold and So Fucking Gold Skin Frosts were in stock (they were sold out when I bought Peach Goddess and King Tut), so I had to get those, too. I mean, if I'm gonna pay for shipping anyway, I best make it worth it.

MAC Min Liu Lipstick in Peach Blossom Pink and Dynasty Red; First Waves Pearlmatte Face Powder
MAC Justine Skye Iridescent Powder
MAC Extra Dimension Blush in Telling Glow and Faux Sure!
MAC 140S Brush (x 2), Next to Nothing Pressed Powder in Light Plus, and Next to Nothing Face Colour in Light Plus
While MAC's spring collection back in March did nothing to spark my interest, I did pick up a few new releases from last month. I got the two lipsticks and the Pearlmatte Face Powder from the Min Liu collaboration, not necessarily because the colours are unique or that they are must-haves, but because the whole design of the collection was so well-executed. Once a collector, always a collector, you know? I also snatched up the Justine Skye Iridescent Powder, which was the first product in MAC's Future Forward collaborations, and one of the most unique cheek/highlighting colours I've ever seen. (I seriously feel like a unicorn when I wear it. I get compliments on it every time.) And then I snagged a few new permanent products as well: the two Extra Dimension Blushes in Telling Glow and Faux Sure! that weren't released with theoriginallaunch (I think they were having production issues with it), the new Next to Nothing Face Colour and Pressed Powder (I'm not usually a fan of liquids for skin, but I've been enjoying using liquid as a base for my Studio Fix Powder, and the pressed powder to use for touch-ups — both of these give my skin a very soft-focus, almost airbrushed finish), and two of the new 140S brush that came out with Next to Nothing — the synthetic bristles actually work phenomenally to apply Extra Dimension products.

The Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Exfoliator and Seaweed Oil-Balancing Toner (x 2)
The Body Shop Shower Gel in Satsuma, Pink Grapefruit, and Strawberry
The Body Shop Shower Gel in Mango, Fuji Green Tea, and Olive
The Body Shop is having their "Buy 3, Get 3 Free" promotion right now and is giving 15% cash back through Ebates, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to stock up on shower gels since I'm at the end of my last bottle from Bath & Body Works. (As much as I love B&BW, I do like The Body Shop's shower gels more. The scents are cleaner and simpler, and they're more gentle on skin.) I got seven shower gels (two of Pink Grapefruit, 'cause it's my fave), 'cause I'm excessive like that. (Whatever, I just won't buy anymore until next year.) Plus, two bottles of my old stand-by Seaweed Oil-Balancing Toner and a tube of Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Exfoliator. I used to use these religiously when I was younger; I guess I stopped using them to try other things, but I forgot how affordable and effective The Body Shop's skincare is. On that note, can I just say that The Body Shop is slaying the packaging game right now? I am obsessed with the new design revamp.

Lovefresh Hand & Body Lotion in Pearl, Grapefruit, and Key Lime Coconut
Illume Hand Crème in Coconut Milk Mango, Cloverleaf Nectar, and Sugared Blossom
Folklore Hand Cream in Minty Elderflower, Juicy Raspberry, and Sweet Honey
Indigo Mixed Fruits Capacity Pouches in Pink Lemons and Blue Limes
I was buying a bunch of books online from Indigo and stumbled upon their sale section, which is always a dangerous game. Especially when you have an extra 10% coupon code. Case in point: I ended up buying three bottles of Lovefresh's Hand & Body Lotions and three tubes of Illume's Hand Crèmes for $13.50 each from $20, and three of these adorable new Folklore Hand Creams for $5.40 each from $8. (In case you're wondering why the hell a person needs so much hand cream, it's because I go through it like water. I have five going at the same time — one in my bag, one at my desk, one on my bedside table, one by the couch, and one in my brush belt at work — because my hands get so dry from washing and sanitizing them all the time. So, really, this hand cream haul might only last me, like, three months.) I also bought two adorable citrus-themed makeup pouches that I really didn't need, but were just too cute and summery to resist. (Also, is it weird that I haven't felt the need to buy makeup bags in years and I bought three all in the same week?)

Quay Australia On the Prowl Sunglasses in Black/Pink
Quay Australia x Desi Perkins High Key Sunglasses in Gold/Gold
Finally, I bought some new sunglasses. I'm not someone that buys a lot of eyewear in general, but after having the same ones for the past few years, I felt like trying something new. I've been hearing a lot about Quay Australia over the past year, and heard they were great for someone who likes wider frames (I have a big head, okay?), so I decided to check them out. Buying sunglasses online is risky because I don't have the kind of face shape that looks good with all styles, so I really had to look at specific frames that will look good on round faces. After much debate (and looking at dozens of photos of people wearing different sunglasses), I went for On the Prowl in black with pink reflective lenses, and High Key in gold with gold reflective lenses from the Desi Perkins collaboration. They're two styles that I had never tried before, and in colours that I would never have considered (I always stuck to classic black rectangular plastic frames with black lenses), but I really wanted to get out of my comfort zone. Plus, I figured that they're both really reasonably priced (both of them together are still half the price of designer sunglasses), so even if they didn't look good on me, I could sell them to a friend or colleague. But there was no need for that, because they are both surprisingly flattering and fit amazingly well, even with my Asian nose. So, take note, people with round faces and low nose bridges!
Now, with all of that behind, I promise May will be a no-extraneous-spending month for me. I'm going to NYC next weekend and need funds for all the glorious food I plan on eating.

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?

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: May 2015

For whatever reason, May seemed to go by way faster than any other month in recent memory. Maybe it's because prom/grad/wedding season has begun and I've been so crazy busy with make-up appointments that it's all been a blur, but it's almost as if we went straight from April to June. Though judging from all the things I hauled, it seems like all I did in May was shop. For blush. A lot of fucking blush.

Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony in 001 Pink Sunrise and 002 Coral Sunset
Kat Von D Everlasting Face Shaper Blush in Bellisima, Por Vida, Love Song, and Heartagram
Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Blush in Rapture and Score
Okay, and a couple highlighters because apparently, I'm in a cheek phase right now. I'm not usually into Estée Lauder, but we all know my sick obsession with these liquid-powder hybrid formulas (e.g. MAC In Extreme Dimension, NARS Dual-Intensity, etc.), and when I saw the Illuminating Powder Gelée that they released for this year's Bronze Goddess collection, I had to snatch it up. It's a beautiful champagne with a hint of peach, and it's not too light which is just perfect for summer. Plus, I got the last one at my local counter, so it was meant to be. And then, of course, at one of my many trips to Sephora, I also picked up Laura Mercier's Indiscretion. Like Lauder, I'm not huge on Laura Mercier and I'm rarely intrigued by their products, but once in a while, they'll come out with a stand-out product that makes me stop in my tracks and swatch. And it's usually a highlighter. And this year's is Indiscretion, a gorgeous soft rosy apricot with gold shimmer. Of course, my local Sephora sold out of it on the first day that they launched the summer collection, so when I was downtown for afternoon tea a couple weeks ago and saw that the Bloor location still had five in stock, I immediately grabbed one.

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelée
Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Powder in Indiscretion
Bobbi Brown was having their Friends & Family sale last month which entailed shoppers to 20% off everything, andEbates was having 8% cash back on all purchases from the Bobbi Brown website, so you know I had to take advantage. I was never really into Bobbi Brown before (are you noticing a trend here?), but I've recently gotten more and more intrigued with her products, especially after Liz featured one of their gorgeous Brightening Bricks on her blog. Add that to my ever-growing lemming for her Shimmer Bricks (can you believe I didn't have one?), and next thing you know, I bought two of each. I figured I should get some lipstick, too, since it's what made Bobbi Brown famous, so I bought three neutral shades of her Rich Lip Color. Not really sure how this formula differs from the other ones, but it's supposed to be lightweight, full-coverage, and long-lasting with a smooth, moisturizing feel. Anyone try these before? How do they differ from her original range?

Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick in Coral and Cranberry
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in Nectar and Rose
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in 31 Uber Pink, 32 Uber Beige, and 33 Uber Nude
Speaking of Ebates, I got a nice fat paycheque from all the shopping I did last quarter, so obviously, I did what anyone would do... and spent it on nail polish. Even though they're typically more autumn/winter shades, I ordered all four polishes from A-England's new Rossetti's Goddess collection. Whereas only one or two shades from A-England's last few collections intrigued me, all the shades from Rossetti's Goddess were just screaming my name. Nail Polish Canada is offering all four shades for $40.50, which is like getting one shade for free, so I ordered the set. I also ordered all six shades of Essie's Summer 2015 collection (also being offered as a set for $45) 'cause I thought they'd be fun cream shades to layer with glitter, as well as a new bottle of Seche Vite and a bottle of Seche Restore because I want to thin out some of my older polishes that are getting too thick or chunky.

A-England Rossetti's Goddess Collection Nail Varnish in Proserpine, Captive Goddess, Jane Morris, and Incense Burner
Essie Summer 2015 Collection Nail Polish in Pret-a-Surfer, Salt Water Happy, Private Weekend, Chillato, Peach Side Babe, and Sunset Sneaks
Rainbow Honey hasn't piqued my interest in a while (since last summer, actually), but their new Patisserie collection for Spring was just too cute to resist. What actually made me check it out initially was their adorable limited edition French macaron hand soaps, which come individually wrapped in gift-worthy boxes. I picked up all six scents which came in a set for $18, plus two of the nail polishes (Cotton Candy Meringue and Gâteau de Citron) from the Patisserie collection, the infamous Heisenberg (their Breaking Bad-inspired polish that had been out of stock for ages) and Konpeito! (which reminded me of unicorns, so I had to have it). And as a gift, they gave me a bottle of Peachy Sangria (peach, gold, and champagne glitters) and Pâte de Pistaches (pale pistachio green cream) for free.

Rainbow Honey French Macaron Hand Soap in Petit Four, Rose Macaron, Orange Confites, Pâte de Pistaches, Tea Biscuit, and Gelée de Fraises
Rainbow Honey Nail Lacquer in Heisenberg, Cotton Candy Meringue, Konpeito!, Peachy Sangria, Gâteau de Citron, and Pâte de Pistaches
Since finishing both my Fresh and Clinique face scrubs this past week, I decided to go into Sephora to look at some new options. My friend Adrian who works at my local store recommended me the REN Micro Polish Cleanser, which also foams up into a delightful creamy lather that smells like orange Creamsicle. So I grabbed that and I also picked up a big bottle of Ole Henriksen's Truth Serum (which, coincidentally, also smells like orange Creamsicle) to use when my Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair runs out (I think my skin has gotten used to it so I'm not really seeing any differences with it anymore). Then last weekend, my friend Cynthia went to the Shiseido warehouse sale, and scored me some awesome deals: two tubes of my favourite Pureness Deep Cleansing Foam (for $16 each from $28), two bottles of Pureness Balancing Softener (for $16 each from $32), a jar of Pureness Moisturizing Gel-Cream (for $22 from $42), and a bottle of the discontinued White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum (for $80 from $140). Suffice it to say, I'm set for skincare for a long while, and am hereby on a skincare ban (which is way more do-able than, say, a blush ban).

REN Clean Skincare Micro Polish Cleanser and Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster
Shiseido Pureness Deep Cleansing Foam (x2), Pureness Balancing Softener Alcohol-Free (x2), Pureness Moisturizing Gel-Cream, and White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum
The Body Shop Shea Body Whip, Mango Body Whip, Satsuma Body Purée, and Pink Grapefruit Body Purée
Finally, I went into The Body Shop on a whim (and with time to kill while waiting for Viv to get off work), and they were having their "Buy 3, Get 3 Free" promotion. I've been looking for lighter weight body moisturizers since all those body butters that I stockpiled during the winter now feel super-thick and sticky. So I ended up getting three Body Whips and three Body Purées for half-price, and split the deal with Viv (four for me, two for her because I am way more anal about moisturizing than she is). And that's it. I swear.
What did y'all buy last month? Any good deals/steals? Anything I need to check out?