Photolog 2020: Day 96 of 366

Nail day! Today's picks? Cirque Colors' NYFW with ILNP's Imagine That.

Photolog 2020: Day 61 of 366

Cirque Colors Nail Polish in Rhapsody in Blue
Before and After
I hadn't done my nails in nearly a month and they looked ATROCIOUS. (As you can see in the above photo on the left.) I don't think I have ever let them get this bad in the past nine years because MAC was fairly strict on makeup, hair, and nails being presentable at all times. I guess because I didn't have work for two months, I just didn't care? (I do my own nails, so I really have no one to blame but myself.) Quite frankly, I'm not sure why I didn't just take off my nail polish because it looks like half of it was eaten off. Anyway, I knew I had to do them today since I won't have another day off until Saturday. So I picked my favourite nail polish of all time: Cirque Color's Rhapsody in Blue. There is just something about this particular shade of blue that makes me inexplicably happy.

Photolog 2019: Day 84 of 365

Been having kind of a crappy day 'cause I had to get a blood pressure holter this morning, which means for the next 24 hours, I will have my blood pressure taken every 30 minutes by a cuff attached to a monitor that is on my body at all times. It's just annoying, 'cause aside from having a tight cuff on my upper arm all day, I also have to keep still when it's taking my blood pressure, which means that every 30 minutes, no matter what I'm doing, I can't move or talk (this legit happened to me while I was on the phone and walking up the stairs and it was just awkward). But my little order from Cirque Colors arrived this afternoon which brightened up my day. I ordered another bottle of my favourite nail polish colour of all time, Rhapsody in Blue, a bright cobalt blue (believe it or not, I actually finished up my old bottle). I also ordered NYFW, a royal blue creme, and Sapphire, a deep indigo with holographic flakes, 'cause you know I'm a sucker for blues. So, yeah, I'm just gonna chill out and do my nails and try to ignore the intense squeezing of my left arm every half an hour.

Photolog 2019: Day 8 of 365

So I finally tried out those BT21 winter edition nail stickers that my BTS merch seller gifted me... and they're actually a lot nicer than I expected. I've never really been a huge fan of embellished nails in general, but leave it to BT21 to change my mind.

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.

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: Haul No. 63

Ah, another month gone by. January was somehow a blur and yet felt oddly slow at the same time. I think after the excitement and chaotic pace of December, January always seems to lag. Everyone's especially broke, nothing exciting is being released, and the winter blues is setting in. January is definitely one of my slower shopping months for those reasons, though I did manage to snag a few goodies on my random outings.

Holika Holika Lazy & Joy Sweet Dessert Hand Cream Set
Holika Holika Lazy & Joy Fresh Egg Cleansing Foam
Holika Holika DoDo Cat Dust Out 3-in-1 Trans-foam Cleanser and Soda Pore Cleansing Deep Cleansing Foam
Holika Holika One Solution Soothing Super Energy Ampoule
One Korean beauty brand that I've never tried but have always been curious about is Holika Holika. They're a huge brand over in Asia, but no one really talks about them here because they aren't widely distributed like some other K-Beauty brands (e.g. Laneige and Tony Moly are both carried at other retailers like Sephora and Hudson's Bay). I've browsed their store on numerous occasions while walking through Pacific Mall, but never came out with anything because I didn't know where to start. Everything is so cute and colourful in there that it's a little overwhelming to take the time to look, so I decided to finally just spend a good 15 minutes in there to go through their offerings. What really caught my eye this time around was their collaboration with a Sanrio character named Gudetama, who is a lazy, depressed egg. I thought this was hilarious and oddly adorable, so I picked up the Fresh Egg Cleansing Foam (I currently use Tony Moly's version of this and love it) and the hand cream set because it was just too cute to resist. (Food themed products get me every time.) I also picked up their Soda Pore Cleansing Foam for deep-cleansing and another cleanser from their Audrey Jeanne collaboration that doubles up as an exfoliator, plus one of their new serums for soothing and hydrating the skin. We'll see how it goes with these. At the very least, I should have the cleanest skin, ever.

Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Priming Spray and Pixi by Petra Flawless & Poreless Primer
I was looking at Urban Decay's newly re-designed skin sprays and after reading descriptions and reviews, I decided to grab a bottle of their B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Priming Spray, which is meant to help balance skin, even skintone, and absorb oil. I've seen this for years at Sephora but never bothered trying it because no one ever talked about it. Rather than spraying it after makeup like their setting sprays, you're meant to spray this on before makeup or moisturizer. I've been using it for a couple weeks now and I gotta say, I see way more of a reduction in surface shine over the course of a day than when I've used any of their setting sprays (in fact, De-slick made me look oilier). So while the B6 spray can be used by all skin types, I especially recommend it for those with oily skin. On that note, I noticed that they started carrying Pixi Beauty at Shoppers Drug Mart now. The brand was exclusive to Target before they were pulled out of Canada so we didn't have access to the brand again until now. On a whim, I picked up the tester of their Flawless & Poreless Primer to try on my hand, because it's meant to "minimize shine and pores immediately and long-term." I'm fussy with my primers because I want them to help with skin texture and shine reduction but I also don't like the feeling of heavy silicone-based primers. So imagine my surprise when I tried this primer and felt that it was mattifying and smoothing but also lightweight. It doesn't feel tacky or thick or slippery, and my powder foundation wears really well on top of it. I've only been using it for a week, but so far, so good.

Too Faced Sweet Peach Creamy Peach Oil Lip Gloss in Peach Fuzz, Peach-sicle, and Papa Don't Peach
I also picked up the three Too Faced Sweet Peach Creamy Peach Oil Lip Gloss shades that I asked my friend Chelsea to grab for me at Sephora. They don't last very long on the lips (maybe a couple hours at most), which I'm not that particular about (because in the gloss world, long wear means sticky as fuck), but they do feel amazing on the lips. Truly creamy and moisturizing but also lightweight and completely stick-free, plus they make your lips look really plump and smooth. It does have a strong peach candy smell so if you're sensitive to scents, I'd definitely skip these, but I've been loving layering these on top of lipsticks to keep my lips hydrated. They feel especially nice if you've been wearing liquid lipstick for an entire day and your lips feel like a burning desert.

MAC Pro Palette Blush x 6 Palette with Trace Gold, Sincere, Peachtwist, Prism, Blushbaby, and Sweet as Cocoa
MAC Mineralize Charged Water Skin Hydrating Mist, Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator, Lightful C Marine-Bright Formula Softening Lotion, and Lightful C Marine-Bright Formula Essence
MAC Prep + Prime Essential Oils Stick and Lip Scrubtious in Sweet Vanilla and Candied Nectar
Of course, I picked up a bunch of stuff from MAC over the course of the month. Aside from the Caitlyn Jenner collection (reviews: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, Blush Duo, Eyeshadows, Lipsticks, and Cremesheen Glasses), I also built a new neutral six-pan blush palette with some of their permanent shades (I think we focus so much on their new launches that we forget about their awesome basic business products), some of my skincare essentials (I recently re-discovered my love for the Volcanic Ash Exfoliator, which I hadn't used in well over five years), plus some new skincare items that intrigued me, including their new Essential Oils Stick (I get dry patches and eczema on my elbows, hands, upper arms, etc., and this is really nice for calming and smoothing itchy or flaky skin) and two of their new lip scrubs in Sweet Vanilla and Candied Nectar (which is mango). While effective for removing flakes and dead skin cells, I've found that these scrubs are particularly great for removing hardcore stains from wearing ultra-bright or long-wearing liquid lipsticks.

INSP Holographic Nail Polish in Mon Amour, Lulu, Interstellar, Industrial Park, and Ski Lodge
INSP Ultra Chrome Flakies Nail Polish in The Road to Awe, Glory, Kaleidoscope, Mayfield, and Ferris Wheel
And finally, after being in a nail polish rut for the past few months where absolutely nothing from any brand was intriguing me, I discovered a gorgeous boutique nail polish brand named ILNP (which stands for I Love Nail Polish). Nail Polish Canada started carrying their colours, and I swear to you, if they didn't cost like, $15 a pop, I'd have bought at least ten more. They make the most gorgeous holographic effect shades, but my favourite finish from them is their Ultra Chrome Flakies, which are iridescent chrome-effect flake glitter polishes. They are stunning on their own and especially layered on top of other shades, but they're also some of the more unique glitter shades I've seen. If you're a nail polish junkie and glitter addict, you will be obsessed with ILNP's offerings.

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: August 2016

First week of September means it's time for my August haul!

Laneige Brightening Sparkling Water Pop Essence, Bright Renew Original Serum, and Water Bank Serum
Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens, Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, and Urban Decay Perversion Waterproof Fine-Point Eye Pen
Ebates was having a 16% cash back event (unheard of until now — the most I've ever seen is 12%) for Sephora, and it just so happened that I was finishing a lot of my skincare at the same time, so I took the opportunity to stock up on some new products. I've known about Laneige for well over a decade (back when they used to have kiosks at malls) but never bothered to try it out until now because no one here talked about them and I didn't know how well their products performed. But since Korean beauty brands have been getting so much attention lately, Laneige is finally carried at Sephora and the majority of their products have gotten rave reviews. So I decided to try out the Brightening Sparkling Water Pop Essence since I finished my beloved May Coop Raw Sauce and the Boscia Sake Treatment Water; the Bright Renew Original Serum to switch up from my MAC Lightful C Marine-Bright Formula Essence (the thing I find with brightening serums is that your skin gets used to them after a while and they seem to become less effective so I switch them every so often), and the Water Bank Serum because I finished my Tony Moly Aquaporin Watery Essence (which I quite liked, actually, but I'm always looking for new hydration serums). I also got some staples including a few packs of my favourite Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens and a couple new tubes of my holy grail Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, and I also picked up the new Urban Decay Perversion Waterproof Fine-Point Eye Pen because I'm always on the hunt for the next great liquid liner.

MAC Lightful C Marine-Bright Formula Softening Lotion Spray
MAC It's a Strike! Pearlmatte Face Powder in Trophy
MAC It's a Strike! Single Eyeshadow in Bowlarama, Gutter Gal, Bowl Out, Join My League?, and 300 Game
MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande 2 Lipstick and Lipglass
MAC Star Trek Trip the Light Fantastic Powder in Strange New Worlds, Highly Illogical, and Luna Luster; Pressed Pigment in The Naked Time, Bird of Prey, and To Boldly Go; and Nail Lacquer in Skin of Evil
Of course, August marked a big month for MAC. Firstly, they re-packaged my holy grail Lightful C Marine-Bright Formula Softening Lotion (they are now in spray mist form instead of pour-out form), so I picked up three bottles because I was running out of toner. Of course, you know I picked up a bunch of stuff from It's a Strike! (you can read my reviews here, here, and here), as well as the new Viva Glam Ariana Grande shades which launch in stores this Thursday, but the biggest collection of the season from MAC is, of course, Star Trek. Now, I'm not a Trekker or a Trekkie or even really a massive fan of the franchise, but I can appreciate its cultural significance and the gorgeous makeup collection that it inspired. I had to pick up all the Trip the Light Fantastic Powders, of course (review here), as well as the Pressed Pigments because you know my thing for glitter eyeshadow (review here), and the awesome nail polish in Skin of Evil because I have never seen a shade like it before. I left the lipsticks and the glosses because I'm not into frost/glitter finishes, but if you're into the new metallic lip trend, they're actually really wearable and worth looking at.

Makeup Geek x Kathleen Lights Highlighter Palette
Makeup Geek Single Eyeshadows
(Top: Casino, Sin City, Tiki Hut, Wild West, and Brownie Points
Middle: Tuscan Sun, Anarchy, Toxic, Fashion Addict, and Hot Pants
Bottom: Pillow Talk, Rebel, Hopscotch, Taboo, and Venom)
I hadn't bought anything from Makeup Geek in a while because I'd waiting for them to release a bunch of new things to make a big order (you know, to make the shipping cost worth it), and the time came when they released the new Kathleen Lights Highlighter Palette. If you don't know who Kathleen Lights is, she's a popular beauty vlogger/YouTuber. She's cute and does some interesting makeup looks, but I am pretty indifferent to her for the most part (e.g. I'll watch her videos once in a while, but don't feel the need to subscribe to her). In fact, I didn't even know about her collaboration with Makeup Geek until preview swatches of this highlighter palette started flooding my Instagram feed. But it was love at first sight and my inner highlighter fiend was drooling. (I'm actually surprised that Makeup Geek hasn't released highlighters previously given how successful their blushes have been, but maybe this test run with Kathleen Lights will encourage them to release highlighters permanently.) So I got that, plus 15 of Makeup Geek's new eyeshadow shades. I didn't actually need them, of course, but Makeup Geek is one of my favourite eyeshadow brands, and at $6 a pop, I couldn't resist.

OPI Nail Lacquer in Visions of Georgia Green, Green on the Runway, Suzi - The First Lady of Nails, How Great is Your Dane?, Stay Off the Lawn!!, "Liv" in the Gray, Today I Accomplished Zero, and Do You Have This Color in Stockholm?
Finally, I got some nail polish. I wasn't actually looking for anything in particular, but I had gotten a cash back from Ebates and decided to peruse Nail Polish Canada (because that's apparently what I do when I get extra money). I don't buy a lot of shades from OPI, not because I don't like them but because a lot of their collections just don't catch my eye, but I was looking for some new colours to wear for fall, and found some nice shades from the new Washington D.C. collection, as well as some fantastic colours from the older Nordic and Coca-Cola collections. You know, I've been so busy looking at shimmery, glittery, in-your-face nail shades for the past, like, four years, that I forgot how nice simple cream colours can be. I mean, don't get me wrong, I will be rocking the shit out of glitters come winter, but it's nice to switch it up once in a while, you know?

What did you buy last month? What are your go-to face serums right now? What makeup collections have you been drooling over lately? What colours will you be wearing on your nails this fall?

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: October 2015

So, remember how I was so proud of not buying anything at Sephora in September? Well, it was a seriously short-lived feeling. My friend recently started working at Sephora and she gave me a coupon for the Friends & Family event last month. It's like an early VIB sale, wherein the coupon entitles the holder to a 20% discount on everything during that time period (unlike the VIB sale, however, you must obtain a coupon and it is one-use only). Needless to say, I went a little crazy.

Farmacy New Day Gentle Exfoliating Grains, Rise 'n Shine Daily Moisture Lock, and Sleep Tight Firming Night Balm
Farmacy Lip Bloom in Apple Rosemary and Citrus Lemongrass
I was perusing the Sephora website when I stumbled upon a brand called Farmacy, whose slogan is, "Farmer cultivated, scientist activated." They patented an ingredient called "Echinacea GreenEnvy" that is used in all of their products, and "contains the highest known concentration of the phytochemical Cichoric Acid, a potent natural antioxidant which helps protect and firm the skin by inhibiting the enzymes that break down collagen." All their products also claim the following: naturally derived ingredients, free of parabens, free of formaldehyde, free or artificial colouring, and not tested on animals. I'm not one of those people who actively looks for all-natural skincare, but it's a nice bonus for those of you who do (Sephora only carries a handful of natural brands, so it's great that they're expanding their range). Anyway, I was fascinated by the technology and innovation behind Farmacy, and every single one of the reviews on their products are raves with nearly five-star ratings (and by people of all ages and all skintypes, not just by dry and mature skin or oily and young skin), so I bought the exfoliating grains, the day cream, the night cream, and two of their bestselling lip balms. Go big or go home, right? (It also doesn't hurt that their packaging is cute as hell.)
May Coop Raw Sauce and Sunday Riley Good Genes
As with Farmacy, I was checking out all these new brands that Sephora started carrying but had never heard of or saw in store (seriously, I think I spent like, two full hours on the Sephora website), and two more products really intrigued me. The first one was May Coop's Raw Sauce, which is a "hydrating, nourishing essence featuring a silky formula that's highly concentrated in maple tree sap to create a stronger skin environment, helping prep the skin to better absorb products to follow and boosting their effectiveness." It's sort of like a softening lotion meets a serum, which explains the higher price tag, but people are praising this shit like "it's liquid gold" and it has a consistent five-star rating, so I had to try it. The second product was Sunday Riley's Good Genes Treatment, which is "is formulated with key ingredients that plump the look of fine lines to reveal brighter, renewed skin, and support natural circulation to create a smooth, vibrant complexion. Long term use will help restore damaged skin, reduce hyperpigmentation and scars, reduce the depth and number of lines and wrinkles, even out skintone, and increase skin firmness." Basically, my skin better look like a fucking newborn's.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, Deep Cleansing Exfoliator, and Beauty Elixir
Philosophy Purity Made Simple Foaming Cleansing Gel, Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream, and Clinique Turnaround Revitalizing Lotion
So, as it turns out, I bought a shit-ton of skincare. Like, I am stocked up until next summer. I decided to try some new Caudalie items because I've been so impressed with all the products I've ever used by them, so I picked up a bottle of their Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, their Deep Cleansing Exfoliator, and finally, their cult-favourite Beauty Elixir. I admit, I was totally that person who was like, "Who the fuck needs a $50 facial spray?" But all the people I know who have used it have said that I have to try it to see what the hype is all about. My friend at Sephora was just like, "If you end up hating it, just return it." So, I caved. I am kind of indifferent to the scent, which is kind of herbal (there's a minty tingle that feels amazing on the skin, though), but I have to eat my words because this stuff somehow makes my skin look smoother and more radiant while also controlling oil. Yeah, seriously. I don't know if this merits a re-purchase yet, but I am thoroughly enjoying it right now. Other skincare I bought includes a new tube of Philosophy's Purity Made Simple Foaming Cleansing Gel (a staple in my skincare routine and a holy grail product), plus a tube of Clinique's 7 Day Scrub Cream (I haven't used this in years but I remember liking it as a mild exfoliator that I can use everyday), and Clinique's new Turnaround Revitalizing Lotion. I never thought I would ever buy a Clinique toner again 'cause hi, burn my fucking face off (seriously, their regular toners have so much alcohol that they could strip paint off a car), but my friend was telling me about this new alcohol- and oil-free one that helps refine skin texture and adds hydration. I've been using it for a few weeks and actually have been pleasantly surprised; it has a really soothing liquid-gel consistency and has made my skin feel and look more hydrated. Honestly, I think it has potential to be a holy grail product.

L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream, Drybar Lemon Drop Daily Detangler, and Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum
Hourglass Ambient Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Incandescent Electra, Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, and Becca Translucent Blotting Powder Perfector
I picked up a few other staple products along the way, including a new full-size tube of L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (my favourite hand cream of all time, and I also find the scent to be oddly comforting), a new Drybar Lemon Drop Daily Detangler (my old one got mangled because my hair dryer melted off the base, but it is the best detangling brush for wet hair I have ever used), and a 30ml bottle of my ever-faithful Fresh Sugar Lychee perfume to keep in my purse (this one is still my go-to fragrance, even after a decade). My Sephora order wasn't completely makeup-free, but I picked up very minimal makeup products from Sephora this time around: a new tube of my favourite Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, the Hourglass Luminous Bronze Light Bronzer, the Hourglass Incandescent Electra Blush, and the Becca Translucent Blotting Powder (because I am forever looking for the perfect oil-absorbing powder). But that's probably because so many other makeup items were exciting me last month...
MAC Magic of the Night Extra Dimension Skinfinishes
MAC Magic of the Night Colourdrenched Pigments
MAC Magic of the Night Lipsticks
Makeup Geek Matte Eyeshadows
... like the entire MAC Magic of the Night holiday collection. (If you're interested, I've already reviewed the collection here, here, and here.) I have been waiting a long time for those Extra Dimension Skinfinishes to come back and they did not disappoint. As predicted, they all sold out within the first two days of launch (at least here the Greater Toronto Area), so I am really glad I managed to get my hands on them. I swear, I got compliments on my skin every single time I was wearing them. My friend was like, "What the fuck is on your face? Your skin looks so fucking perfect, it makes me sick." (She's lovely, I swear.) I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up loving the Colourdrenched Pigments. Though the shades aren't ones that I'd wear everyday, I do love the formula and the nice pops of colour they offer. And I found my favourite lipstick for fall this year from this collection in the form of Evening Rendezvous, which is a gorgeous dark muted berry-purple that I swear looks good on everybody. Finally, I also picked up Makeup Geek's 20 new and reformulated matte eyeshadows. I have a plethora of amazing metallic, frosted, shimmery, glittery, shiny eyeshadows, but I am always on the look out for great matte shades, and Makeup Geek knocked it out of the park with these. I have been using them for the past couple weeks and each shade I have tried is just goddamn stunning, just so pigmented and so smooth and so blendable. They are a serious dream to work with. And for $6 a pop, Makeup Geek makes the best eyeshadows for the value, bar none.
Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Vert Obscur, Vibrato, and Troublante
Cirque Nail Colour in Techno Manifesto, Version Infinity, and Cabaret Voltaire
A-England Nail Lacquer in Cathy, Dancing with Nureyev, and Heathcliff
Last but not least, I went on a bit of a nail polish binge. I hadn't really been interested in any nail polishes in the last few months, but I found some beautiful offerings for fall that I just had to get, including three from Chanel (I have not bought Chanel nail polish in well over a year, since Taboo last June, but I finally passed by a Chanel counter and these three caught my eye — plus I had a $20 off cosmetics coupon from Hudson's Bay so I had to put it to good use), three from Cirque's new Meta collection, and three from A-England (two from their To Emily Bronte collection, and one from the Ballerina collection because Nail Polish Canada was sold out of Spirit of the Moors at the time and offered to replace it with another A-England shade). It's weird, I think after buying so many glitter polishes, I'm now getting into shades that are a little more... subtle? Well, no, I still love me a good crazy glitter polish, but I think I just haven't found any that's really amazing or unique recently... But I'm hoping the holiday collections that are rolling out this month will change that soon.

What have you bought in this past month? Any new skincare additions or changes to your routine? Any makeup must-haves you've bought for fall/holiday? What's on your wishlist for the upcoming Sephora VIB sale?