REVIEW: Lush Bubble Gum Lip Scrub

Since the beginning of last Summer, I've been curious about this product.

The idea of a no-fuss lip scrub is always a good idea, and what intrigued me was that you can eat it after your scrub.

At my local Lush store, I was having trouble deciding between the different flavours:  Sweet Lips, Mint Julips, and Bubble Gum.  Sweet Lips smelled nice, but I felt like I would get sick of it.  Mint was definitely the safe choice, but boring choice.  I love the smell of pink bubble gum, so I ended up with that.

Drugstore Haul (Shoppers Drug Mart)

Shoppers Drug Mart (Canada) is currently running a beauty event, where you gain 20 times the points when you purchase $75 or more on cosmetics and fragrances.  All La Roche-Posay products are also 20 times the points.

http://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca

I took advantage and did some damage.  I spent $85 and got 17000 points, which is equivalent to $20!

Essie Nail Polish - Butler Please

Last Summer, bright blues and reds were all the rage in bottoms (shorts and skinny pants).  I didn't have the guts to rock that trend, and figured that my infatuation in brightass reds and blues was just rooted in some crowd following blindness.  Aren't we all sheep, though? Bahhh~

Months later, I am still finding myself going sheepish (haha) at the sight of cobalt blue and hot red.

As someone who enjoys wearing only shades (greys and black) from top to bottom, bright polish is a nice way to introduce more colour.  Butler Please is quite a gorgeous thing.
Who knows, maybe it'll encourage some more colour into my outfits.  I've been eyeing these cobalt blue pants from Zara...

Stella by Stella McCartney Eau de Parfum (The Print Collection)

I had heard of Stella aplenty from my subscription of UK youtubers, but never really got around to giving it a whiff.

When I saw the limited edition Print Collection packaging, I had to give it a shot.

There are three versions (Meg's post shows all three).
As you can see, I chose the purple and yellow one.

REVIEW: Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

I am obsessed with masks.
I am also obsessed with Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup.

Anna loves this mask, so, duh, I had to get it.

I am so glad I got this in September 2012, before Fall and Winter hit.

REVIEW: L'Oréal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Waterproof Mascara

I've been wanting to try the L'Oréal Telescopic Waterproof Mascara (the original Telescopic mascara) for a while because Anna raves on and on about it, and her lashes are amazing.  Supposedly, she has lashes that are stumpy, stick-straight-forward, and too stubborn to hold a curl.

For some reason, the waterproof version doesn't seem to sell in Canada.  In the States, it's either always sold out or they don't sell it.  Saddness.  Especially since, I'm willing to pay $14 USD for it!
Apparently, they simply replace the $ with £ in the UK... yikes!

Last week, I saw Casey FIF/review the Shocking Extensions version of Anna's favourite... I was in awe.
Via Twitter, I asked Casey if her natural lashes hold curl well and she said they do not.  Despite this answer, I went with the waterproof version.

Current Favourites

Do you guys find monthly favourites videos to be a bit of a misnomer?

The products featured in monthly favourites videos tend to be recently hauled products.  Often, beauty gurus fawn over these products immediately after purchase, but eventually find the products disappointing or not worth the hype after more regular use.   It's also funny when you hear them say they have been using the products for a 'long time', which usually means a week or so. 

Nevertheless, they're still fun to watch :D

My point is, I've had these products for over a year now (save for one; yeah, yeah, hypocrite), which is not a long time by any stretch of the imagination.  However, in the beauty community (like Hollywood relationships), that's considered pretty loyal, is it not?

Anyway, the products I have listed below are reliable, predictable, and foolproof. 

And they are:

Essie Nail Polish - Ladylike

Nude nails are quite the trend right now... Everyone seems to be going gaga after the non-existent fingernails of mannequins, but if you're like me, the idea of cakey wax nails might sound unappealing.

Of course, you cannot help but attempt to make the trend work for you, am I right?

Enter:  Essie Ladylike.

Greige's cooler cousin.  A beautiful mannequin taupey mauve.

Valentine's FOTN

Valentine's makeup tutorials have been abundant on Youtube, and Rachel's (spoof) is my favourite hahaha.

This will be on my FOTN:

My Wedding Outfit of the Night (Jacob + Nine West)

No, I didn't get married.  

I did attend a wedding, though.  It was probably the first time I've "dressed up" in, god, I don't know, three years.  And heels?  I've probably, in my lifetime, worn them less than the fingers on my hands can count.  Nevertheless, I was determined to look presentable at the very least.  So, a few things needed to be tackled:

Revlon Lip Butter - Red Velvet (Swatch & Review)

I don't think I need to introduce Revlon's Lip Butters... Pretty sure, I'm the last girl to own one, haha.  They're basically a buttery mishmash between a lip balm and a lipstick.  If you're mostly a clear lip balm girl and want to get into colour, these are a great way to ease you in.

I waited almost two years before eventually getting one, because:

• they were always sold out
• they're $11-14 in Canada, compared to $6-8 in USA (I'd rather get a Revlon lipstick for the same price)
• the testers always tended up grossly melted
• there were nice shades but nothing that ever screamed at me

And then, I saw Red Velvet.

Sephora and Drugstore Haul

I went to pick up a few things that I've been wanting for a bit...

My Winter Essentials

This Winter has been especially harsh for me.  I'm not sure if it's because the weather is colder and drier than the previous year, or because I'm cranking up the heat too much, or simply because my skin is starting to age (shit).  Hopefully, it's not the latter. Though, it's likely to be the all of the above option.

Since the beginning of late Autumn, the following have been my essentials...

MAC Archie's Girls Collection (Pictures & Swatches)

Today's the official launch date for the collection!

As mentioned in my preview post, I had placed Betty Bright, Daddy's Little Girl, and Prom Princess on hold for pick up today.  Go to that post if you want to see pictures of the displays.

First of all, the packaging is adorable.  It's super cute and very fitting for Valentine's Day.

The inside of these boxes is a solid red

REVIEW: Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Intense Moisturizing Treatment (Review)

This winter has been especially dry.  Now, combine that with my obsession with blasting the heat at home and my constant heat styling.  It's no surprise that my hair is like a scarecrow's.

Seeing how I cannot let go of my Josie Maran argan oil (my review), I couldn't pass up on this $5 USD argan oil treatment at Walmart.  I'm also a big fan of the Organix brand.

February 2013 Topbox (Benefit Privé Box)

In early January, Topbox sent an email out to everyone asking them to fill out their February wish lists.  We had the chance of receiving three possible Privé Boxes (single brand in one box), or a regular Topbox (multiple brands in one box).  One of the Privé Box options was a Benefit Chinese New Year one, and needless to say, everyone was reaching for that one.  I tried my luck anyway.

When I saw that my estimated delivery date was Feb 5th, I secretly already knew that I was going to be receiving a Benefit Privé Box.  It would only make sense for Topbox to send out their Benefit Chinese New Year boxes before Chinese New Year, which is on Feb 9th this year.  Of course, this did not lessen my excitement when I received my package this morning.

cute themed Benefit wrap around Topbox

Bath and Body Works Haul (Spring 2013)

One of my favourite scented candles (Island Margarita) is being repromoted for Spring 2013, and I have a 20% off coupon for Bath and Body Works, so I went with the intention to pick up a 3-wick Island Margarita candle.

When I got there, I saw that all of the 4oz candles were on buy-one-get-one-free promotion.

On one trip, I ended up getting:

Accessories Haul (Aldo, Forever 21)

Earlier this week, I was feeling down, so I went for some retail therapy.

Aldo "Natala" silver bangle $12 CAD (also available in gold)

Forever 21 rose gold bow earrings $3.80 CAD (also available in gold)

Forever 21 silver mesh-detailing bow ring $3.80 CAD (also available in gold)

I also picked up this sunglasses pouch from Aldo for $5 CAD.  They also have it in neon yellow.

- M

Used Up Beauty Products / Empties #1

Aside from haul videos, my favourite videos from beauty youtubers are their "empties" ones.  Beauty youtubers seem to own everything within the beauty industry, so one can become confused as to which products are worth purchasing.  Empties videos showcase products that are fully used up or are so unbearable that they have to be tossed out before being finished.  In my opinion, these videos tend to be most truthful of the integrity of a product.

Behold, my first empties post...