February has been a fantastic month but I'm not sad to see it pass. But, before I jump into March and birthday month celebrations, I would like to celebrate a belated Valentine's day!
Instead of flowers, the SO sent me.... a bouquet of brushes!
And some miscellaneous stuff from Sephora.
I love EcoTools brushes but I haven't tried many of their eye brushes. Verdict? They're just as good as the face brushes. Also, this is my first time trying Real Techniques brushes and I have concluded that I love them too. Though, I did get one faulty brush within the Real Techniques Core Collection set. The Buffing Brush shed in chunks during it's first washing. Now I fear that if I wash it a second time, the whole head will come out and since the brush comes in a set, I can't buy an individual replacement. On the bright side, at least all of the other brushes are perfectly fine.
With so many new brushes, it is only fitting I get a new base product to go with them, right?
The Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation is all the rave but I've read that the original Healthy Mix Foundation is all the same. Thus, when I saw it for half the price of the serum version on ASOS, I ordered a bottle in #53 Light Beige. It's a fairly good match and the coverage is exactly what I'm looking for. If the shade wasn't sold out already, I'd get an extra bottle. Hoarder? Most definitely, but the foundation is that good.
And if things didn't seem great already, it gets so much better. The ever so wonderful and awesome Liz surprised me with...
Stila Make Me Blush blush!!!!!!
I missed out on Make Me Blush when it first came out and again recently during a flash sale on Hautelook but Liz sent me hers and I will treasure it always! The blush was supposed to help me stay strong during the ban but a few nights ago, I failed by buying a lip balm. If it helps my case, the lip balm was practically free. I had a discount that covered the price of the lip balm and a little more so really, I shouldn't be punished. But as always, I'll leave that for everyone else to decide in the comments. Let the judging begin!
Last night's trip to London Drugs and Zellers was uber successful.
Before making my way back to the car, I passed by Zellers and bought the LAST Wet n Wild Pixie Holiday palette in Golden Goddess. I've been to this particular Zellers atleast 3 times since November and never found a trace of the WnW Pixie Holiday collection. I suspect someone had bought it at another Zellers and returned it at the one I went visited. I am so flipping happy but now I really want the other two (Sugar Plum and Night Elf) to complete the collection!
Editted pm February 6th:
A closer look at the EcoTools brushes. You can tell the retractable foundation brush is a round head and not flat because the ferrule is round. Ta-da!
Editted on February 5th:
I forgot about Maybelline Fit spottings... I've spotted displays at Shoppers Drug Mart, Wal-Mart and London Drugs. It's official, Maybelline Fit is AVAILABLE in Canada!
Other important news, I spotted a few great things at London Drugs.
Here we have the NEW EcoTools brushes:
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Pink arrows indicate the new ones.
The brush for $9.99 is the new Retractable Foundation brush. Sorry, I couldn't take a direct photo of it but it's not a traditional "paint" brush (flat) but instead, this one round and tapered. I've checked the MAC, Sephora, and Sigma website but I can't find a brush like the EcoTools one. I need to get it!
The brush for $14.99 is the Finishing Kabuki Brush. Everyone needs to buy this one! It features the same stippling brush head as the Finishing Brush in the Alicia Silverstone brush kits but has a short handle - hence why it is called the kabuki brush now.
I've also checked the Paris Presents website and the new brushes aren't even listed online!
Do look out for these brushes! I guarantee they are nothing like you've ever seen before in drugstores!
Lise Watier make-up brushes are also on sale at London Drugs. Each one is repriced for sale. Still quite expensive in drugstore standards but perhaps worth the look? I've never tried Lise Watier brushes so I can't claim for sure.
Second best spotting:
Peach Petal, Coral Reef, Firecracker, and Pink Pop are now featured in the PERMANENT display of Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses. FINALLY<3
I can't wait until Superstore and Wal-Mart update their display... They always have Revlon lip products on sale for $4.99 ;)
Rexall also has the updated Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss display. From Feb 4 to the 11th, Rexall has lip care/stick/gloss for 30% off so if you want to get the new PERMANENT Super Lustrous lip shades, now is better deal than none. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses go for $8.99 regularly at Rexall so it comes out to be $6.xx before taxes during this sale.
Edit: Rexall has a $5 off $25 purchases coupon available until March 31, 2011 aswell!
I'm aware I didn't spot too much but I'm so satisfied. I now know I can buy the Revlon lipglosses anytime in shades that excite me and EcoTools brushes that are extraordinary!
Keep an eye out at drugstores/grocery stores if you're interested in the things you saw in this post. I can't wait to see what other treasures I'll find :)
♥,
Ashley.
Everyone ♥s EcoTools - including me! It's no wonder because the brand is awesome. The ideas behind their products is greenious (green+genious)! And how about EcoTool brushes? I loooove me some EcoTools make-up brushes but... I also hate them.
However, before I go into a pit of rage & fury, let me share some great facts about EcoTools & their brushes!
Did you know EcoTools provides natural, recycled (sustainable) and, cruelty-free products? The EcoTool brushes are made up like this: bamboo (highly sustainable) handles, recycled aluminum (earth-friendly) ferrules, and synthetic (cruelty-free) taklon bristles.
If you've ever tried an EcoTools brush, you'll know how soft it is and how light the whole brush feels in the palm of your hands. Yet when gripped, the brush is sturdy! If you use EcoTools brushes, you'll notice they hardly shed - I haven't noticed any shedding and I have multiple EcoTools brushes! Unfortunately, the EcoTools 1214 (Recycled Aluminum Retractable Kabuki) is known for being a bacteria playground and grows it's own mold when not washed and dried properly. I personally haven't experience this since I don't own that particular brush. Though, an issue I've faced with the EcoTools brushes is total to almost breakage.
Today, my beloved Finishing brush (from the Alicia Silverstone for EcoTools brush sets) broke on me. ?SH!#LT$)^DFHDFRIOU%^PA*!&%S This isn't fixable with super glue either!
Take a look:
The whole brush head came out of the ferrule! How does that happen?? I use it every day but I wash it every other day. I use face wash to cleanse my brushes but I never let the soap or water go down the ferrule. Meaning: I wash my brushes upside down, just like I hang them upside down to dry. I rinse my brush for more than 3 minutes & pat them dry with towels before air drying them. Is that wrong?? Am I doing it wrong?? Maybe I deserved this...
And just a week before, the blush brush from the same Alicia Silverstone brush set broke on me but atleast it's fixable.
Here it is:
This isn't uncommon and it is fixable but... UGHHHHH!
Even my EcoTools inspired Powder brush broke on me. Twice.
Maybe I'm the only one. Maybe I wash my brushes too often. What ever the case... I am MAD. I love my EcoTools Finishing brush and I was just getting the hang of using stippling style brushes! Luckily, I have a back-up but if that breaks too.. I'm going to invest in MAC or Sigma brush. (FYI - The EcoTools Finishing brush is only available in Alicia Silverstone brush sets.)Aside from all the breakage, the results of using EcoTools brushes are amazing. They're soft-never-scratchy, eco-friendly, animal-friendly, budget-friendly and THEY WORK. Do they last? *deep breath* You need to own a lot of brushes - high-end, medium, to low-end brushes to really know what is a quality make-up brush.
So there we have it friends! My love-hate relationship with EcoTools. I'll be back again with my very first Nail of the Day (NOTD). 'Til next time!
♥,
Ashley
I'm going to make this quick & short since I don't have many photos of my sightings but, here I go:
I've been to three different Winners in the past week & have found....
A) Limited Edition ELF 11-piece Studio Brush Set (glittery one) for $24.99 (versus $20.11/$30 on ELF website)
B) A knock-off or replica of Too Faced Smoky Eye Palettes for $7.99. 
C) Alicia Silverstone for EcoTools 6-piece Brush Set for $16.99. Different from the ones I purchased at London Drugs. It comes housed in a 2 or 3 compartment cosmetic pouch.
Follow me on Twitter if you like to be updated on great/weird finds. I go out quite often & tweet photos of said great/weird finds. It's easier than doing separate "Spotted" posts as sometimes I only find one or two things at a time. That's it for now, thanks for reading!
Ashley
Today's update consists of the beauty products I have collected since November. I'll include mini reviews but if you would like full reviews, ask in the comments. As I did with my second update, I'll start with latest purchases to oldest purchases.
Side note: : I blame weekly sales, coupons, & deals for my obsession with makeup. It's like a force that drives me towards spending money on makeup! And I just can't resist...
After checking my work schedule, I went to H&M to use my $5 off coupon. It expires tomorrow (my excuse for buying something.. again!).
Since H&M debutted their line of beauty products, I haven't taken the initiative to try any. I decided today was the day & paid $2.18 for this pretty palette (My Summer Romance Palette). My swatches look pretty good but those shadows are blended out. I experienced crumbling and fall out whilst swatching. The ocean/baby blue shadow also applied patchy so I had to layer it for evenness. Other than that, this H&M eyeshadow palette is quite pigmented. Would I pay the regular $6.95? No, but if I had another $5 off coupon.. YES!
Quick run at London Drugs on Monday:
Picked up two Alicia Silverstore EcoTools brush sets for $9.99 each (on sale - regularly $19.99). I paid $14.99 for this exact same brush set at Winners awhile back too, boo! Keeping another one for myself and giving one away for Christmas! The Finishing Brush, Blush Brush, and Angled Eye Shadow Brush are amazingly soft and easy to use. Actually, I love the Angled E/S brush the most!
Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Lilac Pastelle - $9.99. Most I've ever paid for a drugstore lip gloss but the reviews from Spring/Summer 2010 drove me into a frenzy. I'll pick up Pink Pop when it's on sale and maybe even Coral Reef. I like the texture - milky but not sticky. No taste but I detect is a light vanilla candied scent.
Sally Hansen Nail Nutrition Green Tea + Soy Cutitcle Oil for $4.49. I love cuticle oils but they can be really expensive. This tube is much better than a click pen as you can control how much goes on the applicator and you can see how much you've used up. I need to test it longer to see if it really works. Will review later!
Revlon Spa ILLUMINATE Skin Renewal System - $10.39. Sorry, I already wrecked my box so you'll have to settle for a stock image! The exfoliating brush is surprisingly softer than the facial brush from The Body Shop.
And as mentioned in my previous update about my Sunday adventures w/ the 'rents, here is what I picked up last Sunday. The Body Shop is always offering a great deal. From December 10th - 12th, they had a promotion called, "Spin the Wheel of Joy." It was a wheel you spun that would give you random savings. I spun & got $20 off a $40 purchase whereas my mom received a 3 for $30 deal. I ended up getting 50% off my whole purchase since I spent over $40... woops!
The Body Shop Brow Definer in 01 Blonde/Auburn. A little too light for me but I tend to use a heavy hand when defining my brows. I'm still practicing!
The Body Shop Originals Shower Gel in Green Apple and Fuzzy Peach. I've reviewed Fuzzy Peach a little bit in this post. Green Apple smells like freshly cut apples! I'm thinking of gifting them but... they smell so good! :(
The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation Brush. I need to use up all of my Everyday Minerals samples before they expire. This brush shall help that cause. It's soft on the face but hard enough to buff the powder into the face without scratching and shedding. It is not flimsy or fluffy like the Tokidoki Kabuki Brush.
The Body Shop Luxury Flannel Washcloth - feels rubbery like a foam rubber sheet... It's awkward but I haven't tested it fully. However, I do not recommend using it as a facial cleanser cloth as it absorbs all of the foam from your cleanser!
A lip/eye kohl sharpener for me madre. She also got a Nature's Minerals Foundation to accompany her new Nature's Minerals Foundation Brush. I'm going to practice my application skillz on her later... dun dun dun!
The Body Shop Cheek Color in 05 Tea Rose. I don't need more blush either but I can't be stopped so don't bother. Surprisingly, this blush isn't shimmery like most TBS blushes. I see faint sparkles in the pan but do not transfer on the skin. The blush is fairly pigmented and easy to use. Even with my heavy hands, I don't look too dolled up or clownish.
The Body Shop Round Handle Facial Brush. I don't have the money for a Clarisonic so I'll settle for a $1.50 exfoliating brush. It feels soft on the sides but on the face.. it's a tad hard. The tip of the bristles aren't prickly, they're just not soft... I rather spend the extra $7 for the Revlon kit pictured above but really.. If I had $200? I'd invest in the Clarisonic!
Before my parent's came home, I went to Rexall, London Drugs & Zellers to score some major deals.
From the Annabelle Insomnia Winter 2010 Collection, the Annabelle Multi-Dome Baked Eyeshadow Palettes in: Insomnia (pale yellow-gold, green, lavender, violet) and Disturbia (red, blue, red-orange, brown). I've wanted these palettes since their release but the $13.99 price tag hurt. Rexall had 25% off ALL Annabelle cosmetics so these babies were on sale for $10.49 each but $8.49 using $2 off coupons I've been saving! Total: $19.50 for 8, beautifully pigmented baked eyeshadows. SCORE!
JANE Cosmetics are 50% off at Zellers. I heard the brand was being phased out of Walgreens & another rumor about the brand going bankrupt... Not sure what's going on but the selection of JANE Cosmetics at Zellers is quite... old and most items have collected dust! Since the Aguaceutical lines is relatively new, I decided to try some of the eyeshadows and tinted moisturizer. I paid $4~ for each.
JANE Aguaceuticals Sheer Tinted Moisturizer in Light/Warm Tones. A tad orange on me, egh..
READ: JANE Aguaceuticals LipStix in Laguna looks like Nars Orgasm/Super Orgasm Blush in lipstick form. Kind of pornstar-ish to me but it's glamorous in that way.. Never was a fan of Nars Orgasm but apparently makeup fanatics are gaga for gold shimmer and peachy pink cheeks!
JANE Be Pure Mineral Eyeliner in Wine. Reviews say these gel eyeliners are creamy and rich in pigment. Definitely rich in pigment and creamy when applied to the skin. I didn't feel or experience tugging when applying this gel eyeliner but it was hard to get onto my brush because it's hard top layer.
JANE Aguaceuticals Aguashimmer Eyeshadow (quad) in: 02 Sandstorm, 03 Reef, and 04 Bamboo. They aren't rich in pigment but still work and are great for more natural and neutral eye looks. They work best when wet.
During Rexall's 50% Face Products sale, I grabbed the Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush for nearly $6 each thanks to a $3 off coupon.
From L-to-R, Top-to-Bottom: Rich Cinnamon and Lushberry. Flash, No Flash.
My swatches are much more accurate than the product photo. It is much softer & less bright than my camera perceives it as. I thank Gianna of NouveauCheap for helping me with my purchase. Gianna can be an enabler sometimes but if she recommends you something, you get it or you'll regret it.
More from Rexall and Superstore:
N.Y.C. Blushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink to complete my collection of Blushable Creme Sticks. I have every color now! I highly recommend these. They apply as cream but blend like powder.
Ultra Last Lipwear in 416B Berry Rich and 407B Smooch. Karen of MakeupandBeautyBlog's review made me run to Rexall immediately to pick up Berry Rich. Lucky me, N.Y.C. lip products were BOGO Free. Too bad my freebie, Smooch, ended up being a frosty pornstar shade. What ever you do, SKIP Smooch!
Ignore the Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer as I returned it. I do not recommend it. It's an overpriced moisturizer with a silicone-slick feel to it.
Last but not least, Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiner for Hazel Eyes and Blue Eyes. (Geeze what a mouthful...) I found these babies on clearance/sale at Superstore for roughly $7. I grabbed the last two! I haven't seen them them on display since I purchased them and that was almost a month ago... As for the quality of these gel liners; they are SUPERB. I find them creamy and pigmented - better than the Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliners. The brush included is soft but as sturdy as the Maybelline one. The gel's would make great bases for a smokey eye look.
Just so we're clear, I've held off on a lot of other beauty products so I haven't been all that bad! I'd share examples but I feel embarassed enough as it is. I buy loads of beauty products yet... I always want more! I'm so greedy -_____-"
I should mention, I also got a few Sephora goodies from the S.O. but I'll include that in my Christmas gifts post. It isn't even a Christmas present but I don't want to get into it, heh.
Question of the Post:
What was your most recent beauty purchase?Obviously you've seen mine.. now tell me about yours!
I'll be back again, very shortly.. Tata for now!
Ashley.
I'm back again and not a month later.. *claps*
I don't doubt anyone has noticed that most of my recent posts are more "haul" type posts rather than reviews but.. no worries! I'm preparing an abundance of them so please bear with me for a little longer. Please??
I remember saying I was on no buy to a llow buy months ago (feels like eons) and I'm still sticking by it but the rules have changed a little. I started to log my purchases weekly since May of this year and I have noticed not much has changed in my spending habits. I'm still buying atleast 1 to 5 beauty products a week. Since May, I've only spent one week without buying any beauty products and it's now October... That's approximately 6 months of cosmetic hoarding! If you're interested in what beauty *junk* I've bought, I'll prepare another blog post for that, just say the word! All that money could have gone into a new desk that I've been trying to save up for!
Anywho, this is going to be my last "haul" update for awhile. The thing is, I feel like I should do these types of posts because I usually run out of reviews to publish and I don't like going weeks without updating my blog. Since my last update, I featured eyeshadows, to blushes, to make-up that wasn't widely or at all available in Canada. I was lucky enough to find Hard Candy at my closest Wal-Mart last Monday. My initial thought was that the Wal-Mart near me wasn't going to stock Hard Candy but they've finally cleared some room for the whole collection. I must mention however that the lipsticks and glitter liner are seperated from the core collection and there are no testers available unlike the first Wal-Mart I discovered Hard Candy at. This does bother me as I want to swatch everything without ruining something someone else might want to buy! The blushes and bronzers are sealed with plastics (safe) but the lipsticks weren't sealed properly (unsafe!). The plastic doesn't cover the whole entire tube of lipstick and infact, you can just pull out the lipstick from the tube like there's not seal at all! I said I wasn't a fond of the Hard Candy blush in Honeymoon or the Welcome Matte mattifying powder. I still stand by that but I will continue to use it or eventually sell it. I picked up another baked blush and this time in Living Doll. There was a fight between Pin Up and Living Doll as I wanted Pin Up before I saw Living Doll but I decided Pin Up can wait. I have many shades just like it! I am a blush fiend, what can I say? I had my primer phase and now I'm onto my blush phase. I hope I run out of phases to go through so I eventually settle into the nothing phase!
I also went to London Drugs to grab an EcoTools brush set for $8.99 (originally $15.99, on sale for $9.99 but I had a $1 off coupon!). It came with a bonus 5x mirror with suction cups on the back to place on a non-magnifying mirror (I think..?). I didn't need another brush set but I figured this set was a steal for $8.99. The brush set comes with a brush roll containing a blush brush, concealer brush, eyeshadow brush, eyeliner brush, and eyebrow comb. In total, there are 6 pieces and then a bonus mirror. I could use a concealer brush as the three I have currently, aren't very good! I also like having loads of blush brushes to go with my lot of blushes. I'm crazy, I know. And ontop of that, I bought a Balmshell lip stain on clearance for $3.97. A short review is coming up shortly on that. Loads of reviews are coming up shortly! LOADS.
(No photos for these!)
On Wednesday, I bought a Color Club nail polish set at Winners for $12.99. I bought two but tonight I returned one. The set I kept was Wild At Heart. Each set contains 7 nail polishes. Here are a few blogs that are spreading the Color Club buzz!
After returning a Color Club set at Winners, I ran into Cara (formerly The Face Shop) because I saw a hugeee poster that said Giractik Beauty products for $5. Turns out it was $5 for ONE product, $8 for TWO, and $10 for 3. I think I might go back for more, is that wrong? The original price of most of Girlactik Beauty products are $20+. Did you know Girlactik was formerly sold in Sephora? This is definitely a good steal and you might want to check it out if you're into shimmer. Most of the Girlactik Beauty products contain a hint of shimmer!
Oh anyway, now I'm babbling. I bought three blushes, all different shades in: Bora Bora, Havana, and Naples.
All in all, a very short loot. I definitely will try harder not to buy all this unecessary make-up. I know I haven't bought anything skincare for awhile so atleast I can pat myself on the back for that (besides the Garnier eye roller!). I even sold some make-up via Craigslist. I'm not rolling in the riches but atleast my make-up lot is lessening. I'll keep trying to get my stuff sold but until then, wish me luck!
Lotsa ♥,
Ashley.
Disclosure
Make-Up Kismet is a personal blog written and edited by myself. This blog was created to share my experiences with whom ever reads it.
All reviews posted are written by me and are my honest opinions. All products reviewed are purchased by me for personal and/or review purposes unless stated otherwise. Each person is different, as are our experiences. With that said, I cannot be held responsible for any unsatisfying reaction to a product I review or recommend.
Photos on this blog are either from Google, other Bloggers or, my own. I try to depict all products as accurately as possible. I may edit photos for this purpose.
