Inspired by Liz's "Summer Products" I Never Used post, I decided to write one alike!
How many of you buy "Summer Products" and end up ditching it because it's less than average? I am guilty of doing this every summer.
My least favorite purchases of this summer: the mineral sunscreens.
This summer I attempted to find the perfect mineral sunscreen. I gave the Lavera Baby & Kinder Sun Spray SPF 30 Neutral and Badger SPF 30+ Lightly Scented Sunscreen (not pictured) a try and now I don't want to try anymore! A horrible ash-white cast and greasy finish is unavoidable with these sunscreens. What is worse is that they are both so thick, it's nearly impossible to massage in. Due to the thickness of the Lavera sunscreen, the spray pump has become clogged and deemed unusable. Both sunscreens would be great for impromptu tanning sessions in the back yard but otherwise, I wouldn't recommend them for daily use. They are fairly expensive but the ingredients more than make up for it.
The last sunscreen of the summer was quite nice. However, please do not laugh at it.. or me!
The truth is, I used to be a huge Spongebob fanatic. I had Spongebob bed sheets, t-shirts, socks, pajama bottoms. Yeah, I was cool like that. Late in August I saw this Spongebob sunscreen at Rexall. It was an auto-purchase because I needed a sunscreen I could actually use on a daily basis. Okay and I also wanted to feel like a kid again. It really isn't a bad sunscreen but if you dislike bubblegum scents, skip it. The spray actually works and never clogs. The sunscreen itself is thin and runny which makes absorption quick and painless! But because I bought it late in August, I didn't get to use it much.
Before summer started, I splurged only a little on the Benefit Cha Cha Tint.
This will be my last tint by Benefit. It's still unclear whether or not the brand tests on animals but until there's a PSA, I won't be buying from them any more. The tint itself is unflattering on my cheeks and lips. The Benefit tints never look natural on me anyway so I don't know why I tried this one too.
Another early summer splurge or more like a binge...
I love the Revlon scented nail polishes but the brighter shades (Mad About Mango, Passion Fruit, Pretty in Papaya, Raspberry Rapture, and Sublime Strawberry) aren't flattering against my skin tone and petite feet/fingers.
I also have this 5 piece mini nail polish set by Wet n Wild which hasn't gone to complete waste. I like rocking hot red nails anytime but the burgundy shade is perfect for fall. I might put these nail polishes to good use and start creating my own Franken polishes though!
Last of all, a self tanner.
Summer is not complete without a self tanner right?
After last year's orange fiasco thanks to the Jergens Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer I swore I was going to quit self tanners altogether. Yet somehow I ended up getting a tube of the Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer. You would think I would have learnt my lesson the first time but I guess I needed a second orange slap on the face to wake me up.
Money wasted aside, now I know what works for me and what doesn't!
So what were your summer fails?
The Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection, better known as the 8-pan palettes, are not yet available in Canada. However, my boyfriend picked up all three palettes for me at his local Walgreens. There are perks to a long distance relationship after all!
Anyhow, this is just a little disclaimer. IF you're in Canada & you'd like to get your hands on the new Wet n Wild palettes, you won't be able to so don't run around looking for these just yet.
If you're note familiar with the Wet n Wild 8-pan palettes, they are a new addition to Wet n Wilds Color Icon line and are described as "eight dynamic, perfectly color-coordinated shades with high pigment and pearl for ultra-impact color. Shades can be used together or individually to create an endless variety of looks."
Each shade is labeled and indicates where they belong on the eyelids but you can apply them wherever you see fit! Every palette features two browbone, eyelid, crease, and definer shades. I've experienced crumbling or fall out with atleast one or two eyeshadows in every palette. The darker eyeshadows - crease or definer shades - apply very strongly so heavy-handed peeps, be careful!
All the swatches shown in this post start from the left side of the palette to the right side. Also, I used no base for my swatches so I'll leave it up to you to imagine how much more gorgeous these eyeshadows would be with a base OR applied wet ;)
Let's start with the Wet n Wild 8-pan palette in 736 Petal Pusher; a soft-focus, feminine palette. Petal Pusher is dominated by cool-toned shades, all of which contain a hint of shimmer or glitter or both. Thus, you won't find a single matte eyeshadow in this palette. The pigmentation in Petal Push is the least strong out of all three palettes. The lighter shades prove to be crumbly and powdery with undesirable fall out. Nevertheless, it's still very pretty and eye-catching:
This palette contains one matte eyeshadow - definer on the left - and it's a black shade that degrades the integrity of the palette. The chalky formula applies unevenly and it's just blah!
Both browbone and eyelid shades have a silver-y frost to it which is great for bright eye looks. The right side Definer shade is quite special as it has a silver glitter . Of course, the blue's are the most important shades and they are undoubtedly the best of the palette. The teal-blue is mesmerizing:
Lastly, 738 Comfort Zone melts my heart with a pretty pick of rich earth tone shades, completely foolproof and the most wearable palette of the three. Mostly, I'd like to share a real Too Faced Label Whore eyeshadow dupe that is present in Comfort Zone. On the right column we have a definer shade that is similar but not identical to the supposed dupe in the Wet n Wild Night Elf palette. (Read about my older comparison here.) Before I compare the old dupe to the new dupe, take a look at the whole palette:
Now, for the real Too Faced Label Whore Dupe!
I did a detail post before comparing the supposed Too Faced Label Whore dupe in the Wet n Wild Night Elf palette. If you recall, the Night Elf e/s is not a dupe. Fortunately, I found the real dupe in Comfort Zone; the bottom right side 'Definer' shade is a perfect copy of Label Whore.
From L-to-R:
Night Elf, Label Whore, Comfort Zone
Unless my eyes are tricking me, I think we have a real winner here!
Overall, I highly recommend the Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection(s) - it's simply a must try. Although some shades need to be reformulated (mattes, mostly), you definitely won't find eyeshadow palettes as unique or affordable as these at the drugstore, I guarantee you. If you have the capability of picking them up, do it without hesitation or you'll regret it!
Which palette piqued your interest?
Until next time!
The Hoarders series was created so that I'd post more often and give some insight as to how massive my make-up collection is. Like many other things, I've neglected this series in favor of other posts.
Fortunately, I've finally found the time (and inspiration) to update the series. Today, I'll be showcasing my bronzer stash which I find shockingly small. Take a look:
I own a total of 9 bronzers. Drugstore brands - E.L.F., JANE Cosmetics, N.Y.C. Cosmetics, Physicians Formula, Prestige and, Wet n Wild - dominate the stash with a count of 7. Thus, Benefit and Korres count as the last two. N.Y.C. Matte Bronzer in Sunny was the first bronzer I ever tried and to this day, it's the most used. It's a foolproof bronzer that doesn't break the bank. Who wouldn't appreciate a matte, never orange-y/muddy bronzer? The Physicians Formula Bronze Gems come in second but they aren't very pigmented but that also means I can never overdo the "healthy glow" look. It's a perfect face powder for the winter, when I'm much lighter too.
I don't appreciate shimmer in my bronzers so I hardly use the Wet n Wild, Prestige, or JANE bronzers. My preferences may change when I develop better application skills.
Overall, I don't think my bronzer stash is too out of control. What do you think?
If you'd like any swatches, ask in the comments below!
Great friends are hard to come by.
I mean, would your gal pal let you purchase the last Wet n Wild *Limited Edition* Pixie Holiday Palette in Night Elf even though she found it first???
If your answer is no - your friend is average.
If your answer is yes - your friend is SUPREMELY AWESOME like mine!
*Short rambling. Ignore if you prefer, swatches below!*
If you haven't caught on yet, I now possess the uber coveted Night Elf (eyeshadow palette) and it's all thanks to my great friend, Nina.
I would have never noticed the palette if it weren't for her hawk eyes! I literally stood in front of the palette not noticing it until Nina saw it and proceeded to scream and jump in my face. Since she saw and held it first, it was only fair that she should buy it. The disappointment in my face must have been draining the life out of her because she ended up letting me buy it!
All Nina wants is the MAC Club/Too Faced Label Whore dupe which is (conveniently) included in the new Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection 8-pan palettes. I (the Queen of Hoarding All Limited Edition-items) want the palette to complete my collection. I am only missing the Sugar Plum Fairy palette now! :D
After much rambling, I shall shower this post with (comparative) swatches of Too Faced Label Whore and Wet N Wild's supposed dupe :)
Left Side(s): Too Faced Label Whore, Right Side(s): The Dupe
(Click swatches to enlarge!) 
Lastly, the palettes altogether!
Excuse the last photo as I'm just showing off!
About the swatches - you can tell Too Faced Label Whore & "The Dupe" are definitely similar but not identical. Both appear to be twins in pan but swatch like sisters. I find that "The Dupe" is more red toned and Too Faced Label Whore leans on the greener side. Both share a brown base. Another note: Too Faced Label Whore is described as a metallic brown with blue iridescent. Like I said, I think Label Whore is greener than WnW's dupe but I do agree with the official description. I sometimes see the eyeshadow greener than blue or vice versa.
I will be back to do a comparison review with more swatches once I get my hands on the new Wet n Wild 8-Pans. Oh and once again, cheers to great friends!
Never in my life have I had so much mail delivered to me!
The worst type of mail is the type that doesn't have YOUR name on it. What comes in second is ad mail and bills or ad mail and bills WITH your name on it.
The best type of mail is the type that has your name on it but it isn't ad/junk mail or bills. In second is COUPONS!
Now I've been expecting three more pieces of mail since the beginning of January and finally, two have arrived. They also happen to be make-up pieces, again ;)
Mail with my name on it, contains make-up, arrived safely.... BEST MAIL EVER!
Take a look:
Best. Mail. Ever.
I didn't have any luck finding the Wet n Wild Pixie Holiday palettes in stores so I resorted to buying one on Ebay. It cost a dollar more than the retail price but atleast I have ONE of the Pixie palettes now! I still want Night Elf, Sugar Plum Fairy and Golden Goddess (in that order!) but I don't need them. (I'll keep lying to myself until something more exciting comes along...)The Cargo Tinted Moisturizer (with SPF 20) in Nude 02 is from the BeautyBloggers.org Holiday Charity Auction. I'm glad I participated in this charity event and I hope Karla hosts the charity again. It would make for a lovely annual charity event from beauty junkies!
The thought of my money going to a good cause and getting to indulge in make-up, it's an awesome feeling!
I haven't swatched or used the Wet n Wild palette and I probably won't get to that for a long time. I tried the Cargo TM the day I received it and it's a little too dark for me right now. It also leans a bit orange so I'm not sure if this will do for the summer. I love the formula though! It's creamy yet light weight and gives medium coverage. Or the darkness could be fooling me... What ever the case, I love the past two weeks. Nothing brightens my day better than mail and make-up, combined!
How about you? When was the last time you received something in the mail?
Remember my Spotted: ELF @ Dollarama post? Well I have another one on random finds and deals I've come across recently. I'm too excited so I'll get right to it...
Rexall is hosting yet ANOTHER 50% off sale on a particular make-up item.. Sometime before the Summer, Rexall hosted a 50% off sale on all LIP PRODUCTS and then they had another one for NAIL PRODUCTS. From October 22nd to the 29th, Rexall will have ALL mascaras 50% off regular price.I've checked their prices and it's similar to Shoppers Drug Mart prices. Don't worry though, with the 50% off, each mascara is either $10 or below. Higher end brands like PUPA, Elizabeth Arden and Emani will be a little over $10, I'm guessing. Be sure to check it out regardless and stock up on your staple mascara!
CARA, formerly known as The Face Shop is having a limited time sale on all Girlactik Beauty products. Buy ONE for $5 or buy TWO for $8. Better yet, buy THREE for $10!
If you don't know already, Girlactik Beauty used to have a stand in Sephora! Prices range from $14-$24+, this is a rough estimate but it is better priced than some drugstore cosmetics!
Wal-Mart now stocks Hard Candy in Canada. I've been longing for it!
I don't know how different the prices are compared to the US but I can give you some of the Canadian prices for comparison. The prices range from $4.98 to $8.98.
Eye Candy (glitter eye cream PLUS glitter liner) - $4.98
Plumping Serum, Hot Smudge eyeliner, Kal-Eye-Descope (baked eyeshadow duos),
Meteor-Eyes (baked glitter eyeshadows), Visibily Wet (shockingly glossy lip pencil), Painted Lady - $5.98
Blush Crush (marbelized baked blush) - $6.98
Button Your Lip (full color liquid lipstick), Outrageously Delicious (flavored body powder),
Nobody's Perfect, Welcome Matte, Moon Glow, Glitteratzi Body Spray - $7.98
So Baked Bronzer - $8.97
Missing prices: Tinted Moisturizer, Sheer Envy Primer, other lipglosses. I think the TM & Primer are $7.98 and the glosses should be $5.98.
Also at Wal-Mart, Wet n Wild products (certain few) are $2, $3, or $4. MEGA LAST Nail Color are $2, MEGA LAST Lip Colors are $3, Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios/Palettes and Blushes are $4 before taxes. I've seen the prices like this for awhile now but I'm not sure if it's on rollback. It may be permanent changes to prices but I wouldn't count on that so jump on it if you're interested!
Winners has Color Club nail polish sets (of seven) for $12.99. I think there are 6 different sets. Before taxes, each polish comes out to be $1.85. That isn't so bad and I hear the quality is beyond decent!
That's all I have for now but head on over to Sparkled Beauty for Weekly Flyer Deals and Canadian Daily Deals for .. well as the name suggests! See you all soon :)Love,
Ashley
It's Tuesday! Wait, what's so special about Tuesday, you ask? Triple 'O' Tuesdays, duh!
Every Tuesday, Triple O's has their original burger (aka. White Spot's Legendary Burger) for $3.33 (down from the original $4.69). I'm having two for dinner.. don't judge!
You can also make it a combo (fries & a drink) for an extra $2. I assure you, this is waaay better than a McDonalds combo. The Legendary Burger calls itself the "Sauciest, Juiciest, Tastiest", definitely not the juiciest but it sure is tasty and I always ask for extra mayo! the mayo is the best part!
Besides my dinner plans, I thought I'd share some of the beauty related products I bought last week. I have accumulated quite a bit...
Last Wednesday, with no intentions on picking either of these items up, I went home with:
The Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Palette in "LUST" for $4CAD (not including tax). I was more interested in "Greed" but there weren't any left in stock. "Pride" and "Vanity" are nice to have but I don't need them as I hardly use blues or teals and I have an abundance of neutrals. I also find it ironic that Greed features peachy, pastel pinks yet the word itself feels more green. Back to Lust; the palette features 3 matte eyeshadows and 3 sparkle induced eyeshadows:
Both pictures were taken with indoor lighting; left with flash and right without.
After a long debate on whether I should/n't, I ended up grabbing the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller for $11.97 (down from $15.97).
(No picture for this one, sorry!)
Onto Hard Candy cosmetics which felt very promising at the start but led to a bit of "meh" syndrome... It took me a month of searching to finally find Hard Candy stocked at a Wal-Mart, not too far from me but still not as close as the supercenter 5 minutes from my house. It turns out the Supercenter near me isn't stocking Hard Candy... What the ****??? Annoying but at least I know where it is and that it is available to me!
All I picked up from the Hard Candy collection was the Baked Blush in Honeymoon and Welcome Matte Mattifying Powder. I'm not enjoying the baked blush much as a blush but it can work as a great highlighter. I wish I chose Pin Up instead when I was debating either or... :\
Also, the mattifying powder isn't so great. I went home to look for comparison reviews of MAC's Blot Powder(??) & apparently this one doesn't hold up as well. I figured the same, as my t-zone gets oily just as much as without the Welcome Matte. I'm doing a quick short review on that soon, don't worry!
(The Body Shop Cheek & Face Powder next to Hard Candy Baked Blush)
All in all, cute packaging & a friendly price. I only wish the the ingredients were nicer.
My TOP favorite purchase of all is the, The Body Shop 02 Cheek and Face Powder (Berry). I got it for a STEAL of a price at $8.90CAD before taxes. That's almost HALF of the original price *happy dance*!
You can see that I took one photo outdoors in natural lighting and the second photo indoors.
It's actually a cool toned blush despite the warmness of the indoor photo.
Last but not least, I bought the infamous Queen Helene Mint Julip Masque. I had no idea this was available in Canada , why didn't anyone tell me??! Where, you ask? *DRUM ROLL, please??* Alive! Alive is a vitamin and supplement store in Canada. I'm not sure if there are many but I do know (now) that they carry two Queen Helene facial masques and many different oils. If you're in Vancouver, Metrotown has an Alive store next to the pretzel shop, next to Beard Papas! I'm going to test this out for a while so wait for the good/bad news!
(No photo for this one too! Sorry =___=")
Anyway that pretty much wraps up this post. I was very lucky to find all of these half -bargins (The Body Shop, Hard Candy, Wet n Wild..) & unintentional finds (Queen Helene, Garnier..).
F.Y.I. - My intentions are not to brag about my purchases but to inform everyone where to buy things they're interested in and price points.
I will start writing the reviews for all of the products I purchased after a good week or month of testing. I'll catch you all later!
Edit: I apologize for the late, outdated post! I meant to post this on Tuesday but I had a lot of errands to do after work and was not able to publish this on time. At least now I can torture you with a picture of my deliciously half eaten burger!
P.S. Does anyone know how to use Blogger?? My posts are always rearranged after publishing and my font goes small and... ARGH!
Ciao,
Ashley!
I promised a few posts ago I'd post more pictures on my blog, not just stock photos. Anyhow, I didn't want to title this post as "haul" because I don't like that word... (I don't like a lot of words). I'm not purposely flashing my purchases, I just want to share with everyone my great finds. Believe me, these purchases were bargains I couldn't resist.
I don't remember how many times I've mentioned this but I'm from & currently residing in Vancouver, B.C. Most beauty addicts here in Canada (or even B.C.) don't realize that NYX Cosmetics IS available here & not just online. NYX Cosmetics can be found at Rexall Drugstores and Save-On Foods grocery stores(some, not all). I only recently learnt that Save-On's has NYX Clearance baskets with items all for a $1. So here's what I found about a week ago at Save-On's:
I bought 7 Chrome Eye Shadows (pigments) & 4 Triple Shadows For Sexy Babe's Eyes Only! (trio palettes) for myself, all for a $1 each. I bought a few for my friend's birthday too but those aren't pictured in case she reads this post & thus ruining her surprise!
F.Y.I - NYX is a drugstore cosmetic line that is said to be comparable to MAC & other medium-to-high end cosmetics. For $1, the NYX eye shadows I bought were well worth it and I would pay full price for them if I had to! Both the pigments and pressed e/s are plenty pigmented but foiling them makes them even more amazing (with regular water!).
Then at Wal-Mart on the same day I bought the Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover Lotion - Hydrating, I also bought the Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color in Just Peachy (903C). I'm not the type to wear lipsticks or lip liner but the color looked nice & it was no more than $4(??).
I wish it was as pretty on my lips as it is in the tube. The formula also doesn't work with my lips. I'll write a review on it later but this was a no-go for me :(
My Wal-Mart trip wasn't a complete bust however! I also picked up Revlon's new Top Speed nail polishes in Jaded (320) and I absolutely love it! I prefer this to Revlon's Minted nail polish & China Glaze's Re-fresh Mint. I was supposed to do a comparison review but I keep screwing up my nails before I can take pictures!
And after ages of waiting for Bioré to go on sale (anywhere!), London Drugs was having a sale on Bioré products and a BOGO Free deal!
I initially wanted to use $2 off coupons I had saved but London Drugs coupon policy does not allow stacking. (The BOGO deal was through London Drugs in-store coupon *sigh*) Another catch was that the "free" item had to be the
Bioré PURIFY Steam Activated Cleanser. Conviently, a week before the sale I knew there were certain Bioré cleansers that came with a free razor or John Freida Frizz-Ease Hair Serum. In the end, I bought two different cleansers so I got two Bioré PURIFY Steam Activated Cleansers free, plus two John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serums! My total was $23.27 for 6 products & divided evenly, I paid $3.87 for each product. I know I have a lot of cleansers left to finish but I also use my facial cleansers to wash my brushes and face cloths! I'll run out in no time....
Ontop of the abundance of cleansers I got, I also bought more nail polishes. Revlon recently released previously limited edition nail polishes onto their permanent display. I bought Minted & Gray Suede for $2.99 each as it was on sale but I haven't tried them out fully yet.
I can't explain why but London Drug was having a massive clearance on beauty products & I found quite a lot of great beauty products on sale but still a little too expensive for my taste. The whole L'Oreal Passport to Paradise Collection was on clearance; nail polishes for $2.99 and eyeshadow quads for $5.99. I bought a nail polish in Ocean Breeze (606) from the Passport to Paradise but I also don't like this one. The first coat leaves little streaking but during the second coat, the formula gets goopy making it hard to apply. Atleast the second coat leaves a very opaque blue nail! I never quite liked L'Oreal nail polishes, they separate in the bottle too quickly and are waaay to thick. Lastly I bought Seche Porcelain.. I don't know why but I can't return it so I might swap that too. I couldn't take clear pictures of the nail polishes or find stock photos so... I'm sorry!
I think I've gone on for long enough anyway so I hope this was an interesting read for someone! Happy Weekend, hope no one has a dentist appointment tomorrow like I do! :(
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.
