U.S. Shopping Haul! Ulta, Target, Nordstrom, CCO

Okay I am just too excited to share with you guys to wait anymore!

I was planning on finishing my Summer Glow Series before posting this but I was feeling a little uninspired by my picks for blushes/bronzers.  If you guys do want to see that sooner than later let me know!

In the meantime, let's all enjoy looking at what my bank account has turned into.

A little disclaimer: I've done a few hauls before but never one of this size.  I know I really enjoy haul posts so I'm hoping this doesn't come off as show-off-ish.  I recently was able to travel to Seattle (which was awesome!) and have been saving up for the trip for months. So without further ado- let's see the result of all that saving!

Target

Rimmel ScandalEYES Waterproof Kohl Kajal in (005) Nude and (002) Sparkling Black

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 hr Eyeshadow in (25) Bad to the Bronze

Pixi Lash Line Ink (Waterproof) in Black Silk

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lip Pencil in Spice

Nordstrom

Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Portobello and All About Eve

Ulta

Lorac CC Colour Correcting Cream in (CC1) Light

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer (fair)

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Ivory

Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Light

Aqualillies for Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eye and Cheek Palette

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Light/Medium Matte Bronzer

Stila Afterglow Lip Color in Electric Pink

Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance Lipstick in Wild

NYX Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss and Caramel Cream Kiss

Cosmetics Company Outlet

Smashbox Blue Eyes Shadow Palette

Phew! I'm planning on doing individual reviews of quite a few of these items which is why I haven't gone into detail in describing them. 

If you want me to review any specific products in this haul sooner rather than later, let me know in the comments and I'll get on that first!

I hope you've enjoyed perusing my characteristic lack of willpower

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think?

Kendall

x

New Eye Obsession!

Ladies and (possibly a few) gentlemen, I have fallen in love again.  I may not have a Valentine but at least I've got makeup to keep me warm *sobs quietly*.

 It seems like every time I buy a palette, it becomes a bit of an obsession for me, and the Stila In The Light palette is no different.  I told myself that once I invested in the Naked Palette(s), I would be set for eyeshadow for a while.  I don't know why I lie to myself like this but the Stila palette seemed just different enough for me to take the plunge.  With a lovely mix of shimmery and matte shades, I think In The Light really lives up to its name; there is a certain luminosity to all of the colours that makes them feel luxurious and pretty.

In terms of quality, I would place Stila just under Urban Decay but still excellent.  The colour payoff is much richer in the matte shades, with the some of the shimmery shades coming off quite sheer.

Here we have Bare and Bubbly, a matte, slightly yellow vanilla and a shimmery gold champagne

Kitten and Gilded Gold. Kitten is probably Stila's most well-known shade, a gorgeous pinky-champagne-gold shimmer that seems to change tone depending on the light.   Believe it or not, I actually had to swatch Gilded Gold quite heavily to get the picture above.  A very interesting sheer shimmery brown,  it pulls towards the pink/neutral side on the lid.

Bliss and Luster. Bliss is a soft pinky-brown matte that reminds me a bit of Urban Decay's Naked 2 (the shade not the palette).  Luster is a beautiful brown-grey that comes off quite smokey and dynamic.

Sunset and Night Sky. Sunset is basically the bronze goddess of this palette.  In tone, it very much reminds me of Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze (or On and On Bronze, depending on where you live) with a champagne-bronze feel that I think I will probably be living in during the summer.  Night Sky is a luminous grey-blue shimmer that comes off a little darker than it looks in the pan.  I'm so excited to try a grey smokey eye/ light pink lip with this shade.

Finally, we have the two matte shades, Sandstone and Ebony.  Sandstone is a true chocolate brown that feels silky and luxurious, it's definitely going to be complimentary to a lot of different looks.  Ebony is a deeply pigmented black, somewhat similar to Urban Decay's Creep but a bit more grey.

The palette also came with a full sized Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Damsel, a deep chocolate brown.  

In my previous Haul Post I showed you my purchase of Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara. I am honestly loving it so far.  I'm really not normally a huge fan of Covergirl mascara or the plastic-y spiky wands, but for some reason I decided to break out of my comfort zone on this one.  It doesn't add a ton of length, but the definition and separation are amazing.  I am lucky enough to have decently long lashes, but my problem is that they are white at the tips which means what I'm usually looking for is clump-free definition.  This product definitely delivers.

I hope you enjoyed reading my little makeup love-fest.  If you've tried any of these products or want to suggest something new for me to moon over, I'd love to hear about it!

Be sure to check back in the next few days as I have a couple festive Valentine's Day posts coming up!

Kendall

x

Monday's Face: Neutral & Plum

Today I was very much feeling something soft and pretty, but instead of going with my old tried and true smoky eye/nude lip combo (you can read my post about my favourite nude lipsticks HERE) I decided to play with a few plum tones.

I created this look with the fact that I had a few classes to go to and some errands to run in mind, so it would be a great look for a day at school or work.

 Face

On my face, I started by buffing in my Makeup Forever HD Foundation (110) with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush.  I added some coverage under the eyes and on any uneven spots with my Sleek Makeup Corrector and Concealer (1).  After letting that set while I worked on my eyes, I used my mini kabuki to dust a bit of Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (001 Transparent) all over my face, focusing on my nose and forehead.  I used Benefit's Dallas, a really interesting plummy, bronze blush under my cheekbones with my Real Techniques Contour Brush followed by a flush of Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush (50) in Plum Wine using my ELF Stippling Brush (you can read my defence of these blushes in my Drugstore Makeup post HERE). Finally, I dusted a little bit of MAC Lightscapade over my cheekbones with my Real Techniques Setting Brush.

On my lips, I've got Sugar Plum (085), my new favourite Revlon Lip Butter.

Eyes

For the eyes, I used a coat of MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly over a little bit of Urban Decay Primer Potion (to avoid creasing). Next I used a mixture of MAC's Patina (left) and Wedge (right) in the crease and outer corner, with my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush (I know it's quite big for the crease but it's perfect for the soft look I wanted).  Using Patina and my Real Techniques Accent Brush, I lightly lined my lower lashes (holy alliteration Batman!) then tightlined my upper lashes with Stila Convertible Eye Color in Onyx (these pencils are very comparable to Urban Decay's but not as long lasting) and threw a little Revlon Matte Luxurious Kohl Eyeliner in Pure White (04).  Finally, I used my NYC Liquid Liner in Black (887) along the upper lash line.  A quick curl and a couple coats of my Boots No7 Lash Adapt in Brown/Black (02) (not pictured, I don't know where my brain was this morning) and that was it!

Sorry, I know I look like a weirdo here but I promise I'll get my lighting/camera situation worked out soon!

Hopefully this post has given you a few ideas for work or school appropriate makeup.  I'd love to hear your favourite ways to spice up a natural everyday look!

I don't want to be one of those "Happy Monday" people so I'll just say, I hope your Monday is not sucking too hard.

Kendall

x