Minneapolis Sephora and Ulta Haul 2015

This post is extremely late but I still wanted to share what I picked up on my road trip to Minneapolis this summer. I picked up a couple of palettes that I had been eyeing and was finally reunited with Ulta once again. 

LORAC Pro Palette

After listening to people rave about the butteriness of these shadows and claiming them to be their holy grail over the Naked palettes, I knew I had to get my hands on anything LORAC.

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit this, but I may or may not have squealed when I saw the LORAC display at Ulta. I was finally going to be given the chance to swatch these beautiful shadows. I regretfully forgot to check for this palette when we did this same road trip last year...

 I finally understand why people continue to rave about the blendability and butteriness of these shadows. They're super smooth, extremely pigmented and is priced rather low compared to other high end brands. I like the ratio between the mattes and shimmery shadows. I'm not too sure why, but I've only used this palette once. I definitely will give this another go, as the quality is just too good to leave this palette untouched for too long. 

Tarte Rainforest After Dark Eye & Cheek Palette

This is the second palette I had been dying to get my hands on. The link to purchase this palette on Sephora had been open on my laptop for months, as I had been contemplating if I should get it and if I should get this one or the Showstopper. I'm actually still quite tempted to pick that one up as well, but I haven't used this enough to justify getting a second one. 

I remember seeing this palette at Ulta last year during our road trip, however, I was completely turned off as I'm deathly afraid of snakes. When I finally took a look at it on Sephora's site and watched reviews on YouTube, I knew I had to get my hands on it even if the packaging gave me the creeps. I would like to point out that despite hating the snake, I do like the shape, size, mirror, gem and wood design of this palette. So basically everything but the snake...

For me, the main appeal for this palette would have to be how travel friendly it is and it's value. If I'm not mistaken, the blush in this palette is actually slightly larger than a full sized blush. That's insane, plus you also get 6 beautiful eyeshadows, a highlight, and a bronzer. 

I have been wanting to get into using blushes and just couldn't justify paying for a Tarte blush. I figured if I don't end up liking the blush, I'll still have other products in the palette that I will use and maybe give the blush away. 

MINI UPDATE: After writing this all out last night, I decided to give these palettes a go this morning. I have to say I'm kind of digging them so far. I had to work quick as I had to catch the bus to class, but I'm quite happy with what I came up with. 

I quickly snapped these pictures on my phone when I got home, so I apologize if the quality is a little grainy. I also used natural light from the window, so the colours aren't showing up as well as they do in person. It think it looks quite a bit darker in person, but either way I like the way it turned out. 

I used Makeup Geek's Beaches and Cream as the transition shade. Then I put Light Bronze all over the lid and Pewter on the outer half of my lid (LORAC PRO). To finish it off I put the deep brown shade (farthest on the right) in the outer corner and placed a bit of the purple shade (3rd from the left) slightly on top of Pewter and into the crease (Tarte). I also blended the dark brown shade into the crease. 

NYX Tame & Frame

I'm sure we've all heard the hype for this product. A cheaper alternative to the Dip Brow Pomade from Anastasia Beverly Hills. I'm not running out of my Dip Brow anytime soon, but I decided to pick this up as I have never seen this NYX product in stores. In case anyone is wondering I use the shade Dark Brown for the Dip Brow and I picked up Espresso for the Tame & Frame. 

NYX Micro Brow Pencil

Again, I purchased this for the exact same reasons I picked up the Tame & Frame. Along with the fact that my Anastasia Brow Wiz broke in my suitcase when I was in Europe, so you know, a reasonable reason for picking this up as well. I wanted to get this in Espresso, but unfortunately, they were sold out of it so I settled for Ash Brown. 

I was a little hesitant as it looked a lot lighter than I'm used to but my friend who also has dark hair picked one up so I did too. If we're going to wear the wrong brow colour, we may as well do it together! Plus, I've never seen this back home either and I really wanted to see if it was worth the hype. We're hoping if we press hard enough the colour will show up darker. 

NYX Lip Liner

All I can say is Manny made me do it... I honestly love him so much and he's seriously hilarious. Definitely check him out, you won't regret it! Anyways, fangirling aside, this shade, Peekaboo Neutral is super pretty! 

This is definitely new territory for me as I've never used or owned a lip liner before, so I can't really say much about the quality, but I can say the colour is beautiful. The name is bang on. It's a neutral colour but it still has a bit of a pop to it, the colour just peeks through from your lip colour. 

ELF Extra Liquid Liner

This purchase is another example of me trying to broaden my makeup horizons. I still am extremely unexperienced in the eyeliner department and I want to change that. I still haven't actually left my house with liner on. I've played around with a few different formulas and applications but I've never used a liquid liner with a brush tip. I figured I may as well try it at an affordable price, as I don't know if I'll a) like it,  b) be able to use it, and  c) I can't return it. 

If someone could teach me how to use eyeliner that would be greatly appreciated. Seriously though... it's embarrassing. I don't understand how people can line their eyes every single day. Kudos to them.

ELF Extra Lip Gloss

Nicole from Young Wild & Polished definitely convinced me to purchase this when I was in Target. I got sucked in by her swatches on Snapchat. My favourite shade by far would have to be Michael. 

I'm trying to get into lip colours as I'm 100% a clear lip balm kind of girl. This colour is perfect for those in the same situation. It's the closest shade to a "your lips but better colour", however, it's different enough that you can tell you're wearing some sort of colour on your lips. Hopefully that makes sense. 

I just think it's a great colour for those wanting to dip their toes in the coloured lip products realm of the beauty world. The formula is great too! I've really only worn it once but I didn't find it was drying at all.

ELF Eyelash Curler Pads

I picked up these pads, as the ones I had were worn out. Plus this pack was only $1! I also picked up an eyelash curler from Elf but forgot to take a picture of it. I'm sad to report that I do regret purchasing these two products, the curler more so than the pads. (Or maybe it's the pads that aren't durable enough..)

The first time I used the curler it was nice but by the end of the week it was already starting to rip out some of my lashes. I curl my lashes before I apply mascara so I don't really understand why that started to happen so suddenly. I guess you get what you pay for!

I definitely will be sticking to my holy grail, the Shu Uemura eyelash curler. In fact, I picked one up last time I was at Sephora. It certainly is pricey but it's definitley worth it!

ELF Small Smudge Brush

I have been trying to line the bottom eyelid to bring the eye look together, but I didn't have any brushes that were small or precise enough, as I'm not really going for the panda look. I thought I'd give this a go since it was cheap and seemed to fit the description of small and precise.

Again, I haven't actually put this to use so I will report back once I give it a try. I mean, even if it doesn't work well for what I want it to do, I'm sure I could find some sort of use for it. 

Sonia Kashuk Precision Liner Brush #202

I bought this brush for the same reasons I bought the small smudge brush from Elf. Plus Sonia Kashuk isn't available in Canada anymore, so I did want to pick up something from the brand. I was planning on picking up makeup from this brand as well, but everything costed more than I was wanting to shell out. Keep in mind, we went to Target on our last night so we already spent a good portion of our money, some more than others. (*cough* Courtney *cough*) *insert crying laughing emoji* 

Touch in SOL Mini Magic Mascara Duo Set

Honestly, this was an impulse buy from the Aisle of Doom at Sephora. I wanted to pick up items from brands that aren't available back home. So when I saw this while I was waiting in line, I decided to give it a go without reading any reviews. 

I've recently read a few and it seems to have mixed reviews. I'm hoping for the best but you never know. I'll be happy as long as it doesn't transfer, irritate my eyes, and/or clump. 

Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Bronzer

I had been contemplating placing a Makeup Revolution order for months and just hadn't found the right time to do it. I hate paying for shipping and the pound has been worth way to much for me to justify placing an order. In case you didn't know, the Canadian dollar has taken a major hit over the summer and it's still in a pretty rough spot. 

When we finally decided to go on road trip to the states, I found out Ulta was starting to carry Makeup Revolution. If that isn't fate I don't know what is... I have had my eye on their shadows and eyeshadow primer for months, but unfortunately the display at the Ulta in Fargo was picked over and the few palettes they had were ripped open or were testers. 

I still wanted to try something from the brand so I decided to pick up this bronzer. To be honest, I haven't really heard much about their bronzers but I'm definitely excited to give it a shot. If it doesn't work out I could always use it as an eyeshadow!

Sorry for the long hiatus. I can't believe I barely posted all summer... So embarrassing. Anyway, let me know if you've used any products or would like a more in depth review on anything mentioned in this haul!

-Amelia

Midsummer Fashion + Beauty Haul

I've been in a bit of a blogging rut this past month, but I'm happy to say that I'm back! I went on a little bit of a spending spree the last couple of days and I thought that I would share these pieces while they're still on sale.

Dynamite

I definitely like the style and quality of the clothing from Dynamite, but I never leave with anything as I find the the chest area fits quite weird. However, I was surprised to find that these tops fit very well and actually looked good on. 

I'm not too sure if this is true everywhere or just in my city, but Dynamite rarely/never has any sales on their regular priced items. There's usually just the sale section in the back of the store. When I went in this time, they had these 100% rayon zipper tanks on sale for buy one, get one 50% off (original price $19.95). Naturally, I had to stock up.

What sold me on the tanks was the gold zipper detailing. It adds a little something to the plain tanks and it can double as an accessory. The zipper is functional so you can adjust it to the height that suits your personal style. If you see these in store/online, or anything in a similar style, I highly recommend you give them a try. I'm super happy with them!

These v-neck camis are regular price $24.95, on sale for $19. They are 95% rayon and 5% spandex. I love the way these camis feel. It feels similar to scuba material as it is thicker than typical camis, but thinner than actual scuba material. I'm not doing a very good job at describing these but they do feel like they're made out of high quality material (the site says it's a crepe cami, if that helps clarify things). The black elastic straps are also a nice touch. I also appreciate a nice v-neckline and this one is perfect, as the cut isn't too low or too high.

I originally picked up the blue flower print one, as I typically go for patterned tops under my sold coloured cardigans. However, I decided to switch things up a bit and pick up a solid colour as well. I had just purchased some layered necklaces (which are apart of this haul) but I couldn't think of any tops I owned that would go well with them, until I stumbled across the solid coloured cami. I love this shade of royal blue! 

These camis can look professional or casual depending on what you pair with them. I personally love pairing my layered necklaces on top of the solid colour cami as the jewellery can get lost or too cluttered with a patterned top.

It's a shame that these camis don't come in more colours and patterns! There are a couple of different colours and patterns that these do come in but it's pretty disappointing. With something as classic as a cami, you'd think they would come in a wider range of colours and patterns. However, there are a couple of colours I wouldn't mind picking up such as the purple ash (light lavender/lilac) one and the black and white flowered one. 

Icing

It seems that Icing has gone through a bit of a revamp. My friend and I decided to check it out as we both hadn't been there in a while and we were curious to see what they had. Boy were we glad we did! All of their jewellery was $5 each! I have been scouring Forever 21 the last couple of months for ear jackets, midi rings, and necklaces that I could use for layering. I found everything I was looking for and more. 

I apologize in advance for the quality of some of the pictures below because I'm pretty sure the quality sucks on them. I had to take the pictures on my phone as the necklaces would fall through the cracks on the deck and my battery died before I could get a close up on the rings. Hopefully you can see what each ring looks like because I am seriously in love with them!

I've never really been a ring person, but these have changed my life. They are so dainty and make me feel so feminine and chic. Similar to the zipper detail on the tanks, the rings add a little something to the outfit. In this set, my favourite rings have to be the two thinnest ones on the right. Perfect for those who want to try out midi rings, but don't want anything too flashy.

Anybody else love Amelia Liana's eye midi ring? Does the one on farthest left not remind you of hers? I think it's super cute and is 100% my favourite in this set.

Earring jackets have become my latest accessory obsession ever since I saw Leigh Ann from Leighannsays mention them in one of her videos months ago. They make any outfit look that much cooler. You can get some that are flashy like these ones, or you can get some that are less chunky and more simple. 

I haven't really seen anyone else wearing ear jackets where I live but I'm slowly starting to see some stores carrying this style of earring. I have gotten a number of compliments on my earring jackets from people I know and even some strangers, which is comforting. No one has told me they look ugly or weird so that's good (at least not to my face...)

AH, I just think they're SOOOO COOL! I've gotten so many pairs that I think I have enough to call it a collection. If anyone would like to see them all let me know and I'd be happy to do that! I do have some that are more simple if these are a little too crazy for some. 

I've always thought that ear cuffs were super cool but I wouldn't be able to pull it off or some would require piercings that I didn't have. Since I have been experimenting with earrings *cough* ear jackets *cough*, I figured I'd go out on a limb and give these a try. My friend and I decided we'd both get one and see whether or not we liked them. The fact that everything was $5 certainly helped as well. 

Unfortunately, I haven't had any luck with getting it on... I think the opening on the cuff is too small and I've been too lazy to try and separate them with some needle nose pliers. I'll get around to it soon and provide an update on Instagram or something like that. 

Layered necklaces. Enough said. But seriously, this trend has become a thing so fast! So many people are doing it, and I must admit that I am definitely a fan! As I mentioned before, I had been stalking Forever 21's site, mostly for layered necklaces or pieces I could layer together. I'm happy to share that I have not been on their site since I purchased these. Some of the necklaces look very similar to the two I purchased (one gold and one silver) except these ones ended up being cheaper because of the sale, and are better quality. I believe these necklaces retail for $14.95 each and the rings and earrings were around $7.50 or so. 

Honestly, just start running to your nearest Icing right now! I'm hoping the sale is still on because I just can't get enough!

Shoppers Drug Mart

Shoppers Drug Mart made me do it once again. My excuse this time is that everything was on sale and I wanted to give their new app a try...

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation: Hydrate + Smooth

I purchased the Fit Me! Matte + Poreless when it first came out and finally decided to give it a go about two weeks ago. I liked it but I wanted to five the original/hydrate + smooth formula a shot. I have now tried both formulas and so far I'm definitely a fan of both. In both formulas, I purchased the shade 120 Classic Ivory. 

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but my skin has been super weird this past year and I honestly have no idea what my skin type is. It's basically a little oily, dry, but yet normal... can sweaty be a skin type? (LOL, but it's seriously has been hot here, 27 degrees Celsius, some days it feels like 40 with the humidity) I bought a few drugstore foundations a while ago and have finally gotten around to using them. I've been thinking of doing a review on all of them/comparison on here. Let me know if you're interested in seeing that!

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

The Maybelline Fit Me concealer is definitely a product that is tried and true. I use the shade 10 Light. Oddly, the shade 15 Fair is lighter than the 10 and I find it's more pink. Just a heads up if you're shopping and think that 10 is the lightest shade, it's not!

Also I'd like to point out that I took a picture of the wrong concealer. You might be able to tell that there is some product missing and the label looks a little ratty. I accidentally grabbed the one I'm currently using instead of the one I just bought and took a picture of it. That's why it looks kind of gross... 

If you're in the market for a decently priced concealer that works give this a go! I think I'm currently on my fourth tube and I already have a back up.

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water 

I swear everybody on YouTube is talking about this micellar water! I have been interested in the brand Simple for a while now and finally decided to make a purchase. My mom gave me a packet of free sample face wipes from Simple and I liked them, so I figured next time I go to Shoppers I'll pick up something from their line.

I had actually been looking for this cleansing water but could never find it. I figured it was only available in the states or something. So when I stumbled across this and it was on sale, I couldn't say no!

I've only used one other cleansing water before. It was actually the first actual post on this blog. If you haven't seen it click here to check it out. I'm thinking of doing a comparison/"is it worth the price" kind of thing in a future post comparing the two cleansing waters. Again, let me know if you're interested in that as well!

Questions for You

As you can tell, I have been thinking of a BUNCH of different post ideas, I just haven't been able to get myself to take the time to write the posts. I'm hoping that will change soon. I have a couple of posts in my drafts with all the photos ready to go but no text, so hopefully I can get those out in a reasonable amount of time.

Are there any other type of posts you'd like to see? Maybe posts about my European vacation (definitely still need to do that...), reviews, favourites, empties, tags, etc.? I know all I really do are haul posts (I can't help it... not going to lie there are a lot more coming), but I really want to do a wider variety of posts so let me know what you're interested in! I'm personally planing to do more review posts as that's what I like to read about and listen to.

Have you picked up any items recently? Any sales you couldn't pass up?

And again, let me know if you're interested in any post ideas I mentioned before (ear jacket collection, drugstore foundation reviews, cleansing water comparison)!

Amelia

REVIEW: Loreal Fibralogy System

*I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes

I mentioned a couple of months ago that I had signed up for Influenster. If you haven't read the post or have never heard of the site before, Influenster is a site that is full of reviews written by users on all sorts of products.

Categories range from Food & Beverage, Arts & Entertainment, Health, Pets, Family, Home Electronics, Retailers/Stores, and of course, Beauty. If you review enough and have a decent social media following, you have a chance of getting items sent to you for free, that are intended for reviewing purposes. If you like researching products before you make a purchase, I highly recommend you check out this site!

With that being said, let's get on to the review!

The box Influenster sent me contained 3 products from Loreal's new Fibralogy line. The products in the line include a shampoo, conditioner, and booster. They suggest using the shampoo first, rinsing your hair, applying the booster all over your hair, and conditioning without rinsing out the booster.

They claim that you should notice insyant results after the first use. After 5 uses, your hair should appear noticeably thicker. They suggest using it once a week as part of your routine, and twice a week if you want an intensive treatment.

I have to say that I did notice a difference even after the first use! I would say my hair is normally pretty flat, as it is long, fine, and thin. I'm not sure if that is a factor for why I easily see and feel a difference when I use these products.

Every time I've used these products, I followed the steps they provide. Each product is scented but I don't think they're too overwhelming. I don't find the scent stays after my hair has dried.

I haven't tried the shampoo and conditioner before without the booster, but from what I can tell, these seem like any other drugstore hair product. They get the job done at an affordable price. 

I really enjoyed using the booster, as it felt like I was finally using something that actually made my hair appear more voluminous. I'm not too sure how much more voluminous my hair looks when I use this, but I can say it feels 20x more voluminous. It actually feels like I physically have more hair. It's incredible!

Overall, I would recommend all 3 products from this line. If you have a decent amount of hair/volume you could probably skip these products. If your hair is fine and thin like mine and you're frustrated because nothing seems to work, definitely give these a go! Even if they don't end up working for you, you can still use it as they do a good job at making hair clean. Plus these products don't break the bank! I believe they are all under $10. I have a feeling they are normally around $7 each but I've seen them on sale for $4 each which is a fantastic deal!


Does the Loreal Fibralogy system interest you at all? Would you be interested in trying out the entire line or just a certain product?


-Amelia

Spring Vacation 2015 + Instagram

I've been meaning to post this a while ago, but I wanted to make sure that this was 100% happening... 

As the photo suggests, I'm finally going back to Europe! I went a couple years ago with my school and I've been dying to go back ever since. I'll be visiting Dublin, London, Paris, and various cities in Italy! I'll be gone for a little over 2 weeks. I'm hoping I can maybe squeeze a post or two in while I'm over there but I'm not sure how good the internet will be..

Asianing it up in Venice

Here's a quick throwback of Nicksford and I when we went to Europe in 2013. Hopefully you can tell by the caption that we intentionally posed with our eyes closed and sported the peace sign! We don't normally pose like that unfortunately. This photo was taken in Venice right before a friend and I wiped out on the ferry back to the mainland... 

With this trip in mind... We're finally on Instagram!

We've been thinking about creating an account for a couple of months now, and what better time than now? If you want to stay up to date with my European adventures and (our) daily lives, give it a follow at @delicateasianbeasts

If you're from any of the cities or countries that I'm visiting, let me know if there are any must see places I should visit! Words can't explain how excited I am! Keep your eyes open for a European makeup haul within the next month! ;)


- Amelia

Sephora's Formula X Nail Polishes

I've mentioned this before but I'm typically someone who can't stand nail polish on my nails, however over the last few months, I have been able to have some on my toe nails without having to pick it off.

I've heard mixed reviews for these polishes, but a majority of the reviews have been in favour of them. However, the price for one polish just isn't fathomable. Personally, I think $15 for one bottle of nail polish is crazy! Especially since I only use it on my toes. Now, you may be wondering why I ended up getting 4 considering my dislike towards the price. I'm glad to inform you that they were all on sale! 

Super Charged

This polish is apart of the Lusters collection and the colour I got is Super Charged. Sephora describes it as a charcoal and rainbow multi-glitter, glitter lacquer. I currently have this on my toe nails right now and after my nails dried, I knew the polish was going to be extremely hard to get off. I've had this on my nails for a couple of weeks now so they're fairly chipped, but I would say they stayed on for a good amount of time without chipping!

Legend

This polish is apart of the Shifters collection and the colour I got is Legend. Sephora describes it as rainbow and maroon metallic. This was the first polish I tried when I got my package. I chose to try this one first as it looked like it would be the easiest to get off and I wanted to see how the polish would look in the light since it looked so metallic and duo chrome-esque in the bottle. I have to say I definitely enjoyed this! I seem to gravitate towards the darker colours (my friend convinced me not to try black), as I used to only use navy on my toes. This was a nice change as it looked quite dark, but you could see it had a slight purple tinge and a beautiful sheen. 

Black Hole

This polish is apart of the Celestials collection and the colour I got is Black Hole. Sephora describes it as a burgundy and charcoal glitter shift. I put this on my sister's nails when we first received our order. I reminds me of the Super Charged polish as they do look fairly similar and have the same sort of texture. These glitter type polishes look really cool as they are glittery (duh), but they also create a bumpy texture. It might not appeal to some, but it's definitely cool if you're getting bored with your polishes. My sister mentioned that the texture felt weird, but she quickly got over it.

Alive

This polish is from the Colors collection and the colour I got is Alive. Sephora describes it as Peach Pink. I'm not really sure why I chose this colour. I think I might have chosen it as I thought the pink would look good against her tan skin. This might have to be more of a summer shade for me... I also wanted to see how a "normal" formula would work as opposed to the other ones that are full of glitter. 

From left to right: Super Charged, Legend, Black Hole, Alive

After trying out all of these sale polishes, I would love to try the other sale polish that contains confetti. I had to limit myself when placing these orders, so the confetti one didn't make the cut. However, if you are someone who wants something new to play with or just shake up their nail game, I would definitely recommend you check them out and let me know how you get on with them!

Formula X polishes are definitely good, but I'm still not sure if they're worth the normal price of $18 a piece. If you're unsure of the formula I would suggest you pick up some of the sale polishes so you can try them out without breaking the bank. However, keep in mind that the sale polishes are more textured/crazier shades. They will probably be a bit harder to apply and remove, and the opaqueness might not reach your expectations as a number of the "normal" colours are typically on the more fluorescent side.

Overall, I think these polishes are great, but I don't think I would pay regular price for it. I'll probably just stick with drugstore polishes as I'm not too into them at the moment. I'd rather save the extra money and buy something I really want. But for those who love nail polishes, I would recommend you pick some up as they are really good. No complaints from me (besides the price)!

Free Samples

These perfume samples actually came as a surprise. This post has been a long one coming, hence all the snow in the photos... But I think you were to receive these perfume samples if you made a purchase of over CAD$35 or more. I can't remember if that's actually try or not but I would say I'm 80% sure that's what it was for. I remember they were offering three different envelopes of samples as each envelope had a different theme.

Theses polishes cam in two separate orders so I'm not sure if it was an accident that I received two envelopes of perfume samples or if they added them to each order in order to promote the 3x the points on perfume purchases. Either way, I'm not complaining!

I ended up getting the same theme in both of my envelopes. The perfumes included in the envelopes include: Prada Candy, Guilty by Gucci, Tory Burch by Tory Burch, Nirvana Black and White from Elizabeth and James, and Chloe by Chloe.

This multi-imperfection transforming serum from Philosophy was actually a 100 point redemption. I still haven't tried this yet, but I definitely want to give it a go. It seems like a decent product and I haven't had the chance to try much from Philosophy. I've only tried their face wash once!

Have you tried Formula X nail polishes? Do you think they're worth the price? What's your favourite shade? If not haven't tried them, do you have any interest in trying any out? What's your favourite brand of nail polish? (so many questions...)

-Amelia