Sephora VIB Sale Haul 2017

I did a bad thing. With the stress of finals, moving, and a million other things, I went from wanting to buy one thing during the sale to buying all of this. Oops. I had a real treat yo'self moment obviously. So far I am loving all of these things though, so that softens the blow to my poor bank account.

The thing I had planned to buy was Chanel's No. 5 L'Eau. This newish addition to the line-up is a fresher, more modern version of the original No. 5. No. 5 is one that you either love or hate. My grandmother has worn it for as long as I remember so I love it, but it is a pretty strong fragrance. This updated version has top notes of lemon and orange, followed by rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, and finally cedar, with soft and cottony musk notes. (This I got from the Sephora website lol). This is a super clean scent and I absolutely love it. I will say I wasn't expecting it to be so blimmin' tiny. I definitely should have paid the extra $14 for the 1.7 oz, but oh well! I next added the Sephora Collection Brow Pencil. This little guy is half the price of the Anastasia Brow Wiz and as far as I can tell works just as well. I got the colour soft charcoal, which is very grey-toned and I like it much more than the ABH colour options.

A couple weeks ago when I went to Charleston I got the new NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, so I decided I needed (obviously) the Radiant Creamy Concealer as well. I've only used it once so far, but I definitely see why everyone loves it so much. For some reason I thought it would be quite thick or too dry (read the name Amelia), but it sits so beautifully under the eyes and really helps to blur and conceal. Because I got a new concealer, I clearly needed to pick up a new foundation as well. I've been drooling over the Burberry foundations and decided to go for the Fresh Glow. If you guys remember, a couple months ago I ordered the Cashmere Soft Matte foundation and Burberry canceled my order (eye roll). I'm glad I decided to get this one instead thought because it's so so beautiful on the skin. It blends in incredibly and is one of those bases that looks like you have incredible skin. Will definitely be doing a full review on this in the future.

I last-minute panic ordered the Dr. Jart+ Dermaclear Trans-Foam Clay in Refreshing Green, I mean look at the packaging. Minimalist dream. Plus it was only $15! This one is a wash-off foam mask that is meant to gently cleanse and exfoliate. I've never seen anything like it so I needed it for testing purposes, right? I also got the Dr. Jart+ Water Replenishment Sheet Masks because I adore sheet masks and have heard incredible things about this one.

Finally! Those are all of the things I accidentally bought in the VIB sale! Let me know what you guys picked up! And if there are any specific products you'd like to hear more about, tell me and I'll get up a review soon.
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The 'My Skin But Better' Base Edit

The no-makeup makeup trend is really hitting hard nowadays, and there are tonnnnns of bases out there promising a no foundation look. Luckily for you I'm kind of loving this trend and have tested out mannnnny products that make you skin look just like skin (only better). I actually put on a full coverage foundation the other day (one I used to adore), and I hated it. So here are my faves with minimal coverage and a whole lot of beautiful skin.

My all time favorite is obviously the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint. Skin Tint is an "imperceptible wash of colour" that evens out the skin. It gets rid of discolouration like redness, but lets your skin show through entirely. A lot of people don't like this because they say it doesn't have any coverage. But that's the point people! It doesn't add any coverage or weight to your skin. It just makes you look like you have good skin. This is my every day go to and I adore it. (Don't forget you can get $$ off my shopping through my rep page). For a reaaaally no makeup makeup day, I like the Estée Lauder Even Effects Corrector. This is kind of like a hybrid between Skin Tint and a tinted moisturizer. It's much much dewier than Skin Tint, and possibly has even less coverage (but also has SPF 30). It's best for those with dry skin because of the dew, and I mostly stick to it in the winter. I like it because it gives a tiny bit of colour to my skin and makes it look hydrated! Another hydrating base is the Estée Edit Skin Glowing Balm. This one is a weird sort of moussey texture, but once blended into your skin it looks beautiful. It has a touch more coverage than Skin Tint, but still lets your skin show through completely. The best thing about it is that it comes in 12 shades, not a huge range, but for a tinted-moisturizer type product that's pretty impressive!

If you're looking for a traditional tinted moisturizer, the Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer is my favourite. It's pretty hydrating and plumping, but not overly dewy like other tinted moisturizers. It's got more of a satin finish, with a very light amount of coverage that (again) looks just like skin. It also smells like cucumbers as you put it on which I'm sort of obsessed with! This gives you 1.7 oz as well, more than the typical 1 fl oz meaning more bang for your buck woo! It's another one that just blends in effortlessly and doesn't require any thought. If you're looking for a bit more coverage, look no further than the MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation. This stuff is so so beautiful. It's very quickly made its way to the top of my foundation list for its incredible finish. It's a super liquid texture that's easy to blend, and ends up with what I would say is a buildable medium coverage. It melts into the skin and really just looks like a second layer of beautiful, smooth skin! It seems to have some blurring effect, which is fine by me thank you very much. I wore this is Charleston for a full day out in the heat and it by some magic held up. I'm telling you guys, the stuff is gold.

If you have more problem skin, it can be hard to embrace this no-makeup trend. Believe me, I have areas I'd like to cover up. But covering up all of your beautiful skin is doing it no justice! I think using a super light base and then spot concealing the areas you want to hide is the best. I have a million different concealers I use for this depending on my mood (I'm crazy), but the easiest is the Bobbi Brown Face Touch Up Stick. It's got a super-blendable texture, full coverage, and a creamy finish that doesn't leave blemishes looking dry (which makes them even more noticeable).

Are you guys embracing the no-makeup trend? Let me know what your favourite bases are!
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Skin Smart 005: BHAs & AHAs

My number one skincare question is: "what's the difference between AHAs and BHAs?" This is something I still have a hard time remembering so I thought this post would be an awesome reference for the both of us! I won't go into too much detail about specific acids because I do have a post on those here. But lets jump into the science!

Okay basic definitions first. An AHA, or Alpha-Hydroxy Acid, is an acid found in foods (like milk, apples, grapes, etc). The ones found in your skincare are generally synthetic, but lactic acid for example is originally derived from milk. They work by breaking down the substance that holds your skin cells together. BHA, or Beta-Hydroxy Acid, is the structural name for salicylic acid. It's obviously also a chemical exfoliant but is lipid soluble as well (it cuts through oil). More on this later. Your skin exfoliates a huge amount of dead skin daily, but as we age this process slows down, meaning that supplementing with chemical exfoliants becomes helpful in keeping your skin smooth. 

AHAs are water soluble and have small molecules meaning they can penetrate the upper layer of the skin and really work to exfoliate dead skin cells away. They act in both the dermal and the epidermal levels, because the exfoliation prompts cellular renewal. There are many many many different kinds of AHAs: Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid, Citric Acid, etc. As I talked about in my acids post, I really love glycolic as it has the smallest molecules and helps the most (personally) with keeping my skin smooth. Because AHAs exfoliate away dead skin, you're left with brighter, fresher skin at the surface. Working mostly at the surface layers of the skin, they're best for helping with things like reducing signs of aging and sun damage. Because of their water solubility they are ideal for drier skin (but anyone can use them)! AHAs have also been shown to increase skin barrier function (keeping nasties out and moisture in), increase epidermal thickness (making skin look more plump), and restore hydration. Major win. 

BHAs are oil soluble, obviously making them more ideal for oily skin. It is found naturally in willowbank, but is generally synthetically produced also. Salicylic Acid is awesome because it can work inside the pores to break down the buildup of oily clogged up dead skin. It's also both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory meaning it helps combat acne bacteria and soothes skin. Basically a super ingredient, right? BHAs are generally less irritating than AHAs (although they reap the same benefits), so are much better for sensitive skin.

Both AHAs and BHAs need to be absorbed into the skin, so your glycolic face wash really isn't doing that much. Sorry. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with using these, you're just not really benefitting. AHA and BHA serums are my favourite, but you can also find masks and moisturizers as well. Like I said, I personally love Glycolic Acid so my favourite products are the Pixi Overnight Glow Serum, Pixi Glow Tonic, and The Ordinary Glycolic Toning Solution. BHA Products I love include Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion and the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting Liquid. I do also love Sunday Riley Good Genes (Lactic Acid) and am going to be trying Exfolikate! I've recently been trying out The Ordinary's AHA + BHA Peeling Solution (terrifying), and loving the results. This contains Glycolic, Lactic, Tartaric, and Citric Acid as well as Salicylic Acid so it really packs a punch. 

How often you use these depends on your skin. I have previously used something like Good Genes every day and had no negative effects, but if you have more sensitive skin this probably isn't the best idea. I've cut my routine back a bit and am trying to be more consistent so this is what works for me: I use the Pixi Glow Tonic or Ordinary Toning Solution Nightly, every other night I'll use one of the serum-like products (ie Overnight Glow, Good Genes, Skin Perfecting, etc), and once a week I'll use the AHA + BHA Peeling Solution. This is in conjunction with my moisturizers, etc. Please remember that this works for me and may not work for you. listen to your skin!!

I hope you all find this helpful, and please ask me any questions you have!
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The Highlighter Edit

I love highlighters. A lot, in fact it's becoming a bit of a problem as I can't seem to stop buying them. I love how healthy they make your skin look whether you choose to keep them a glow or build them up to a blinding sheen. I used to be a powder only kind of girl, but as I was pulling out my favourites I've realized that I've become a cream stick convert!

The Balm's Mary LouManizer has been my long time highlight love, and I think it may have been my very first! It's a beautiful champagne colour in a buttery formula that glides over the skin. It's not one to pick up on any skin texture because it's so smooth and it can be built up to be quite blinding. This was closely contested by the CoverFx Perfect Light Highlighting Powder in Moonstone, which is a much icier version. I've said before that this doesn't look that interesting in the pan, but on the skin it is so so gorgeous. The formula is really similar to the Balm in that it's super smooth, but it's definitely a bit more intense on the skin. Lastly for powders is my newest addition, the highlighting side of the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow Palette. This formula is again super buttery and creamy, but the shade is slightly more golden. It's not quite as intense as the other two, but provides the most natural looking lit-from-within glow. Obsessed. I need to give an honorable mention to the Pixi Glow-y Powders, especially in London Lustre, because they are incredible especially for the price point. The only reason they aren't in the photo is that the green packaging throws off that aesthetic (Instagram probs). But, I really really love the formula and they're incredibly similar to much higher end powders.

If you're looking for a dewy glow, look no further than the Glossier Haloscopes. If you haven't tried this yet, scoot your butt on over to my rep page and pick one up (with 20% off your first order, woo!). The outer ring is a beautifully shimmery cream highlight, when mixed with the inner solid-oil core creates the most incredible dewy sheen. My favourite shade is Quartz, but Moonstone and Topaz are also beautiful. For a similar sheen without the dew, I love the NARS Copacabana Multiple. This is a cream highlight, but is one of those formulas that sort of sets down to a powder finish. The colour is absolutely incredible and gives quite a bright sheen that still looks like a part of your skin. The TreStiQue Highlight Stick in Maldives Luminescent and Benefit Watts Up are awesome for on the go (especially this baby version). Both are a creamy champagne colour that don't quite set down like the NARS, but also don't stay tacky. And they're super easy to blend which makes them great to stash in your bag.

High End Products Worth the Splurge

I've been quite into splurging on higher end products as I get older, it's sort of an experience to go to a Chanel counter and walk away with a black and white bag. And the packaging, oh the packaging. Sucks me in every time. I know you're partially paying for the name, but the products are so beautiful. There are definitely products out there that aren't worth the price tag. But these ones are things that I've spent time researching and testing, and I love them.

Foundations are what I normally choose to spend my pennies on, if you have a good base you have a good face. Nothing else can go wrong. It's science. I've had the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet for a loooong time, and I still love it. Unfortunately Chanel's colour range is pretty pink and I like my foundations more yellowy, but I make it work. I don't have tons of Chanel in my collection but all of the things that I've tried have been gorgeous. This foundation is a super lightweight matte-velvet finish that gives a solid medium coverage and looks super natural on the skin. My latest base purchase was the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation and it's another love. This one is pricy, so if you can get your hands on a sample I would definitely do it as the shade range is also a bit weird. I'm shade 3, but could probably do shade 3.5 (I usually wear a 0 or 1 in most lines). It's also super lightweight and has a satiny skin like finish. I can't seem to get it up to full coverage like Desi does in her videos, but I love the amount of coverage it gives nevertheless.

I didn't realize I splurged on lipsticks so much, because I very rarely wear them, but there are three formulas that I love. I bit the bullet and bought a ridiculously priced Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick. I ended up getting it in a set, which made it seem less expensive, but the $34 price tag is still eye watering. This is the shade Very Victoria, a gorgeous taupey nude that's perfect for every day. I didn't believe that they could possibly be that good, but honestly they are pretty amazing. The formula is super comfortable, but is matte enough to be super longwearing. Along that line are the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, which I absolutely adore. They've just upped the price (tears), but have also come out with some beautiful new shades. This one is Bahama, a perfect dark nude, but my all time favourite is Cruella, a crimson red! If you're not a fan of the matte finish, the Bobbi Brown Luxe Lipsticks are amazing. They have a creamy finish with a soft shine, feel super hydrating, and also last (HOW I ASK??). Surprisingly, my favourite shade is Parisian Red, which is an almost orange-toned red.

I'm also into spending money on eyeshadow, because the formulas are typically better and the product lasts you literally forever. Two of these are fairly new, but I really love them. The Burberry Wet & Dry Silk Shadow in Pale Barley has reached cult status and for good reason. It's a warm taupe with some shimmer through it and is one of those dimensional shades that looks like you applied multiple shadows. I'm also loving the shade Chestnut which is darker and warmer! If you've never swatched the Chanel Illusion D'Ombre shadows, you need to immediately. I have the shade New Moon, which is described as a warm brown with gold shimmer, but it's a little more unusual than that. It's definitely unlike anything I own, and the formula is beautiful and long-wearing! I've been a NARS Eye Shadow fan for a long time, and they're really a good deal for the amount of product you get. All of the formulas I've personally tried have been super pigmented and easy to apply. I especially love the duos, they have some gorgeous colour combos and it feels like you're getting a lot of bang for your buck!

I recently picked up the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow compact, which is super duper expensive but also incredible. The powders are really finely milled and silky, and the colours are perfect. The bronzer is not too warm, and the highlighter is quite shiny without being over the top. If you actually break it down, each pan is $34 which isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. Also this packaging. It comes in a heavy gold compact, but the box it comes in is also beautifully designed. I thought about doing a separate post about skincare, but I've realized that most of my skincare is actually mid-ranged! I do really love the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, which isn't too expensive, but is the perfect moisturizer for under makeup. It creates a hydrated, plumped up base that isn't greasy and makeup smooooooths on top.

Do you guys like to splurge on high end makeup? What are your faves?
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Makeup Medley No. 5

In lieu of a favourites for March, I thought I'd do another Makeup Medley post talking about the things I've been reaching for the past few weeks! Plus the 9th is a bit late for a favourites post is it not?

I've been going pretty light on the base lately because my acne scars are fiiiiiiinally going away! Hallelujah. So I've mostly been wearing just the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint! Let me tell you I wish we sold this in my store because my rep page would be blowing up. I get so many questions from customers when I'm wearing this. It really evens out and perfects your skin without looking like your actually wearing anything. To conceal the few acne scars I have left and my sleep-deprived eyes I use the Glossier Stretch Concealer. I've sung the praises of this so many times, but it is SO good. I've actually been forgetting to put undereye concealer on this week (shocking), but it may be down to the magic that is the Milk Makeup Cooling Water. This stuff is so, well, cool. It's a gel stick with firming caffeine and soothing sea water to calm and hydrate puffy looking skin. I was a little skeptical when I picked this up but it works. I'm so psyched to use this in the summer because it feels incredible.

If I want a little extra coverage I either wear the MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation or mix it with Skin Tint. I think that this baby is quickly surpassing my beloved Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation to the top of my favourite foundations list. It's a beautifully lightweight formula with the most gorgeous skin-like finish. It blurs my pores and slightly covers imperfections. It's a solid medium coverage, but if you have something serious to cover up you'll still need to use concealer. I'm usually not a fan of MAC's foundations but this baby really knocked it out of the park. Because the weather is warming up, I've been piling on the bronzer to make up for my lack of tan (it'll never happen), and I pretty much exclusively reach for the Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Stonestreet (although I just got the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow Palette. So.).

For my cheeks, the Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick in Moon Beach has been what I reach for. It's just so easy peasy and blendable, and I love the slight shimmer it gives. And I of course still adore my Glossier Cloud Paints. The star of the show is the Nars Multiple in Copacabana. WHY have I never used this before?? I'm actually a little bit annoyed about it. It gives the most beautiful silvery-champagne sheen and the cream-to-powder finish means it feels weightless on the skin. In short, I'm obsessed. And I'm adding more multiples to my wishlist (sorry wallet). I've actually been wearing a little eyeshadow recently (shock, horror!). Mostly sticking to a blended out eyeshadow wing using Bobbi Brown Espresso and Toast from this wee palette. A lot of people have been requesting a tutorial on this so stay tuned! For mascara I've started reaching for the L'Oreal Butterfly Intense Mascara, but only on top of the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara. I know, I know, I'm very extra. But it makes my lashes look like I have lash extensions!! Super lengthened and volumized and separated. It's worth noting that I hate this mascara on its own (sorry).

And that's it! What have you guys been loving lately?
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The Best of Pixi Beauty

If you're new to this blog: Hello. My name is Amelia. I'm obsessed with Pixi. Like really obsessed. They've become one of my favourite brands and I especially adore their Skin Treats line. I'm very lucky to be on their press list so I've built up my collection quite a bit. But these are products that I've bought with my own money (bar one thing) and they are my favourites.

Oh, Glow Tonic. My absolute love. So much so that I bought the 500ml bottle. Oops. This is a 5% Glycolic Toner that removes excess dirt and impurities but also helps exfoliate the skin for a brighter complexion. Glycolic Acid has teeny tiny molecules that can get deep into the epidermis, meaning it can help accelerate cell renewal. Yes please. For something a bit stronger I love the Overnight Glow Serum which contains 10% Glycolic Acid. This will have you waking up with bright, smooth skin. I was a little skeptical when I first tried this because I'd never used a concentrated exfoliating acid previously but I loved it and am still loving it. This is a great option if you have more sensitive skin because it also has cucumber and aloe vera to soothe.

There's a lot of buzz going around about the Pixi Mists, and for good reason. I blimmin' love them. The Glow Mist is formulated with 13 natural oils and fruit essences, leaving your skin dewy and glowy. BUT, it also somehow manages to help your makeup stay on. It's literal magic. Speaking of magic, the Hydrating Milky Mist has become one of my top favourites. This beaut has Hyaluronic Acid and Black Oats, so it's super hydrating and refreshing. I only have little baby sizes of the Glow Mud Mask and Glow Mud Cleanser from a set, but I'll definitely be purchasing the full sizes once I run out! The cleanser is a cleansing mud, with 5% glycolic acid, and I feel like it does a great job at really deep cleaning my skin without stripping it. The mask has kaolin and sea salt to purify skin, and ginseng and aloe to balance. This really leaves my skin looking super energized.

A few months ago, the Pixi Pretties collection launched, several collaborations with different beauty influencers and I love allll the products. Three, however really stood out to me. I've been loving Aspyn's Glow-y Powders, they're so finely milled and come in three gorgeous colours. London Lustre is my absolute favourite, an icy white similar to my beloved Cover Fx Moonstone. I'm quite surprised by how much I've ended up loving the Lip Palette from itsjudytime's collection. I thought they would be a bit cheapy like typical lip palettes. But they're actually incredibly pigmented and creamy, in an almost matte-satiny finish that lasts really well! It's also been fun to mix and match and create custom shades.

Last but not least I obviously adore the Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse. I mean firstly, CH is my queen. Secondly, I love double cleansing. Match made in heaven. It's a solid and cream cleanser duo that's paraben free, fragrance free, and not tested on animals! The solid oil gets off all of my makeup SO quickly, even better than the Clinique balm. It's super gentle on my skin, but still powers through mascara surprisingly quickly. The cream cleanser is also lovely, it's sort of similar to my beloved Milky Jelly but more cream less jelly (think silk instead of clouds). The oil side contains Vitamin E to protect and condition, Cameillia Oil which is rich in Omegas, and Evening Primrose Oil to heal and moisturize. The cream side contains Vitamin C to protect and promote collagen, a Peptide Complex to plump and reduce lines, Arginnie which improves cell renewal and elasticity (yes, please) This is also becoming a permanent product, and by the hints dropped will be a part of a bigger CH collection (eeeeeeeee!)!

What are your favourite Pixi products? And let me know if you have questions about any of these beauts! And if you'd like $5 off your purchase from Pixi's website you can shop my link here: http://i.refs.cc/t7UQaaCa. This is an affiliate link, but I don't make any commission, just points towards more Pixi beauties!

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The Neutral Nail Edit

Here's another sneak peek into my ridiculous nail polish drawer and this time it's my favourite: neutrals. We all know I'm a boring person and I mostly wear neutral nails, so I have quite a few. And by a few, I mean a ridiculous amount. But here are my favourites!

The newest addition to the family is the beautiful Doe My Dear from Smith & Cult. Smith & Cult describe this as a dove grey taupe. I'm realizing now that this is going to be really difficult because all of the colours are really similar. But stay with me. The formula of this is incredible, and I love the packaging. People say that the brush inside that cap (the cap pops off) is difficult to use, but I actually really like it. It's really close in colour to Barry M's Gel Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Almond if you're in the UK. The formula is a little different, but I've gone through four bottles of this, it's my go-to neutral taupey shade. Nails Inc Porchester Square is also along the same lines, I just have this baby one but I really liked the formula! It leans a little more on the mushroomy-side of the colour spectrum if that means anything to you.

Obviously I have a lottttt of Essie neutrals. A lot. But I have four favourites, ones that I go to over and over again. My all-time favourite nail polish is Lady Like, a taupey-mauve that looks so so chic. Essie classifies this as a pink, but I would definitely put it in the nude category. If you want nude nude (and I mean a nude for my skin tone here, not everyone's), go for Topless and Barefoot. This is a slightly more pink toned beigey version of Sand Tropez and it lasts forever. I think pretty often really pale nude colours tend to crack and chip, but this one stays put without a top coat. Merino Cool is a mulberry that's a little pink a little purple, but firmly a neutral to me. I love this one in the fall and winter as it feels autumnal, but let's be real I wear it all year round. Last but not least from Essie is Chinchilly, a little bit more of a grey, but still gorgeous.

I keep including Formula X polishes and I know they're discontinued, but if you can ever find Monumental, buy it. This is such a gorgeous pale pale beige and again looks chic (all about the chic eh?). LVX's Rive is fairly similar and has a beautiful formula. It's also vegan and 7 toxin free! Last but not least are a few polishes from H&M! These specific colours are really hard to find online, but they should still be in the store. Mushroom is sort of similar to Doe My Dear, but almost a little warmer? Kalahari is the warmest of all, sort of a pinky taupe. If you've never tried H&M polishes before you neeeeeeed to! They are incredible and not too expensive.

What are your favourite nail polishes? (Mainly neutral recommendations please!)
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The Post-Spending Ban Haul

Right, so I may have gone a bit crazy. But after not buying anything for two months I had quite the wishlist. And saved a lot of money. And was on vacation. So. Justified. Also, I never really quite know how to write haul posts. I'll do mini reviews of the things that I have tried, but otherwise I guess it'll just be, "I got this and that." There's also a little photo diary down at the end there. I tried to take more photos but honestly I was a bit distracted and forgot!

Before we went to Charleston, I did place an order from Anthropologie during their 20% off sale. It was a moment of weakness. I ended up picking a bunch of skincare goodies, including the Kypris Antioxidant Dew which I am obsessed with. It's sort of like a hydrating serum that you layer with your other products and is quickly becoming a staple in my everyday routine. Speaking of staples I'm also loving the Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream. It's super duper rich and incredibly hydrating, I'll have proper reviews of these up soon. I also got some things from French Girl Organics, the  Créme Lumiére and Sea Spray.

So we ended up going into Sephora multiple times, but there was also a store called Blue Mercury that I visited a few times. They carried Chanel, NARS, Kiehl's, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, Diptyque and a bunch of other luxury brands (very exciting). I ended up getting the NARS Soft Matte   Complete Concealer there because they were out of stock at Sephora, but I was soooo excited. I've heard great things and I'm loving it so far. They had some Smith & Cult nail polishes hiding at the back of the store so I obviously had to get Doe My Deer which is a beautiful dove grey. I went back the second day because I didn't get a chance to look at Chanel. So happy I did as I got the beautiful Illusion D'Ombre in New Moon. Not sure how to explain this to you because it is incredible. You'll have to look it up.

I honestly didn't go as insane in Sephora as I thought I might. I got the Bite Beauty Lip Pencil in the shade 012, a perfect my lips but better shade in a super creamy formula. Sam from pixiwoo convinced me I needed the Clinique Rose Pop Lipstick even though it's a shade I wouldn't normally go for, and I loooove it! Super pigmented and a matte formula that's still comfortable. I also picked up the belief Aqua Bomb Sheet Mask, which I will be trying out tonight! The second visit I had planned on picking up a perfume, but couldn't decide. So I got the Milk Makeup Cooling Water and Ouai Wave Spray instead. I was hoping the Urban Outfitters on King Street would have a big Milk section like my local one does but they didn't! So I was psyched when I spotted this in the Scouted by Sephora section. I tried in this morning and it felt super cool! I already have been talking about the Sunday Riley Good Genes and Tidal 100 point perks I got, but I also grabbed the SK-II Essence and Clinique Pep Start Hydrorush Moisturizer (after Tamira told me about it). 

On our last night we nipped into Ulta before going back to the house because Mario Badescu had a 25% off sale and I wanted to grab the Drying Lotion. I haven't tried it yet but I'm quite excited. I also found a tiny NARS endcap there so it's finally making its way into stores! I randomly decided to swatch Copacabana and immediately bought it. I'm not sure why this isn't still talked about all the time but this may be the best highlighter I've ever used. It's a cream but sets down and is an incredible sheen. I was complimented on it five times today (you need it). On our way back home-home we decided to stop at the outlets even though we were quite tired and I'm so glad we did. There was a Bare + Beauty store, which is pretty much a CCO for Shisedo brands. Meaning they had Burberry and NARS (and other brands) for a discount and they had an additional 20% off that day. Which means I freaked out. I got Burberry's Pale Barley for SIXTEEN DOLLARS. You GUYS. I nearly cried. I also decided to get Chestnut and the Gold Copper Eye Colour Cream because once in a lifetime opportunity ya know? I just received a Glossier package because I ordered the Generation G in Crush and the Headband (needed it right?) to support ma girl Jewlie. And I also accidentally ordered the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow and some stuff from the Ordinary okay byeeeee

Here's a few of the photos we ended up taking!

 I hope you guys enjoyed this insaaaaaaaaaaane haul! Let me know if you've tried any of these!
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