HAUL: Target Canada is Closing & I Almost Feel Guilty

From L-R: Sonia Kashuk Perfecting Luminous Foundation, NYX Butter Gloss, Sonia Kashuk Liquid Line Precision Marker, Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Bronzer/Blush Duo, Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer, Pixi by Petra Eye Bright Kit, Pixi by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm, Sonia Kashuk Brightening Powder, Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Highlighter Stick, Sonia Kashuk Primer Base

 
Target didn't last very long in Canada. To be honest, I knew they wouldn't. The stores were much smaller than their US counterparts, the product selection was so-so, and on top of that, the shelves were always half-empty. Their sales were great, when you could find the items, but otherwise their prices couldn't compare to the other big box stores they had to compete with. Perhaps if they stuck it out, worked on their supply and logistics issues, and started building their own retail spaces, rather than relying on converted Zellers locations, they may have survived. Unfortunately, we will never know.

Most cosmetics lovers will lament the disappearance of the Sonia Kashuk and Pixi by Petra brands. Another confession? I've never tried them. At least not before today, the day my local Targets shut their doors for the last time, and priced everything at 80-90% off. I couldn't justify paying over $15 for drugstore makeup, regardless of their cult status and rave reviews.

I paid $38, including taxes, for all of the items pictured above. If anyone is interested in any of these products, I encourage you to run, not walk, to a Target that hasn't already shut it's doors, since they'll all be gone as of this Sunday (April 12th). Most of the stores I visited (a total of 3) were empty, but had an abundance of Sonia Kashuk products. There may not be much variety, but what they do have, they have a lot of.

My Wishlist: Sephora Chic Week

The Sephora Chic Week sale starts April 12th for VIB Rouge, the 16th for VIB, and the 17th for regular Beauty Insiders. I've slowly been adding items to my Loves on their website in anticipation. 15% off may not seem like much, but at Sephora, any little bit helps. I've been hoarding mt gift cards from Christmas and my birthday for this specific reason. I figured I'd share my wish list and follow up later on with what I actually ended up scoring.

Highlighters and illuminators are my #1 makeup obsession. I want to branch out and try a selection of brands and products with different functions, so this is the category with the most items on my wishlist:

• Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal to mix with my foundation.
• NARS The Multiple in Orgasm for a shimmery cheek blush.
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette as all over finishing powders.
• Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder to set and brighten the area under my eyes.

I've never been a huge eyeshadow palette person, but recently I've noticed that more and more of them are ending up my fantasy carts. Sometimes I like to go onto websites, fill carts with items I want, and then never check out. I find it relaxing. I've never been one for the matte nude shadows that seem to dominate the best sellers lists, and instead was drawn to these three palettes because of their mix of colours and brilliant finishes:

• Kat Von D Innerstellar Eyeshadow Palette
• Kat Von D Chrysalis Eyeshadow Palette
• Too Faced Country Palette 

Along with my obsession with highlighters comes one for a variety of other face products as well. I've found my holy grail foundation in Urban Decay's Naked Skin, but still have had no luck finding a great under eye concealer that feels light and doesn't crease. Also, since Makeup Forever discontinued their HD Primer, it's been one disappointment after another for me. After reading a bunch of reviews online, I've decided to add these items to my "try" list:

• NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
• Makeup Forever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Smoothing Primer

And finally, the sole lip product on my wish list ended up being the Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Sugar. After my recent lipstick splurge, there really wasn't much left I really wanted to try except this.

The Empties of January 2015

Aside from two products, January has been the month of K-beauty item testing. I went on a huge Memebox binge in October and November, and because of the sloooow shipping from Korea, I didn't get most of them until December. The result is that I am now drowning in Korean cosmetics, and have been using them exclusively in order to test out what works best for my skin.

Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat: I discovered the Julep Maven subscription last summer and have loved everything I've received from them since then. This base coat is no exception. I learned early on that this base coat shouldn't be used with just any polish. It's quite thick and opaque, and works best under glitters. For those who adore glitter nail polish, this base coat is a miracle worker. I used to use white glue before applying anything with sparkles so that I could just peel it off in one coat, and not sit there fussing with each nail for ten minutes. This Julep product works almost the same way, except you can use regular polish remover. It has the added benefit of allowing oxygen to permeate the nails, so that they don't turn yellow. It retails on their website for $18 (nuts), but there is always a way to get Julep products cheaper. I usually wait for the items to appear in their Savvy Deals section, Secret Store, or as an add-on option to my monthly box. A ton of coupon codes are also floating around the internet on blogs and coupon websites like RetailMeNot. There is no reason anyone should be paying retail prices for Julep.

Make Up Forever HD Primer: I have a confession to make. When I want to wear a full face of makeup, I use two primers. Underneath Benefit's POREfessional, I like to use Make Up Forever's HD Primer in Neutral. Up until a few months ago, I was obsessed with it and would have probably refused to use anything else to prime my face. Then I woke up and realized I was using $70 worth of makeup before applying my actual makeup. But that's a story for another day. If I'm spending $40 on a product, it better perform exceptionally well, and this does. I find that the MUF primer does a better job than the POREfessional at blurring fine lines and wrinkles, and doesn't leave my face feeling greasy or cake-y. It settles in nicely, and creates the perfect canvas for applying makeup. I'm hoping to find a hidden gem in my k-beauty pile or great drugstore dupe before I break down and just buy this again.

Purederm Tea-Tree Pore Freshener: This did nothing for me. I think it may have actually made me break out, even though tea tree is supposed to be good at controlling oil and reducing 'troubles' (read: acne). It left a weird film on my face, like it never got fully absorbed by my skin. Most k-beauty aficionados are Purederm fangirls, but this toner was enough to turn me off the brand completely.

Skinfood Egg White Pore Meringue Foam: I hated this foaming cleanser until I learned how to use it properly. It actually made it into the trash can a month ago, until my niece came to visit and saw it and wanted to try it out. Gross, I know. I'm glad she fished it out though, because it ended up being a really great working face wash. The trick is to use it after an oil cleanser (it's called double cleansing) and to not leave it on the face for too long, because it is way too harsh on its own. Even the oiliest face would be at risk of drying out and flaking if this was used improperly on a regular basis. Once I wash off my facial oil, I do a quick cleanse with the foam to get rid of the residue, and it ends up leaving my face feeling the perfect kind of clean.

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Liquid Nose Pack: I purchased this product on its own from TesterKorea because it was on sale. I need to use something to unclog my pores and this seemed like a good bet. It's liquid, so you can apply it to any part of your face with large pores. My issue was that I could never get the correct coverage. If I spread it too thick, it would never dry, and washing it off was a huge mess. Plus, my pores were still clogged. If I spread it too thin, it didn't grip on to the gunk properly, and peeling it off was a huge mess. Again, the pores were still clogged. I gave it five good tries until I gave up and tossed it. Goodbye $4.

Solucion 9 Aztec Therapy Shampoo: I need more of this shampoo, stat! I'm so sad I only received the tester in my Hair Salon Memebox and not the full size that they had sent out previously. It's a tiny tube, but lasted me a week because it cleansed my hair so well. I only needed to lather and rinse once. Forget the repeat. My scalp is also perpetually dry in the winter and the shampoo didn't exacerbate the issue like most of the others I've used before and after it. If anyone knows where I can get a bottle, please let me know!

La'dor Perfect Hair Filler: I also really liked the La'dor hair mask I received in the Hair Salon Memebox.  It left my hair shiny and feeling super soft, but also strong. I noticed I didn't suffer as much hair breakage during the styling process as I usually do. My hair still looked healthy after basically frying it with a flat iron. Yay for Korean hair care! The biggest downside of this hair treatment is that you need to mix it, 1 part solution to 1 part water, so you need to remember to have something on hand in the shower or bath to do that in.


Note: Memebox has notified it's international customers that they will no longer be shipping to countries outside of Korea, China, and the USA. For anyone who is k-beauty curious, I recommend heading over to the blog Fanserviced-b for reviews on a lot of great products and information on where to buy them.

ColourPop Holiday Haul

I am not a makeup junkie. My skincare routine is as elaborate as possible to ensure that I don't have to spend hours on makeup. Usually I just slap on a layer of Benefit's Porefessional, some concealer under my eyes and a layer of mascara and I'm good to go. Unfortunately, this doesn't work for the holidays. One is expected to look better than the everyday at parties and other outings.

I did a massive makeup purge earlier in the fall, so I was basically left with nothing to put on my face in December. After securing the basics, I started researching online for the cheapest, but most attractive makeup items to complete my holiday looks. Enter ColourPop. At $5 per shadow, lip liner, and lip stick, how can you go wrong? After putting enough items in your shopping cart, the $14.95 international shipping fee seems almost reasonable.

I decided to purchase the Lip Pencils rather than the Lippie Stix because one of the constant opinions expressed in the online reviews is that the matte Lippie Stix have more of a satin finish. Regardless, I ended up hating these, but that's my own fault. I keep trying to pull off the perfect nude lip and failing. My natural lip colour is almost an exact match to Lumiere, so that was a wash. Brink and Frida made my lips look barely a shade darker and lighter. They're beautiful, just not on me. Maybe I'll take the hint, slap on some lip chap and call it a day on the neutrals. Or maybe I'll forget all about my failure and go back and buy the Brink/Frida/Lumiere Lippie Stix and fool myself into thinking I'll get a different result.

My shopping cart originally had every metallic shade that ColourPop offered, but I managed to reign myself in and just purchase their metallic holiday set, Down With Decorum. Most of their holiday sets are contain limited edition products, but I chose this one because Game Face, Liberty, and Mooning are part of their standard collection and I could repurchase them when I ran out. I love love LOVE these shadows. Even Glitterati, which is significantly less pigmented than the others. ColourPop recommends applying these with your finger to get the best coverage, but I am way too heavy-handed for that. The first time I tried the shadows using my fingers, I ended up looking like I smeared mud all over my eyelid. I now use a stiff shadow brush and achieve the same pigmentation by layering the product. I'm officially obsessed!

MAC vs. The Competition Box Dupes Vol. 1

Between the upcoming holidays, family illnesses and a rush of kiddie birthday parties, I feel like I haven't had time to do anything for myself. I've actually started and stopped this entry about four seven nine times within the past week two three weeks.

I've had the dance kit makeup I wanted to test against the little girl's MAC collection sitting in my room for about a month now, just waiting to make its way on to a face chart. Alas, it seems that this is not to be. Instead, I will have to just be happy presenting hand swatches until I get this whole face chart mess settled. Hopefully by then I will also have received the complete collection of the second brand recommended to us, Arbonne.

First of all, I'd like to say that my DD has super sensitive skin. She cannot wear just any brand of makeup. Everything I buy has to be hypoallergenic, but also professional quality for the stage. MAC is about the heaviest she can wear without having a reaction. Unfortunately, this gets pretty expensive, since we replace her makeup every season or every other season, depending on the product. As much as I would like to save some cash, I don't want to risk her having a reaction to expired/contaminated makeup. I try to keep it sanitary, but when you're in a rush to re-apply backstage, sometimes poop happens. This is what set me on my mission to find affordable, but quality duplicates.

When I went into the supplier to select the products, I only purchased the ones that focused on coverage and colour. I find that most people use their own mascara (preferable formula: volume) and eyeliner (gel or liquid) and primer. I used Makeup Forever's HD Microperfecting Primer and Benefit's Stay Don't Stray for my swatches. Here's how my selections held up against the recommended MAC items:

FACE: MAC Studio Fix Foundation in C4 VS. TCB's Dual Foundation in 42

Results: Unfortunately, I made the mistake of buying the dupe foundation based on the DD's winter skin tone, and not her spring skin tone (which is what she usually looks like during competition season). I forgot take into account the fact that we fly south every winter for the holiday, right before intense dance rehearsals start. Basically, the colours don't match, but even if they did, MAC's Studio Fix appears to have much better coverage than the dupe I picked up. The dupe applies sheer and has a more natural look, while MAC cakes itself on. For the stage, Studio Fix is the kind of makeup you need.

  
CHEEKS: MAC Powder Blush in Desert Rose VS. TCB's Blush in 114

Results: I wish I knew how to take photos/edit them better. These blushes swatched pretty much exactly the same on my hand, but have a colour difference in the photo. I'm not sure if that means they show up differently under bright lights and in photos or if I'm just a crummy photographer. The consistency and coverage also pretty comparable.

EYES: MAC Eyeshadows in Gesso and Espresso VS. TCB's Eyeshadows in 30 an 48

Results: Almost an exact colour match, the main difference between the two is texture and pigmentation. The dupes win hands down in both categories. The MAC Espresso had to be swatched a few times over to achieve the pigmentation that TCB's unbranded shadow displayed the first time it was applied. The dupes felt less grainy on my fingertips, which is probably why they went on smoother than the MAC shadows.

LIPS: MAC Lipstick in Russian Red and MAC Lip Liner in Vino VS.TCB's Lipstick in 142 and Lip Liner in Bordeaux

Results: Russian Red just won't go down. The unbranded lip colour isn't as creamy, matte, or deep as MAC's lipstick. Plus, it's too orange. I'll have to keep hunting for the perfect match. Not so for the lip liner though. Bordeaux applies much smoother than MAC's Vino, and looks less crayon-y. Is that a word? Regardless, the dupe lip liner is awesome!

FINAL THOUGHTS: I'm very happy with the results. I've managed to potentially replace four high priced items in my little dancer's makeup kit. Testing the products for staying power will be the next step before I feel confident in offering them as cheaper, yet quality alternatives to MAC products in my dancer's kit. I'm sure after doing some more research I will be able to find something to replace the expensive foundation and lipstick as well. I would also love to know of any other makeup products and colours that dance parents are looking for so I can start my hunt for those as well!

My Emergency Dance Makeup Bag

 
My little dancer is still too young to be expected to show up at events with a full face of makeup, but it doesn't mean that she isn't expected to look 'polished' when she is representing the studio. I sometimes forget that it could be required of her while at the studio as well.

Last night I had the pleasure of watching the studio's ballet examinations. I brought the DD in perfectly coiffed and neatly dressed, but after looking around, I realized that she should have been wearing light makeup as well. After attending her very first dance convention, JUMP, last year, I learned never to travel without the makeup basics. It didn't take much to run into the change room and give her a little makeover.

Carrying around a full makeup bag is pretty annoying. Fortunately, my subscription box addiction means I'm stocked up on sample sized products. I also tend to gravitate towards multipurpose cosmetics to keep my purse clutter at a minimum.

Here's What's In My Current Emergency Makeup Bag:

Benefit Stay Flawless / The Porefessional Primers (sample size): Let's be honest, young kids don't need full coverage foundation unless they're on stage or doing a photo-shoot. For conventions, examinations, and all other events, the more natural looking they are, the better. That, and the DD's fair skin tone, is why I tend to stick to light primers instead of using foundation. It's also less clutter in my purse and less messy overall, since I would have to carry a brush if I was using a liquid foundation and solid foundations in compacts have a tendency of cracking easily and leaving powder residue all over my purse.

Benefit Lollitint / Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain (sample size): I am obsessed with these two items. I will never carry anything else for lips and cheeks. They manage to go onto cheeks lightly to give a healthy, rosy glow, but pack a punch on the lips and give you the bright matte lip that's expected of all dancers at events. They also last for hours after the tints dry. A gloss or lipstick will never cut it because you'll have to keep re-applying, and powdered blush causes the same messy fallout as powdered foundation.

SharaShara Triple Shine Color Shadow in Yellow Brown (trio): This is a recent addition to my bag. I love this product because the colours are almost identical to her studio's standard eye makeup, but shimmer instead of matte. Up until I received this little trio, I was using Urban Decay Eyeshadow Pencils. I had no problems with the pencils, but this takes up way less room in my purse and I do find I can control the depth of the colours much better. I use a dry finger to dab the shadow on her eyelids so that I can achieve a soft look, required for something like a ballet exam, or a wet finger to apply it a bit darker so it will last longer for conventions.

Benefit They're Real Mascara (sample size): I appreciate any cosmetic item that allows me to control the look. This mascara can create a look as soft or dramatic as you'd like. It all depends on how many coats you apply and how you move the brush. The brush itself isn't huge, so it's perfect for tiny eyes. The formula is wet, but also dries much faster than the mess below.

Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner (sample size): Once I'm done with this sample I don't think I'll be using this product it anymore. It may last a long time, but applying this on a child is a disaster. I much prefer a basic gel pencil liner to any liquid or pen because the formula isn't as wet and you don't have to worry about fluttering eyelids causing smudging or a double line.

I know there appears to be a significant amount of Benefit products, and although I absolutely adore some of them, it is mostly because they're the easiest multi-use samples to come by. Topbox and Ipsy seem to give them out every month, and Birchbox Canada looks to be following their example. Sephora always has them on hand as well if you ask at the checkout counter. The odd time they don't, they will make you a sample from their floor stock. The SharaShara product came out of my CutiePieMarzia2 Memebox, but it's currently on sale from the Memebox website for $5.

Kiddie Mani feat. Makeup by One Direction

A few days ago I was sent some Makeup by One Direction samples to review from BrandBacker (This post is powered by BrandBacker). Unfortunately, before I could even open the boxes, they were confiscated by my little girl. After some begging and pleading on my part, she decided she would 'allow' me to take some photos of her using the products to give herself a mani.

 

First off, she decided to use their neon pink shade, "Moments"

She really loves the polish because the lid is large enough for her to get a good grip on, and the brush is the perfect size for tiny fingers and fingernails. This is probably the first time she's managed a solo-mani without getting polish all over herself and my nice towels.

 

 

Next came the glitter in "Kicks", which is described on the box as a "snow cone blue".

 

I noticed a few things about the 1D polish while she was doing her nails that I really liked. The color is buildable, which makes it age appropriate for young kids (like the little 7-year-old in these photos) AND their moms (the neon pink is coming with me on my next beach vaca). All the DD needed was one layer of polish and glitter for her sweet pink mani, while I would probably use about 2-3 for a seriously fun pedi.

 The nail polish and glitter are also supposed to be UV-reactive, which may get tested the next time we go Cosmic Bowling. 

The newest collection should be in stores already, so after seeing how much the kiddo enjoyed this set, I'm thinking I need to head over to Walmart before the holidays to pick up some stocking stuffers. She would probably get a kick out of their hair mascara and go nuts over their full beauty tins. If only she could decide which member of 1D is her fave, it would make my shopping much simpler. Obviously each member has his own 'collection'.


All the info on the Makeup by One Direction line can be found on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MakeupbyOneDirection

You can also enter to win some of it here: Makeup by One Direction Giveaway