Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Pat Mcgrath Labs LuxeTrance Lipstick Review

Raving reviews of the Pat Mcgrath Labs lipsticks have taken over the internet.  I can't help but take advantage of the VIB rouge sale and picked up a Luxetrance lipstick in the shade BEAUTIFUL CREATURE.  At $50cad/lipstick, these are definitely more of a splurge compared to other higher end brands at Sephora.  However let's not forget some crazier price tags of Tom Ford's lipsticks at $70 and Christian Louboutin's at a whopping $120cad.  After testing it out, I am ready to add a few more of these to my collection!

pat mcgrath luxetrance beautiful creature


When I received my sephora package earlier today I immediately applied this to my lips which were a bit chapped and dry.  The lipstick is extremely opaque, where one swipe was more than enough to mask my original lip colour. It is not drying and the finish was more matte than I expected.  Now I'm curious as to how matte their Mattetrance lipsticks are compared to these.   The texture is non-slippery and the comfortable grip really enhances the wearing experience and improves the longevity.  The lipstick wears down well but I feel like my lips do get slightly dry after a few hours.  I couldn't bear to wipe this lipstick off my lips just yet to see if it stains.  After wiping off the swatches off my hand, I have a feeling that it may leave a slight stain on the lips as well.  Many of the shades are currently unavailable on Sephora but I am hoping to pick up a couple other colours to try.  If I do, I will definitely post my opinions here.  




https://www.sephora.com/product/luxetrance-trade-lipstick-P423642?country_switch=ca

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Budget Friendly 2017 Sephora VIB sale picks

Hello! The Sephora VIB sale is just around the corner (Nov 10 - 15th), is your wallet ready for it? Usually prior to the sale I binge watched/read all the Sephora sale recommendation posts I can manage to find.  I then add all the items to my shopping cart and a sense of panic comes over me when I realize the total is equivalent to a month's worth of mortgage payment (or two!).  SOMETIMES I come to my senses and purge my shopping cart once or twice  and end up with a somewhat appropriate list of "must-haves".  This year is one of those rare times that I am sensible (somewhat) when it came to my purchases. I thought I'd share it with those of you who'd rather prefer a reasonable approach to shopping (but is there ever such thing as "reason" when it comes to shopping?) Enjoy this curated list of SEPHORA MUST-HAVES!


https://www.sephora.com/product/modern-renaissance-eye-shadow-palette-P409118?keyword=modern%20renai&country_switch=ca
 Ah... I'm sure I'm quite late on the bandwagon but I still recommend getting this palette if you don't already own a warm palette.  I contemplated between ABH, Urban Decay heat, Huda Dessert Dusk and the Natasha Denona sunset palette.  I feel that this palette offered the most versatility for every day and special occasion wear.  I found UD heat to have too many similar colours.  Natasha Denona sunset is a beautiful palette but at $166 cad I just couldn't justify it! Also I'm not a big fan of giltter shadows so I crossed the Huda palette off my list.  I picked this one up in stores during the VIB rouge sale but it was and is available online.  Whereas the ND sunset palette sold out immediately!
https://www.sephora.com/product/nightbright-P414672?country_switch=ca
I've heard quite a bit about Drunk Elephant's line but I didn't not want to dish out for the full size products.  This set contains the two products that I'm most interested in trying: Marula Oil and Glycolic Peel.  I will keep you posted on the results from these two products.

https://www.sephora.com/product/double-cleanse-set-P426703?skuId=2000842&icid2=products%20grid:p426703

I have gone through many bottles of the Shu Uemura cleansing oil in my days.  It's been my HG for years although occasionally I stray and try other brands.  I have had good luck with Shiseido products in the past (their Ibuki purifying cleanser is a staple) so I thought I'd try their cleansing oil.  This set is a REALLY GOOD DEAL! I usually don't like sets as they usually have many miniature products that I never end up using.  However this set contains a 300ml bottle of the cleansing oil and a 30ml bottle of my favourite ibuki cleanser.   For reference, a 450ml bottle of Shu Uemura can cost anywhere from $79cad to $98cad and the ones I like are in the latter price group.  This set came out to $0.13/mL vs. 0.22/mL of Shu Uemura.  WOW! It currently shows out of stock in my cart, so if you're planning on buying this set during the sale, I'd recommend shop early!
https://www.sephora.com/product/ultra-repair-cream-intense-hydration-P381145?skuId=1786003&icid2=first_aid_beauty_lp_bestsellers_carousel_ca:p381145 

I have repurchased this face cream multiple times for my husband and I over the years.  Although he has been using this a lot more than I have (I like trying new products) but I can attest to the hydrating ability of this product.  For reference I have combination and acne-prone skin.  This cream has no bells and whistles but is great at doing the one thing that it claims... HYDRATE.  It does not break me out and is extremely budget friendly.

https://www.sephora.com/product/solid-clean-solid-brush-cleaner-P389120?skuId=1624949&icid2=products%20grid:p389120

I ran out of my usual brush cleaner so I thought I give this product a try.  It's a good price but I'm not sure how long it will last.  But I'm really interested in trying out the pink pad!
https://www.sephora.com/product/vice-lipstick-P409523?skuId=1827617&icid2=products%20grid:p409523

To be perfectly honest, this was an impulse buy for me. I have been lusting after the Tom Ford lipstick in Violet Fatale for a few years now.  But at $70cad a lipstick, I was never able to justify the cost.  I came across Temptalia's review of the lipstick and it seems like there are plenty of similar colours on the market.  Urban Decay's vice lipstick in afterdark was one of the most similar colours.  To be honest, this was a bit of an impulse buy, so I'd recommend trying on their lipsticks in store if you can.  
https://www.sephora.com/product/the-contour-book-art-sculpting-defining-volume-ii-P401659?skuId=1751189&icid2=products%20grid:p401659

https://www.sephora.com/product/the-sculpting-powder-P393955?skuId=1697275&icid2=products%20grid:p393955

https://www.sephora.com/product/the-contour-duo-on-go-P415194?skuId=1871862&icid2=products%20grid:p415194


Alright, I had a tough time tracking down this Kevyn Aucoin contour powder! These are currently all sold out on Sephora but keep an eye out for their return during the VIB sale.  The contour book volume II is what I ended up finding at my local Sephora.  The 4 contour and highlight shades are all FULL SIZE! So basically for $25 extra, you get 3 additional shades and 4 eyeshadows.  How can I pass this up? However I feel that the most economical set is the duo at $33.  I don't know about you but it takes me ages to go through a contour powder (if I ever do I will let you know).  Although the duo contains less product but it's definitely enough to keep me going for a while (until I find my next must-try powder). 


Hopefully you found this list helpful in navigating the sale.  Happy shopping!