First Sephora Purchase

 

Hey everyone! So a little while ago, my friends and I went on a road trip and stopped in Kelowna, BC to shop around a bit. I was really excited to see a Sephora store there, because I had never been inside one and I love their website so much. I ended up spending like $311 on 5 things! I'm really happy with everything I bought though, and I've decided to do a little mini haul review. :) *Remember that I list prices in Canadian currency, and links may switch you to CA website*

 

Urban Decay Naked Palette - $60 
I do not regret this purchase! I don't really use the right side of the palette much because it's a bit too dramatic/dark for me. My routine lately has been Virgin as a highlight, Naked as a base, Sidecar on the outer corner blended in, and Smog in my creases and under my waterline as a liner substitute. I love the quality of the shadows and they look awesome, plus it came with a handy eyeshadow primer "Potion", which is nice and works just fine. I prefer to use my own brush rather than the one that comes with it, but it's not a bad brush. :)

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation - $42
I would definitely repurchase this. It has nice coverage, looks smooth, and is the perfect shade for my skin. I love the matifying effect - great for oily summer skin! 

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - $14
I remember that this was at least $20+ in-store, and I thought that was getting a bit steep for such a small size but then again, I'm used to shopping for make up at Wal-Mart and Shoppers Drugmart... anyway, it's a pretty nice primer. It feels exactly the same as BareMineral's Prime Time which I love, and I don't think it has been breaking me out. It's oil-free which is great.

"CLARISONIC Mia" Skin Cleansing System - $139
  Lately I feel as though my skin is brighter, and despite having small acne pretty much all over my face, I'm actually looking kind of clear. I can feel the bumps when I wash my face and do my makeup, but they really aren't all that noticeable, except for a couple larger/redder spots here and there. My makeup has been going on smoother, but that could also have something to do with the products I'm using. I haven't noticed a huge difference like a lot of people who've reviewed the product, but I'm going to keep using it for at least a full month before I make up my mind - probably longer, like at least half a year to a year. My skin is always changing and I'm hoping the Clarisonic will help even things out over time. I'm slightly disappointed that for such an expensive product, it only came with one brush head. And though it is called the "sensitive brush head" it feels kind of rough on my skin still, but not enough that I'd stop using it. I love the magnetic wall charger, but I actually wouldn't mind a little stand! Overall I'm happy with it, though. :) I'd recommend it.. but I'd wait and see if the price goes down or if you can get a good set deal because I'm not sure if it's worth $140! I have not used the cleanser that came with it yet due to having painful acne breakouts that I wanted to try to control. I also forgot to include it in the picture. :(

Murad Clarifying Cleanser - $26
So far I'm not sure if this has been working for me. I want it to work SO badly though, because the ingredients and the reviews make it sound so promising! First of all, at the top of the bottle it reads "Cleanse / Tone" which I love, because I'm not really a fan of toners (hate leaving stuff on my face without washing afterwards, even moisturizer makes me nervous). Also, it has Salicylic acid in it, which "penetrates pores to dry and help clear up acne pimples". This cleanser has been pretty drying for me, but at the same time I've had seriously oily skin at times too.. my skin is so confusing :( Anyway, I've decided to only wash with the Clarisonic at night time, just in case the twice-a-day deep cleaning has somehow been causing breakouts.

And lastly, a recent picture of my face using all of the makeup featured here plus sunshimmer 3 in 1 bronzer from Rimmel and cheekers CoverGirl blush in golden pink.

I just want to add though - is it normal to only receive one little sample during checkout at in-store Sephora? I was given a Sephora primer... which I unfortunately lost. In my cart online right now, I have $300 worth of product and 3 free samples, the choice between five 100 point samples or a 500 point Make Up For Ever The Greatest Hits set AND a free deluxe sample primer by using the code "prime", with 5 to choose from. The total number of items in my cart including samples is 14 and it currently costs less than my in-store purchase. Whaaat? I guess I did purchase kind of expensive products.. but still, haha. Question: What is the best product you've bought at Sephora and would recommend? Alright guys, hope you enjoyed and have a great Sunday! - Ash :)

Boohoo and Forever 21 Haul!

I know, what... I still exist? Yeah. I've been super busy with my new job.. I usually get weekends and Wednesdays off but I'm so lazy and I just want to relax and catch up on my favourite TV shows on my days off. So that's pretty much my only excuse for not blogging.. lame! Anyway, here are a few outfits I put together with my new clothes from Boohoo.com and Forever 21!

1. Katty Scuba Box Pleat Skater Skirt in Berry - Boohoo

Worn with: High-Low Polka Dot Shirt from F21 and

gold bracelets from Frolic Boutique and Smart Set.

Opinion: Nice colour, but costume-like/cheap feeling fabric 

with awkward pleating. Looks much nicer on the model.

2. Shelli Jersey Bralet in Black - Boohoo

Worn with: chambray top from Smart Set and 

white, paisley floral lace skirt from Ardene.

Opinion: Made with extremely thin fabric, expected something stiffer. 

Nude bra is visible in pictures, may be better with black underneath. 

Cute though!

3. Talia Sleeveless Printed Paisley Dip Hem Dress - Boohoo

Worn with: black skinny belt from Stitches 

and gold chain link necklace from Smart Set.

Opinion: Also made with thin fabric, but you can't tell and my underwear is not visible underneath. Appropriate for work as it is longer in the back, which is nice! I'm not a big fan of paisley print but I actually really like this dress anyway. Good price.

4. Floral Print Chiffon Shirt in taupe/neon pink - Forever 21

Worn with: Faux Leather High-Waist shorts from Suzy Shier, Leather Cross-

Body bag from Garage, and gold chain link necklace from Smart Set.

Opinion: I love everything about this top. Nice fabric, looks great with 

sleeves down or rolled up. Cute colours and pattern. Appropriate for work!

5. Studded Leggings in black/gunmetal - Forever 21

Worn with: Relaxed Burnout Tee in mustard yellow and silver Etched 

Hummingbird Necklace from F21, and silver stud bracelet from Smart Set.  

Opinion: They're cute, and not too long for my short legs. Studs are all on very securely, but leather stripe is slightly bent. You can definitely tell they're elasticized up close, and if I pull them up during the day the elastic tends to bend inwards.

 So that's it! I'm going on vacation on the 1st of August with my two best friends and I am sooooo excited. We're going on a road trip to some very beautiful places, camping along the way and stopping in Kelowna for sightseeing and shopping! Hope everyone had a great weekend, and I will hopefully blog again soon.. I have a lot of stuff I could make posts about so I need to stop being lazy ;)

Get Ready with Me: Prom!

Good evening guys.. as promised here's my post all about my prom! I had a wonderful time getting ready and taking pictures, but prom itself was a bit lame (not bad though!) I actually had a pretty great night. I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to get pictures of myself getting ready. My hair appointment took way longer than expected and then I had to rush home and get my makeup done quickly to meet my friends at a park for pictures before the event itself. So even though I had planned on going into more detail on stuff, I was really pushed for time! Even so, this post might be kind of lengthy.

Pinning the Boutonniere on Nolan

I'm going to start this off talking about the "spa night" my friends and I had before prom. It was great because I was able to try out some masks and products I had wanted to try out for awhile, and I also got some practice doing pedicures which I learned how to do on my first training day at my new job. One product I was very excited to try was "Grease Lightning" from Lush, which I used as a spot treatment, and it really helped to decrease the size and redness of my breakout overnight. I also used this peel-off mask, which contained aloe but I can't remember what else, or what it was called :( but it was bought at Walmart... does your Walmart have a little section near the makeup with a bunch of $1-5 masks as well?

Just being silly in our aloe masks..

I stuck on some fake nails that night as well, but waited until the next morning to paint them. I had originally planned on going natural with my nails, because I have pretty long nails generally but of course one broke off completely like two days before prom.. so I had to go buy some, boo! Anywho, for nails I was inspired by some pictures I found on Google of silver sparkle gradient nails - like this:

Image found on this blog

Firstly, I painted the nails with a coat of "Shell We Dance complete salon manicure" by Sally Hansen (the pink). I then applied two layers of the silver SUZY (Suzy Shier) sparkles, which are very small and spread out. I focused the second layer towards the tip to start the gradient. Afterwards, I applied my Essie polish in "Set in Stones" on the tips, and spread it a bit downwards to complete the gradient. Lastly, I applied a Revlon matte top coat which created a really interesting effect - it made my nails almost look like gel nails, and toned down the shine of the sparkles. 

  

 Next, my hairstyle was inspired by a picture I found on Pinterest, and I believe the original pinner is Caitlind Hansen.. she didn't include a link to the where she found it, though. I asked my hair stylist to base the hairstyle around the picture, and brought her some flowers we cut off stems which we bought from Walmart, then glued onto bobby pins. We also bought some baby's breath from the shop where we bought our corsage and bouteniere from (The Flower Hut).

I wasn't crazy about the hairstyle on me at first - she kept slicking my bangs back so I asked her if she could cut them, hoping she would separate them after and that it would help me to like the style more. It didn't help, but I went home and fixed my bangs with my straightener and added more baby's breath, and I really loved the up-do a lot! She did a great job considering my hair is thinner than it appears.

The makeup I used - decided to go for a natural look, just brown eyeshadow as usual and a bit of red blush. I forgot my eyeliner (also from the body shop) in this picture but I included it in a couple past posts before. Sorry for dirtiness.. didn't have time to make it all pretty!

Clutch (unknown), hairclips (Walmart), 

bracelet (Walmart), earrings (Forever 21)

Heels (Good 2 Go Shoes) borrowed from a friend!

These were easy to walk in but my feet hated them after 

an hour of waiting in line just to get into the building.

Beautiful corsage from The Flower Hut - slightly disappointed 

that it had already began to die before we picked it up.. $40

That pretty much sums up the part of the day where I got ready! (badly) but hopefully the pictures will make up for it.. I think they're pretty cute. Plus you can see my prom dress now - the most important part ;)

 Best friends :)

 More hair pics

And that's all! I might look a bit tired from having stayed up past 3 AM the night before :P And just in case some newer readers don't know, my date is my boyfriend Nolan. It was actually our 2 years 1 month anniversary that day... but who's counting? Yeah.. I can't help it, every month on the 22nd I go "that's another month!" Thanks for reading guys, hope you enjoyed :) Link me to your prom post if you have one!

Featured Friday #5 and Coolway Giveaway!

 Hi all! So as I said in my last post, this Featured Friday wishlist is coming to you a day earlier than expected because I'm super busy tomorrow! Here it is:

I have a real problem with matching.

1. Cap Sleeve Aztec Geometric Print Crop T-Shirt - a5sports (eBay)

2. Finance and Dandy Wallet - Modcloth

3. Faux Leather High Waist Leggings - xiaomei886809 (eBay)

4. Candy Color Skater Skirt in Light Purple - OASAP

5. Zippered Pants in Black - Forever 21

6. Homemade Ice Cream Flat in Vanilla - Modcloth

7. Knitted Cat Face Print Black Jumper - Romwe

8. French Connection Enamel Stud Bangle - Little Black Bag

9. t + j Designs Bow Ring - Little Black Bag

10. Cambridge Upwardly Mobile Satchel in Lilac - Modcloth

11. Black Faux Leather Long Sleeve Jacket - Windsor Store

 Also, I don't normally advertise giveaways in posts (I generally just put up one or two links on my sidebar) but this one is pretty cool! I have a feeling at least a few of you girls will appreciate the chance to win these products. Click on the picture below to enter on Facebook - just like their page and fill out their little form, which you can do every day for extra entries. Commenting, sharing, liking, tagging, and referring will apparently also earn you some extra entries. Good luck! :)

Bloglovin'!

Hey everyone! I hate to post this.. mainly because I'm sure you've all seen it around many times already. But I received an email recently telling me that there are now only just 2 weeks left until Google Reader shuts down! If you like to read my posts and would like to continue following, please connect with me over at Bloglovin'! I will show my appreciation by following back, of course :)

If you don't want to take the time to follow each blog you already follow on Google Reader all over again individually, here's a handy little Importer! click

You can expect a post late Thursday on a "Featured Friday". I'll be posting it a bit earlier than usual as I'll be busy on Friday with a "spa night" with friends the night before prom! So on Sunday or Monday, I'll be posting a "Get Ready with Me: Prom" post, which I'm super excited about! I love my dress, my hair and my nails and I can't wait to show you. :) If you've also had your prom recently and posted about it leave me a link! Maybe it's a girly thing but I just love to see pictures of people all dressed up for prom. Thanks for taking the time to read! - Ash :)

*edit* I've read some posts lately that explain how the whole "GFC being deleted" thing is just a rumor, that yes - even though Google Reader will be gone, that doesn't include GFC. Even so, I'd appreciate some follows on Bloglovin' as well, just in case ya know :) But I don't want to contribute to any rumor either!

June Favourites

Hey everyone. :) I'm happy to say that my kind-of-hiatus will be over shortly. I just finished presenting my final project of the year today (or so I thought... turns out I have just one more project to complete and then I am done! Well.. my Law & English exams next week as well. Next Saturday is Prom and I'm going to hopefully put up a "Get Ready with Me: Prom" post! And in other news, I kinda sorta got a job! Or at least I'll start training next week and we'll see if I'm fit for the job... which is a receptionist position at a local beauty bar. Really hoping it works out! Anyway, I know I haven't been posting Featured Fridays, but it seems like that's all I ever really post lately so I want to skip it every once in awhile, and instead I'm going to gather up the products I enjoyed this month and do some short reviews!

Okay, so first of all - my favourite of them all is the Moroccan Argan Oil from Organix. It smells beautiful, makes my hair feel silky smooth and doesn't make my hair greasy even on day 2. I've heard so many good things about Moroccan oil I just had to try this out for myself. I like to mix my L'oreal Argan oil into it as well, hoping it'll last longer this way. I for sure recommend this - it's not super expensive and you can find it at Walmart or Shoppers (at least, in Canada).

Next up is the Revlon Frost & Glow dye. We bought this for my cousin to put some subtle highlights in my hair before prom (with foils), but she backed out so my mom helped me out and we did it with the cap. I didn't leave it in longer than 20 minutes because I didn't want a huge difference, like on the box. I think it turned out pretty nice - not super noticeable (had to tell my girl friends I dyed it before they noticed).

Here's a before & after - also no product in 

hair in first pic, but have the oil in the second!

My third fave is this Tea Tree Oil face cleanser from The Body Shop. I bought this years ago and stopped using it, because at the time my acne was a lot worse and (for whatever reason, I can't remember) I didn't think it was helping. Now my skin seems to be used to Cetaphil right now, so I decided to switch products for a bit and now I'm thinking I might just continue until I'm all out of this cleanser! It feels so nice on my skin, almost like tooth paste for the face; kinda tingly in a good way, and I enjoy the fresh smell. I broke out in a few spots due to stress from school and other things, and this totally saved me. It reduces the pimples in just a couple of days at most and the rest of my face is smooth and spotless. Only downside is that its apparently quite drying, but I haven't really noticed because I have a bit of an oily complexion and I moisturize every morning after washing.

Lastly, for makeup related products - I'm loving my Avon lipstick in Teak Rose. I recently discovered that I had some Avon lipsticks in my bag which my aunt or mom must have given to me at some point. I never really wore lipstick until this year but I'm loving the ones I've tried! Also, this Essie luxeffects multi dimension top coat in Set in Stones is gorgeous. I'm using it for my prom nails - so I'm not including a picture in this post but just take my word for it.. if you're looking for silver sparkles of all different sizes with almost a "jewel" effect, then this nail polish is perfect. Next is my black eyeliner also from The Body Shop. I love this eyeliner, it glides on smoothly and does a nice little wing. And last but not least, is my new cat print compact from Forever21! I also got one in pink, and these were gifted to me by my boyfriend's mom. My bf had actually planned on getting me the cat print makeup bags and compact for my birthday, but they never arrived, so they shipped them again for free, and again they never arrived and eventually they just sent him back his money. Oh well.. his mom found the compacts for me in Vancouver, which was very sweet of her! Not really impressed with F21 right now though.

And instead of a swatch on my hand...

Can you see those freckles? It must be summer time. What do you guys think of the flowers -  too much? I had some extras that I thought could be put to use... Well that's it folks :) Hope you enjoyed this post, it was nice to get away from wishlists for a bit, though I always enjoy putting them together. Hopefully with my new job I can actually buy some of the things I wishlist. :P Alrighty, have a good weekend and thanks for reading!