Unboxing | Rapunzel Memebox

Today I decided to try something new!  I made an unboxing video on Youtube.  Check it out here, and let me know what you think!  Should I do more videos?  Stick to regular old blog posts?  I would love to hear!  You can check it out on youtube here!

In short.. here is the box I received:

I am most excited about the Argan Hair Mask!

What was the best item you received in a Memebox?

The Friendsgiving Collection | Julep October 2014

Click here to see Julep's post on this collection.

All photos are from that post.

This collection had me totally on the fence.  On one hand... mmm neutrals.  And mascara... On the other hand...I have all of the neutrals ever, and more mascara than I will ever use.

Of course the logical thing was then to order both neutrals and mascara, but I digress.

So pretttttttttttttty with golden glitter and sparkles and perfection.

Julep you know me so well.

Top: Shari, Sawyer, Marzia

Middle: Kiki, Joanne, Jessie

Bottom: Isla, Fazia, Devon

Julep, why so many pretty navy blues?

Julep encouraged mixing these two mascaras. I am looking forward to giving it a try!

I finally settled on Marzia, Kiki, Isla, Shari, Devon, Bonnie (champange shimmer add-on) and the two mascaras.  I am the most curious about trying Devon.  99% of me said not to order Isla, since I have a whole whack of navys, but I love navy...so.  Thankfully I had a bunch of Jules to apply to this order!

These colours remind me of a pretty fall walk, with a Starbucks in hand and a shimmery circle scarf.  Maybe walking around campus with friends?  Either way I can not WAIT to wear these next month!

What did you end up ordering?

xoxo

Pretty in Pink | A Julep Order Just Because

This week was midterms, which were pretty brutal.  I was pretty happy to find that an order I made "just because I had a coupon" arrived probably on the day I needed it most.  Sometimes life is sweet like that.

I ordered Julie (the sparkly pink October Birthstone) and Ava, a frosted pink with a hint of shimmer.

How stunning is Julie?

I found doing 1 mani took about 1/5th of the bottle which is disappointing.  I used Jules as a base and then did two or three coats of Julie depending on the nail.  she gives a beautiful almost foil dipped effect with all the differently sized and shaped glitters.  For everyday wear I found her pretty annoying as she snagged on things.  A top coat really helped on day two.  I think Julie (named after the ever so graceful Julie Andrews, aka Mary Poppins aka Queen Clarice Renaldi of Genova ... <3 aka the Queen in Shrek...) is the prefect special occasion shade!  

I finally found a use for the Julep cat stickers I ordered!  I found the cat to look pretty sweet as an accent nail on Ava.  Ava is more baby pink than frosted, with a subtle shimmer.  This was a back up bottle for me-- one of my all time favourite Julep shades!

What was your latest "just because" gift?

Soft As a Bunny | Tarte Holiday 2014 Set

When I saw this beautiful little set on Sephora's website for $53 CAD I had to have it.  Unfortunately somewhere between ordering it and testing it out enough to report on it disappeared off their website!

This set contains the Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush, which is $42 on its own.  I was already considering purchasing it, so getting this kit was a great deal!  It also contains a general foundation brush, a blush brush, a concealer brush and a double ended eyeshadow brush all packed up in a pretty purple and gold case.

As somebody who ends up packing up every other weekend to go see her boyfriend, I appreciate that I can do a pretty decent face using only these brushes.  Further, the case has enough space to fit everything I need for the weekend.  Not everything I need for a larger event, but there is more than enough space to create a pretty day-to-day look that is enough to give that extra "glow".  

How pretty is that design?!?

Look how nicely things line up!

The quality of these brushes is unreal.  No shedding, soft as a bunny on my face, and just the right size to get the job done.  I use the flat foundation brush to apply my foundation, the concealer brush where needed, and then buff and set it with the larger brush.  From there I use the blush brush for my highlighter, blush and contour, making sure to buff out the leftover colour.  I finish up with the eyeshadow brush.

I love that I can actually do a full face using only this little set.  I wish it was still in the store so I could purchase a second set!

And that is what heaven on earth looks like. Kidding.  But isn't the set pretty?

I am so thrilled with this purchase.  If it pops back up in the store don't hesitate to order it!  I've never been a Tarte person before, but these brushes totally exceed expectations.  I will be checking out their other products, particularly their blushes, as Christmas approaches!  

Happy shopping! xoxo

Ipsy - Beauty Candy | October 2014

Yawn.

My relationship with Ipsy is always on again off again.  I want so badly to love it.  But with the product and brand repeats it can get difficult.  Add to it that the spoilers went from confusing, to cute, to painfully obvious....The bag itself has gotten cheaper, the products smaller, and of lower quality.  

The bag is teal plastic with squares quilted on.  Not exactly "Beauty Candy".  It feels cheap and honestly, it will be finding a new home.

On the bright side I was able to add on a Bare Minerals BB Cream Eyeshadow in Elegant Taupe for 1000 points.  Pretty pumped about this.  I love the product and the formula!  Really great for a "no make-up make-up day".

I appreciated that my nail polish came wrapped in extra bubble wrap.  

Nicole by OPI "Feeling Very Cherry"

Over all a higher end drugstore brand in a colour on point for late fall.  This dark oxblood shade will look cozy and vampy come November.  I will probably maybe almost sort of get some use out of it if I don't love my Juleps more.  But hey, decent value!  

Épicé Purifying Exfoliant

My skin care regime is already right where I like it, and I don't want to mess with a good thing.  This will more than likely find a home in my gym bag.  The product is lacklustre, but gets the job done.

Figs & Rouge "Rose Berry" Hand Cream

Smells like roses and berries.  Makes my hands softer.  It works, not that I need any more hand creams that come in oil paint tubes.  As it gets colder I am sure I will be reaching for this in my purse!

VolumEYES Mascara

When will it end?  So.  Much.  Mascara.  I have 42.  Count it.  Forty-two unused mini mascaras in my drawer. All of them top off on my list to use well before this one.  I haven't even touched it, but will end up gifting it to someone, somewhere.  This is a weird "bigger than a deluxe sample but smaller than full sized" product.

Starlooks Lip Gloss "Guilty Pleasure"

This is a really pretty little gloss that tastes like cupcakes.  Too bad it is sooooo sososososo tiny. It makes Julep look full sized!

Look at the products spill out of my bag artistically onto a scarf!

My first 1000 point perk!

So yeah not much to love about this bag.  I didn't even want to test half of the products because they looked just so...bleh.  Here's to hoping that next month is better!  I will be sticking around for Christmas, but after that will likely take a break for a few months.  In more exciting news, I picked up some stunning brushes to share with you next!

<3

The Black Magic Collection | Julep October 2014

I was pretty nervous to open the massive box that my order came in.  What if they totally screwed it up?  What if the box is empty?  Julep has had some awful shipping issues lately and I was getting rather concerned.  Thankfully every single item I ordered arrived in my box in perfect condition.  Sure-- it took a while to arrive, but it arrived whole and in good shape.  I was pretty excited to get my hands on DeAnn and the Night Shift mask.

 

Tia, DeAnn, Ledi, Night Shift Mask, Splendid Lip Gloss, Dana, Karmen, Catrina.  I also ordered the cat and chevron stickers.

Karmen and Catrina were the two fee polishes for ordering 3 or more add ons.  Karmen is delightfully shimmery (similar to the Wanderlust collection) and Catrina is a stunning taxi-cab yellow.  I was excited to get these two because I would have never ordered them for myself, but I think they are so pretty in person.

"There is no beauty without some strangeness" - Edgar Allan Poe

My whole entire order.  Complete with nothing missing!

Tia -  Tia is a beautiful black jelly loaded with gold and copper glitter.  I think she would look beautiful onto of a black polish as a topper, or even on her own.  This colour is a bit outside my comfort zone!

DeAnn - A flawless creme (what Julep does best!).  I would describe her as a deeper version of Lupita from last month.  She is a perfect holiday cranberry shade that I can't wait to wear in the fall and winter.  She matches the Cherry Coke Zero can of pop that I am drinking as I write this!

Ledi - I normally shy away from black polish, but I thought the pearl version would make it a bit softer.  When I put this colour on I felt like a bit of a bad ass.  I love how the pearl in it makes her more of a deep grey than a true black.

Dana - Juelp says this colour is black light reflective.  Unfortunately I don't have a black light on hand...this penalized white has a bit of a blue sheen to it.  This was my first time wearing a white polish and I loved how crisp it was.

Wearing Dana!

Splendid Lip Gloss

Despite packaging issues (some girls complain that the bottles shatter), Julep makes some amazing lip glosses.  I miiiiight have five of them.  This colour is deeper and warmer than most of their other glosses.  A perfect shade for apple picking and pumpkin carving.  It is in the "My lips but better" family, and is pretty light on the sparkle.

Night Shift Sleeping Mask

This mask is designed to be used after you wash your face and applied before bed.  It is a thicker than average white cream.  I found that when I put it on that a little went a long way.  At first it felt like any other cream, however when I woke up in the middle of the night for a glass of water my skin felt tight.  I found that by rubbing it in to my skin a bit more that the problem was fixed.  When I woke up it had absorbed pretty well.  I used a wet cotton pad to remove most of it before my shower.  It left my skin bright and soft.  Not a miracle product, but I enjoyed using it and would use it again!

Karmen and Catrina were the free gifts for ordering 3 or more add ons.  Karmen reminds me of shimmery falling leaves and Catrina looks like a taxi cab.  I don't know if I would wear these on their own, but I think they would be great for nail art!

My boyfriend thought I was crazy for ordering two sheets of cat stickers.  But how cute will these look on Dana for Halloween?  I mainly wanted them because they were cats...tehehe.  The chevron stripes are good too.  I'll eventually use them :)

Over all the winner of this month was DeAnn!  Flawless 2 coat coverage and a deep cranberry shade <3

What was your favourite item from the October box?

The Art Walk Collection | Julep September 2014

I actually really, really love this collection.  The only part I didn't one was when Julep casually forgot to ship my red and magenta plush pouts.  I was waiting to post this until they arrived but its been weeks and theres no sign of them.  So...

From left to right: Kirby, Quinn, Mary Lee, Ryan, Elaina, Mahima, Lupita, Fifi, Erin

Elaina, Mahima, Mary Lee, Quinn, Erin, Kirby, Fifi, Ryan, Lupita

For me the real winner this month was Lupita.  Seriously, a perfect coverage creme that simply screams fall.  Paired with the Almond Nude Plush Pout? Perfection.  I was getting compliments all day.  I actually loved both products so much that I ordered backups.  Oops?

I wasn't much of a fan of Mary Lee.  I was really excited about her satin formula.  However she was much darker than I anticipated, had a funky smell, and an awful wear time.  Great in theory, but not so much in practice. 

Swatch time!

I ordered all four Plush Pouts this month, but only two arrived (sad face).  I called Julep and they were nice enough to send me what I ordered.  But they won't  be arriving for at least another week.  Seriously excited to try Cardinal Red.  In general I don't find the core any more moisturizing than the rest of the product.  But thankfully that wasn't the draw of this product for me.

Aurora Pink (top) is pretty, but I find it isn't flattering on my super pale skin.  I find it gives me a bit of a porcelain doll look, but not in a good way.

Almond Nude on the other hand I just can't stop gushing about.  It is just a flawless colour that looks laid back but professional and pretty.  My boss actually said my nail polish (Lupita) and my lip stick were a perfect match.  So clearly she and Julep know whats up.

Swatches of Almond Nude and Aurora Pink!

Lupita looking flawless

This was a little nail experiment I tried and totally fell in love with.  Eliana for a base and Mahima for the accents.

Right now I am not impressed with Julep's shipping and packaging.  I was pretty bummed to be missing out on the two lip products I ordered.  I love Julep, but right now I just don't like them very much.  Over all this collection was out of the park. Plus, being able to upgrade with Jules was a nice little perk ;)

September Empties, Purge & Update

Where did this month go?  It was here and then it was gone!

This has been a crazy, hectic, busy, fun, empowering month for me.  I'm back in class now taking a mix of classes I find interesting and classes I tolerate because I have to.  I have a part time job that I love.  And, today I made a huge decision and decided to invest in myself and get a personal trainer.  Our first official workout is bright and early Monday morning.  With that in mind I am sure that this blog will begin to include healthy living...and makeup.  Lately my body has been sore and tired all the time as I have started going back to the gym very frequently doing the workout my personal trainer made for me during our first meeting a few weeks ago.  All I can say is the stuff he has me doing is way more brutal than the treadmill I have been using this summer.  I am really excited about this new healthier chapter in my life!

Granted, my room is still a total mess from moving back home but I am planning to make a dent in it tonight.  I just don't know where to start.  I would love to have one of this pretty rooms where I can display my makeup and jewellery.  Right now everything just looks like a mess.

Empties

Marc Anthony Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner - LOVE.  I love how it smells and how rich and creamy the formula is.  Such a treat in the shower.

Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo - Meh.  

Caudalie Face Cream - Like.  I could see myself using this on a regular basis.  Light, absorbs well.  Not sure yet though.

Ole Hendriksen On the Go Face Cleanser - LOVE.  This orange scented face wash is a staple in my life.

Living Proof Restore Conditioning Treatment - LOVE.  The best deep conditioner I have so far tried.  I love how thick and creamy it is, and how I can feel the results in my hair for the rest of the week.

Living Proof Prime Spray - Like.  I bought the full size and I use it...but not as much as I use other products.

Body Shop Shea Body Scrub - Like.  Nice smell and wonderful texture, butI prefer their Honey scent.

MAC Blush "Vintage Grape" - LOVE.  Sadly this colour goes for like $70 on E-bay.  My favourite all time contour/blush.  The perfect deep purple shade.  sadly it fell for the 4th time and shattered beyond repair.  Typically I use the rubbing alcohol method but it was too far gone even for that. :'(

Joico Deep Conditioner - Meh.  Doesn't compare to the Living Proof conditioner.

Dr. Jart+ BB Cream  - Meh.  Nice enough product, but there about 8 different BB creams I prefer so sorry not sorry.

Even More Empties

Based on the foil packet samples I really love the Air de tent by Lancome (foundation in 005), Glamglow Thirstymud (which I already own in full size), Ole Hedriksen Melt Cleanser, his Power Peel, and the Marc Anthony Coconut Deep Conditioner.

The Purge

I counted and I have 41 unused mini mascaras.  That is ridiculous.  So, I am making a concerted effort to use them, to pitch the ones I don't like, and to pitch the ones that reach the 3 month mark.

On the left is my favourite Stila liner.  I love it for a simple cats eye.

The Dior mascara and Smashbox Full Exposure are two of my all time favourite mascaras.  I love the bug fluffy brush and the volume they build.  It made me sad to throw these out, but if they are still my favourites once I get through the other 41 mascaras then I will happily buy them again.

The Buxom mascara was a real surprise for me.  I loved it-- very lengthening.  Its on my list to possibly purchase when I get through my pile.

These have been lurking around my bathroom since who knows when.  If I can't remember when I bought it then its been too long and needs to go.  Besides, they were taking up precious real-estate that could have been filled with products I actually love.

So that's it for my September update.  Hope things have been great with you!  Happy October <3