A Saks Fifth Avenue Beauty Haul

Hi, everyone! If you read my last post or have been following me on Instagram, you'll know that I've been a tad bit preoccupied with the recent launch of Saks Fifth Avenue here in downtown Toronto. Yes, the beauty department (the only floor I've properly traversed so far; go figure) offers all the high-end luxury that you'd expect from a Saks, but it also features some neat niche/cult/eco-friendly brands that really give the store some unique character. Plus, the arrival of Saks also meant the landing of makeup brands that had not before been available in the city. Few things more exciting in my books, especially when those brands are among the likes of By Terry and Trish McEvoy, labels that I've been stalking for years during trips south of the border! 

Given my excitement, I of course could not leave the store empty-handed. And I certainly didn't. First off, there really is a feeling (however superficial) of luxury toting around one of Saks' iconic bags all tied up with a ribbon. Classy all the way ;)

While Saks Queen Street offers several brands that excite me, like Cle de Peau, Chantecaille, Tata Harper, Aesop, and Indie Lee, I wanted to focus my first purchases on the brands that were completely new to Toronto. As such, I gravitated quickly to the By Terry and Trish McEvoy counters. In addition, although Tom Ford is available in Toronto at Holt Renfrew, I absolutely could not stay away from the TF Spring/Summer 2016 collection. Tom Ford's ultra limited edition offerings get me every time! 

Here's a shot of my loot, all sprawled out. I love a good makeup sprawl! You'll notice that, in addition to the full sized products that I purchased (which I'll describe in further detail below), I also came home with a fair amount of samples. As much as you would expect an ultra high-end department store to be stingy and snobby about making samples, this was not at all the case at Saks. There was not one ounce of hesitation from any sales associate when I explained the sad story of my finicky skin and how I always prefer to sample first, especially when the prices are intense. As such, I was happy to take home samples of Trish McEvoy's face and eye serums, fragrance #9, and Triangle of Light under-eye masks, Chantecaille's Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion, Tammy Fender's Purifying Luculent Mask and Clarifying Dermagel, and By Terry's exorbitantly-priced, but incredibly beautiful Densiliss foundation. 

So to shrink down the sprawl to a more manageable size, let's take a peek at the full-sized products I purchased! 

The items I snagged were (left to right):

By Terry Light-Expert Click Brush Illuminating Flawless Foundation Brush in Rosy Light

Trish McEvoy 24 Hour Shadow and Liner in Dove and Smokey Quartz

Tom Ford Patent Finish Lip Colour in Exposed and

Trish McEvoy Instant Eye Lift Shade #1

First off, the By Terry Light-Expert foundation was not something I'd been eyeing previously, but rather something that my makeup artist buddy Roberto, who was in town for the launch, convinced me that I needed (he's good at doing that). Turns out the pinky hue of Rosy Light actually tones down my redness, without competing with it, and the foundation itself gives such a beautiful luminous, non-greasy finish. The shade is too pink to wear on its own, but it's fabulous to wear underneath or mixed with the more yellow-toned foundations in my stash. 

The foundation is released via a click-pen mechanism, like some liquid lipsticks on the market, and one click goes a long way! The attached brush actually works quite well (and is designed to use for quick touch-ups on the go) and can be easily removed for a proper wash. Quite ingenious! 

Next up we have my new goodies from Trish McEvoy! I picked up her 24 Hour Shadow and Liner in Glamorous during my last visit to NYC and totally fell in love! These creamy eye shadow sticks work amazingly well as washes of colour all over the lid or as smudgy, long-wearing eyeliners. This time around, I picked up the two shades that were used on me during a makeup touch-up at the counter: Smokey Quartz- a mid-tone cool plummy brown and Dove- a shimmery blue-toned silver grey. 

I also picked up one of Trish's most popular products, the Instant Eye Lift. It's designed to create a "triangle of light" underneath the eyes and has a peachy salmon tone to cancel and brighten shadows underneath the eyes. I didn't have any under-eye brighteners in my collection, so when I saw how awake this made me look, I had to  snag it! 

Lastly we have my obligatory limited edition Tom Ford purchase- I just can't help myself with his seasonal collections! While I was tempted by the new eye shadow quads, it was the Patent Finish Lip Colours that truly drew me in . The range was rife with my favourite sorts of lip shades- rich reds, hot pinks, and berries, and they offered the most beautiful pigmentation, shine, volume, and a yummy scent. I ended up selecting Exposed, a bold cool-toned fuchsia cherry shade. They come in a click pen design (you have to click them many, many times to prime them), with a handy fabric applicator. Here's the money shot of the gloss first coming through ;)

And finally, here are some swatches of my new goodies! 

(L-R): Trish McEvoy Instant Eye Lift #1, By Terry Light-Expert foundation in Rosy Light, Tom Ford Patent Finish Lip Colour in Exposed, and Trish McEvoy 24 Hour Shadow and Liners in Dove and Smokey Quartz

If you couldn't already tell by all of the hyperbole and exclamation marks in this post, I am way excited with my new goodies- both full-sized products and samples alike! It has been quite the treasure hunt exploring these new-to-the-city brands and, aside from the expected opening weekend rush and some long lines, I've had nothing but good experiences with the makeup artists and sales associates in the Saks beauty department. Heaven help my wallet, but I'm sure I'll be a regular there :)

Have you ever shopped at a Saks Fifth Avenue? Tempted by any of the brands or products I featured here? What is your favourite department store for buying makeup and skin care? Any of these products that you'd like me to feature in a fuller review?

Have a fantastic day! xo

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