Out the Door Essentials

Hi, everyone! I was getting ready to leave my lab at school the other day and noticed that I'd gathered a cute little pile of goodies on my desk in preparation to head out and face the world. Items that help me feel polished, primped, and prepared after a day of work! I decided to take a quick snap of them in all of their colourful, quirky glory. Behold, my out-the-door essentials!

Nokia C3- Always have to check my phone before I head out the door! My current cell doesn't match the omnipotent abilities of other smart phones out there, but for my purposes, it does the job! My boyfriend bought this for my birthday a couple years ago to save me from the archaic flip phone I was still toting around. It's perhaps the most-used gift I've ever received!

Topshop Powder Foundation in Nude1- This is basic powder foundation (similar to the popular MAC Studio Fix) that never worked its way into my daily routine, but has found a permanent place in my handbag. While I'm convinced this breaks me out when I use it regularly, it's fantastic for minor touch-ups throughout the day. In a pinch, it cancels redness and mattifies, so no complaints! Plus the white speckled packaging is super cute :)

Vintage Sunglasses- I scored these at a vintage toy shop (of all places) that also sold a plethora of mint-condition vintage shades at amazing prices. I fell in love with these ones because of the slight cat-eye shape and the teal and purple design on the top of the frames. I wear them all summer long!

Paul & Joe Blotting Paper- Since my summertime skin is particularly slick, oil-blotting sheets are an essential in my handbag. While I'd been pretty loyal to Boscia's version for a while, I couldn't pass up this Paul & Joe offering because the packaging was absolutely adorable! The sheets themselves are super effective and the whale print makes me smile every time. I snagged these at one of my favourite skin care shops in the city, Jacob and Sebastian, who carry a tempting array of other Paul & Joe goodies as well (to visit the shop's website, click here!).

NARS Larger than Life Lip Gloss in Place Vendome- I'm no stranger to NARS makeup, that's for sure, but this was my first foray into their lip glosses. It was a super thoughtful gift from a friend and I'm smitten with it! One swipe of this pigmented, magenta-berry gloss and I'm able to head out the door with shiny, bright pink lips! To see me wearing it in a recent Look of the Day, click here.


And a close-up of the items:

What are your summertime out-the-door essentials or handbag staples?

Thanks for reading, as always! xo

Nail of the Day: Ice Cream with Sprinkles

Hi, everyone! Time for a super fun Nail of the Day featuring one of the adorable goodies that my friend sent to me in a Korean Cosmetics Care Package a couple months ago. I had heard of the Etude House Sweet Recipe Ice Cream Nail Polishes previously and was totally smitten with how cute they were. I love Korean cosmetics and am also a bit of an ice cream fiend, so it was really a match made in heaven! When I spotted Etude's Ice Cream Nail Polish in Apricot in the care package I was super stoked!

The packaging is definitely the most unique of any nail polish I own. The bottle itself is a circular glass "ice cream scoop" and the cap is a decorated ice cream cone with the brush attached underneath. Doesn't get more precious than this! Though it is definitely beyond cutesy, the packaging is actually quite sturdy and functional.

Apricot has a warm, peachy-yellowy-nude base with multi-coloured hexagonal glitter. The shades of the glitter are predominantly red, orange, green, blue and purple and really contrast the base colour nicely!

When I first applied the polish, I was slightly disappointed to find that the formula was quite sheer, with the glitter fairly sparse throughout (though this was in line with some reviews I had read). Because of this, I had to apply 4 coats of the polish to achieve the look pictured in this post. A huge plus, however, was that with 4 decent coats the finish did not feel the least bit thick or gloopy and the glitter never felt gritty. With a thin layer of topcoat applied afterwards, my nails felt quite smooth and comfortable. So while I had to apply more coats than expected, the texture of the polish stayed smooth, comfortable, and even.  A huge plus in my books! 

I've been wearing the polish for 4 days now and chipping has been very minimal (only slightly on the sides and tips of the nails) and none of the glitter has flaked or peeled off. Very impressive!

Here are a couple more shots of the polish, under different lighting:

And yes, sometimes I like to hold the bottle like an actual ice cream cone ;)

Overall, this was such a lovely gift to receive! The packaging is super adorable and unique and the glittery shade is right up my alley! Oftentimes products with super cutesy packaging can lack in quality, but this definitely wasn't the case here. Although I had to apply several coats to achieve my desired effect, the texture of the polish remained smooth and comfortable. And the lasting power has been great so far, so no complaints!

Have you tried any of the Etude House Sweet Recipe Ice Cream Nail Polishes? Any other favourite goodies from Etude House?

Thanks for reading, and another huge thanks to my friend who send this lovely goody my way! :)

Look of the Day: Back to the Fuchsia

Happy weekend, everyone! It feels like forever since I've posted a Look of the Day, so I thought I'd return with one of my all-time favourite makeup looks- fuchsia lips! Followers of the blog will know that I'm no stranger to vibrant lip shades. I find that a vivid lip is such an easy way to look awake, confident, and bright and fuchsia tops my list of shades to choose!

Readers of this blog will also know that I have a few too many hot pink and fuchsia lipsticks in my collection, but that didn't stop me from snagging a new one recently. One of my latest budget finds was Wet N' Wild's range of Mega Last Liquid Lip Colours, super opaque shades weighing in at only $4! The price alone made it difficult to say no, but their vivid pink shade, Back to the Fuchsia, sealed the deal. Not only is it one of the most endearing shade names ever (who doesn't love a good Michael J. Fox reference?!), I knew that the colour itself would be a perfect wake-me-up for my skin tone. You can click here to see it along with some other drugstore goodies I've picked up lately :)

Here I am, giving it a go!

Back to the Fuchsia is a cool-toned, rich, nearly-neon fuchsia shade with an opaque, totally matte finish. I felt like boosting things with a bit of shine, so I topped it with the lovely NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Place Vendome, a pigmented, shiny magenta number. I think they looked lovely together!

To contrast the bold lip, I kept the rest of the look fairly simple. I opted for a soft, pink cheek (courtesy of the versatile Laura Mercier Powder Blush in Rose Petal) and black winged liner (using my all-time fave, Revlon ColourStay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black).

Although the colour and pigmentation of Back to the Fuchsia are right up my alley, I'd be remiss to omit the fact that the formula is somewhat lacking. I applied 2 coats of the product to achieve full opacity, which resulted in a chunky, uneven mess on my lips. Topping it with the Larger Than Life Lip Gloss helped to smooth things slightly, but as you can see the texture still left a something to be desired:

At only $4, I'm not completely heartbroken that the formula of the Mega Last Liquid Lip Colours isn't top-notch. But I love the shade so much that I'm still determined to make it work! I will keep you posted if I find an application technique that keeps the texture smooth and wearable.

But for now, here's an outline of everything I used to create the look!


The Breakdown:

Foundation Primer: Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer
Foundation: Revlon ColourStay Liquid Foundation (Combo/Oily formula) in Sand Beige
Concealers: BeneFit Fake-Up in Light (under eyes) and MAC Select Cover-Up in NC20 (on blemishes)
Powder: MAC Blot Powder in Medium
Bronzer: Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Hula Hula
Blush: Laura Mercier Powder Blush in Rose Petal

Brows: Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Blonde/Taupe and Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Caramel
Eye Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Eye Shadow: MAC Eye Shadow in Ricepaper
Eyeliner: Revlon ColourStay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black (on upper lash line) and NYX Wonder Pencil in Light (on lower waterline)
Mascara: Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black

Lipstick: Wet N' Wild Mega Last Liquid Lip Colour in Back to the Fuchsia
Lip Gloss: NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Place Vendome


And a few more shots of the look:

And that's it! For me, bold fuchsia lips and black winged liner is a go-to look that I can easily embrace when I want something relatively simple that still packs a punch. Although the formula of Back to the Fuchsia didn't win my heart, I'm still smitten with the shade itself and am determined to make it work! And if I can't, I at least have a pretty decent stash of other hot pink lipsticks to console me ;)

Do you like to sport bright fuchsia lips? What are some of your favourite shades??

Thanks for reading! xo

My MAC Eye Shadow Collection!

Hey, everyone! While I'm working on several new makeup look, review, and wishlist posts, I thought I'd share a quick, but fun entry with you- a shot of my MAC Eye Shadow collection!! I've been collecting MAC shadows for a little over 10 years, so when I decided to put them all together for a photo shoot, I realized I'd amassed quite the stash!

I've also collected several MAC Pigments, which I haven't featured here. Perhaps another post! But here's a quick breakdown of the shadows pictured in the shot above (click on it for full size!):

Back Row:

Palette 1: Mulch (top L), Bronze (top R), Retrospeck (bottom L), Amber Lights (bottom R)
Palette 2: Club (top L), Steamy (top R), Sushi Flower (bottom L), Blanc Type (bottom R)
Palette 3: Paradisco (top L), Motif (top R), Quarry (bottom L), Ricepaper (bottom R)
Palette 4: Holiday Delights:6 Eye/Trend Palette (2005) featuring (L-R, top-bottom): Gingersoft, Pear of the Earth, Satin Taupe, Cinders, Gorgeous Gold, Tease N' Teal


Middle Row:

Palette 1: Patina (top L), Sumptuous Olive (top R), Humid (bottom L), Handwritten (bottom R)
Palette 2: 7 Eyes: Pink Palette (Holiday 2003) featuring (L-R): Yogurt, Pink Freeze, Melton Mauve, Wintertwig, Trax, Scetch, Beauty Marked
Palette 3: Formal Black Pleats:6 Cool Eyes Palette (Holiday 2006) featuring (L-R, top-bottom): Pink Freeze, Fineshine, Dovefeather, Chill Blue, Nocturnelle, Formal Black


Front Row:

Pigment in Sunnydaze, Twinks, Star Violet, Moth Brown (MAC for Barbie Collection), Vex, Parrot, Aquavert, Firespot


Hope you enjoyed taking a look through my collection! Although I've been obviously more lipstick-crazy the past few years, it was a fascination with eye shadow that really got me into high-end makeup. This post really re-ignited my passion for shadow, especially MAC's lovely offerings! Let me know if you'd like to see a post about my favourite MAC Eye Shadows. What are your favourite shades?

Here's a final, jumbo-sized shot!

Thanks for reading! xo

Veracious Product Review: Origins Mega Bright Skin Tone Correcting Serum

Hi, everyone! Time for my take on one of the myriad of brightening products on the market right now, Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Bright Skin Tone Correcting Serum. I was lucky enough to score a decently-sized sample tube of this a while back, which lasted me long enough (over a month!) to let me form a reliable impression of it.

Before I get into my thoughts, I'll quickly describe my skin care concerns, as brightening products go. My skin is quite fair (MAC NC15-20), combination/oily, sensitive, and acne-prone. Because of my light skin tone and the fact that I tend to get cystic pimples (those deep, stubborn, painful buggers), I am often left with reddish scars long after the breakouts have cleared. The persistence of these post-acne marks is one of my biggest issues at the moment, because the scars leave my skin looking spotted and blotchy even when no active breakouts are present. Because of this, I've been eager to try the many lightening and brightening potions that have been crowding the shelves of late.

The sample of Mega-Bright I received came in a white squeeze tube, though the full-sized product is housed in a bottle with a pump. Origins claims that this serum will fade sun damage, acne marks and age spots in as little as 4 weeks using the power of "nature's radiant Rosa Roxburghii complex". It promises to calm irritation and prevent pigmentation from reappearing, while living skin clear and bright. It also touts suitability and gentleness for all skin types and tones. Lots of heavy assertions! Unfortunately Origins does not list the full ingredients of this serum, though they promise a lack of parabens and sulfates, which is always a plus!

The texture of the serum is that of a thick, translucent gel. It absorbs into skin quite quickly without a greasy residue, which my oily skin loved! It does leave that smooth, silicone-induced feeling on the skin, which is both excellent for its priming abilities and terrible for its pore-clogging potential. Overall, though, the texture made it a wonderful base for foundation, though I used it primarily at nighttime.

The colour of the serum looks initially whitish-ivory, but on closer inspection it has a definite violet, opalescent cast that works to instantly even out pigmentation on the skin. Here are a couple pictures of the colour and texture of Mega-Bright:

Hopefully these shots do a decent job at demonstrating the thickness and opalescence of the serum!

Here it is, blended into my fingertips. As you can see, it doesn't leave a definite colour, though there are noticeable traces of the shimmery opalescent undertones to it:

At first I was convinced that it was only the instant optical blurring of the product (given the shimmery, violet tone) that was making my skin look brighter and more even, an effect that I expected to wash off the next morning. With regular use, however, I started to realize that Mega-Bright was having a longer-lasting effect on my skin. After about 6 weeks of applying it nightly, I did notice that my skin looked brighter and more luminous, which was a huge plus! On the downside, though, this didn't do much to fade my isolated post-acne marks, which remained prominent as ever.

Here's a breakdown of the pros and cons of the product:

Pros:

• Instantly left skin looking more bright and even
• Lightweight texture that absorbed easily and worked well under makeup and night cream
• Didn't break me out! I see this as a huge plus, since my skin is so reactive
• Gradually made my skin look more luminous
• Pleasant licorice/citrus smell
• A little goes a long way! The sample tube lasted me nearly 2 months
• Paraben- and sulfate-free

Cons:

• Did little to lighten my reddish post-acne marks
• Some of the results are due to the instant evening/blurring effect of the shimmery violet-tinged formula, rather than long-lasting benefits
• Luckily my sample was free, but the full-sized product is quite pricey ($69 CAD for 30mL, though it will undoubtedly last a long time!)
• Leaves a slight shimmer on the skin, which may be too noticeable if you are wearing it without anything over top
• Violet/opalescent tint may be less flattering on darker skin tones

Overall I was super happy to sample this product. It didn't break me out and left my skin looking brighter and more luminous, both instantly and over time. But because this did next to nothing to brighten my post-acne marks, I won't likely be splurging on a full-sized bottle. I would definitely recommend this for those with combination/acne-prone skin who want to add luminosity to your complexion without added oil or breakouts. It's fantastic for this! But for those looking to fade acne scars, I'd suggest taking a pass.

Hope you found this review to be helpful! Have you ever tried Mega-Bright? What are your favourite brightening/lightening products?

Thanks for reading! xo

June Empties!

Hi, everyone! So this Empties post is a full 2 weeks late, but better than never, I say! Last month I wrote my first-ever empties post, so I'm eager to bring you the second installment in the series.

I was convinced that I'd barely finished anything up during June, but when I dumped out my empties bag at the end of the month, I was pleasantly surprised. Not a bad collection!

So here's an overview of all of the goodies I polished off during June. Enjoy!

Tealish Creamy Caramel Oolong Tea: Although this isn't a cosmetics empty, I've been including my completed loose leaf teas in my empties posts because I'm a tea fiend as well! It's always a fun experience going to the tea shop to pick out some new flavours, so I've been making a concerted effort to finish some up! Tealish is my favourite tea shop in Toronto and Creamy Caramel was such a sweet wake-me-up in the mornings. It's a rich, yet gentle black tea with marigold flowers dispersed throughout to make it look extra beautiful!

Lush BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask: I finished this lovely mask up in early June and I am eager to grab another. I was super skeptical about this because Lush's Fresh Face Masks, however fun to use, had really broken me out badly in the past. Luckily, BB Seaweed did wonders for my sensitive, oily skin! It left my skin calm and even after every use, and I got about 6 full uses from the tiny pot. Click here to see a full review!

Chantecaille Vital Essence with Arbutin: This is by far the most expensive skin care item I've ever purchased. I got to test it out at a very luxurious facial event at the Chantecaille counter in Holt Renfrew last fall and fell in love with the light, calming texture. Meant to deeply hydrate and brighten the skin, this did a great job under makeup each morning. It moisturized with no greasy residue and calmed down the redness in my skin. But did it brighten? In that regard, I didn't notice a difference. Because of that, I'm definitely on the hunt for a more affordable, light-weight brightening serum. To see Vital Essence mingled in with my home for the holidays makeup and skin care picks, see here!

Revlon ColourStay Liquid Foundation in Buff: This is my all-time favourite, go-to, holy grail foundation, so it's not surprising that I finished off a bottle. I won't say too much, as I gush about this frequently, but this really is the best foundation for my combination/oily skin. It has buildable coverage without looking cakey and really lasts all day! To see how it stacked up against another popular (and more expensive) long-wear foundation, click here!

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream Shade #23: I've tried a good handful of BB creams over the past few years and I have strong preference for the original Korean formulas. I find they have the best coverage and higher levels of SPF than their North American counterparts. Missha Perfect Cover has by far been my favourite, to the extent that I've finished up and re-purchased tubes of it. Shade #21 is closest to my skin tone, but can be a bit light during the warmer months. I like to get smaller tubes of #23 (the next darkest shade) to mix in with #21 when I have a tan, which creates the ideal shade! To see a full review of Perfect Cover, click here!

Revlon ColourStay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black: This is another one I won't ramble on about here, as I've raved about it countless times on the blog. To me, this is the perfect black liquid liner. Easy-to-use felt-tipped pen, super pigmented, and long-wearing. Can't go wrong! I've already purchased a replacement (and probably have another backup laying around somewhere too). To see the Liquid Eye Pen hard at work, click here!

B. Kamins Acne Wash: This has been my go-to nighttime cleanser for the past year or so, and probably the third bottle I've been through. It does an incredible job at removing left-over traces of makeup after my oil cleanser and, most importantly, keeping my skin smooth and clear without any irritation or dryness. A total winner in my books and a complete godsend for my acne-prone sensitive skin. Have already re-purchased a replacement. Can't be without it! To peek at it in my summertime shower, see here!

B. Kamins Vegetable Cleanser*: B. Kamins was kind enough to send me a couple bottles of this to test out last year and I'm so glad they did! This is a wonderful morning cleanser that is perfect in its simplicity. Cleanses thoroughly, but gently without stripping. No complaints! To spy on it in my wintertime shower lineup, see here!

Yes to Blueberries Age Refresh Smoothing Daily Cleanser: I think this is the only downer in my empties round-up. I purchased this cleanser with high hopes that it would smell of delicious blueberries while cleansing and soothing my picky skin during the cool and harsh Spring we had here in Toronto. Unfortunately, this was one of the worst cleansers I've ever tried. It left a heavy greasy residue of my face that no amount of rinsing or toning could erase. Because of this, it was too rich to use under makeup, yet not effective enough to remove makeup at night. The scent of this was pleasant enough at first, but it soon turned rancid and un-usable. So this was not quite an empty, but rather a product that went bad before I could find a proper use for it. I still have much love for the Yes To... range, but this face wash gets two thumbs down.

And to avoid ending things on a sour note, here's a shot of Sadie. She cannot help but crash every blog photo shoot I do! She decided that the tissue paper made a much better bed than a product back-drop :)

That's it! Have you tried any of the products I featured here? What have you finished up recently?

Thanks for reading! xo


* Products demarcated with this asterisk have been sent to me by B. Kamins. Even though I mentioned this in the text of the post, I thought I'd add the asterisk for extra clarity and transparency. Thanks again, B. Kamins! xoxo

Veracious Product Review: BeneFit They're Real! Mascara

Hi, everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I've been a busy bee at school lately, which has eaten up a serious amount of my blogging time (damn you, grad school!). But I'm back today with a review of a much hyped-about mascara, BeneFit They're Real!

This mascara has gotten an incredible amount of buzz since its release last year. While I'd heard countless raves about it, I'd come across several less-than-favourable reviews as well. Because of the latter, as well as my lack of enthusiasm towards BeneFit's other iconic mascara, Bad Gal, I was in no rush to see if They're Real! was the real deal.

But fate intervened when I received a mini-sized version of it in Sephora's birthday gift to me in May. I finally decided to take it for a spin a couple weeks ago and (sorry to ruin the suspense of the review) I've been loving it!

The mascara came in a mini grey tube with black and orange lettering and a reflective metal cap. The design and colouring of the packaging is not super eye-catching in my books, but...

the brush certainly is! I instantly noticed the unique design of the wand when I pulled it out the first time. The bristles are made of stiff, nearly sharp plastic and are dispersed regularly, but at varying lengths.

What's most novel is the end of the brush, which has an interesting rounded, spiky tip, rather than the usual tapered edge. These photos don't capture the shape perfectly, but hopefully you get the idea!

I was curious about the intended purposes of the length of the wand versus the tip (there's no getting around sounding dirty when talking about mascara; or maybe that's just me), so I ambled over to BeneFit's website for an explanation. The brand suggests that you use the brush horizontally (as you normally would with mascara) to create length and volume, then use the tip of the brush vertically to maximize curl and separation. I've been using that technique and it's been working quite well!

In terms of performance, BeneFit promises that They're Real! "lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts & separates. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won’t smudge or dry out. A specially designed brush reveals lashes you never knew you had!" (from benefitcosmetics.com).

In my experience, all of these claims are spot-on! They're Real makes my lashes incredibly long and voluminous without getting clumpy, enhances the natural curl of my lashes, and is extremely long-wearing! I spent all of Sunday at an outdoor music festival. It down poured in a major way and my mascara remained completely intact. It was a makeup miracle!


Here are some "before" and "after" shots to give you a clear idea of how the mascara looks on my lashes:

Before:

After:

(with eyes closed)

Before:

After:

And a close-up...

Before:

After:

And a few more shots of how They're Real! looks on my lashes:

And in the context of an entire makeup look:

I've already gushed about this mascara- and the photos really speak for themselves- but there still are a mix of both benefits (pun intended) and drawbacks to They're Real! Here's a summary of my impressions:

Pros:

• Thickens lashes and creates serious volume with minimal clumping
• Unique, functional brush that really works to lengthen, curl, and separate
• Enhances the natural curl of my lashes and keeps the curl all day
• Incredibly long-wearing; has weathered serious storms (literally!)
• Very minimal smudging and flaking throughout the day

Cons:

• The downside of the long-wearing formula is that it is incredibly hard to remove, even more so than some waterproof mascaras. Sometimes an oil cleanser isn't even enough, leaving stubborn mascara residue under my eyes (not cute!)
• The thick, pigmented formula can be on the "gloopy" side during application. I usually end up with dots of mascara on my crease or brow bone that I have to clean up
• Fairly expensive- at around $30, this is no small feat for your wallet!
• Not a good option if you want a more subtle, natural mascara look

Overall, I've been so pleasantly surprised with this mascara. It's really a winner in my books! Because I have other beloved mascaras that are at a much more reasonable price point (mainly Clinique's Lash Doubling and High Impact) I won't be rushing to buy a full-sized tube of They're Real! when the mini is done. But I will definitely keep it in mind when I'm feeling like splurging on my lashes!

Have any of you tried They're Real!? Thoughts? What are some of your favourite mascaras for serious curl and volume?

Thanks for reading! Really hoping to start posting more consistently soon! xo
 

Drugstore Love! (Haul featuring Hard Candy, Wet N' Wild, NYX, Real Techniques, and more!)

Hi, everyone! I've been on a bit of a makeup-buying spree lately (surprise, surprise), however the bulk of my new-found goodies have been snagged at the drugstore for quite reasonable prices. Yay for being frugal! As much as I swoon over high-end treats, I also get a self-indulgent sense of satisfaction from knowing that I've picked up 10 goodies for the price of one single Sephora item. Can't go wrong with that!

The lovely products below are the result of a few separate shopping trips to Wal-Mart here in Toronto and CVS and Ulta (my first-ever Ulta experience!) while visiting a friend in Michigan last week. Here are the spoils:

(L-R, Top to Bottom): Real Techniques Blush Brush, Real Techniques Stippling Brush, NYX Wonder Pencil in Light, Hard Candy All Glossed Up Hydrating Lip Stain in Mauveous, Wet N' Wild Megalast Lip Colour in Purty Persimmon, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya, Milani Colour Statement Lipstick in Flirty Fuchsia, NYX Love in Florence Gelato for Two Palette, Wet N' Wild Megalast Liquid Lip Colour in Back to the Fuchsia, Hard Candy Top Ten Eye Shadow Collection Naturally Gorgeous Palette

And some closer-up shots:

Real Techniques Blush Brush, Real Techniques Stippling Brush, NYX Wonder Pencil in Light

All Glossed Up Hydrating Lip Stain in Mauveous, Wet N' Wild Megalast Lip Colour in Purty Persimmon, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya, Milani Colour Statement Lipstick in Flirty Fuchsia, NYX Love in Florence Gelato for Two Palette, Wet N' Wild Megalast Liquid Lip Colour in Back to the Fuchsia, Hard Candy Top Ten Eye Shadow Collection Naturally Gorgeous Palette

I won't provide full reviews here (as I haven't taken them all for a spin yet; more reviews to come!), but I'll do my best to provide a brief description of each below!

Wet N' Wild Megalast Lip Colour in Purty Persimmon is a striking orange-red long-wearing lipstick. I've seen it featured on a couple other blogs and I knew I had to have it, especially for only $3!

Milani Colour Statement Lipstick in Flirty Fuchsia is a richly pigmented, shimmery blue-based fuchsia. Bold, but totally wearable. Have sported this a few times since I purchased it and I'm definitely smitten :)

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya is a new summertime shade in the Lip Butter range. Like Purty Persimmon above, I saw this featured by a few lovely bloggers and was swayed to give it a go. It really is a lovely, soft peachy coral for the warmer months!

Wet N' Wild MegaLast Liquid Lip Colour in Back to the Fuchsia definitely wins in the cheeky shade name category- one of the reasons I couldn't pass it up (in addition to the amazing price)! It's a deep, cool-toned fuchsia that dries down uber-matte (without parching lips) and truly lasts!

Hard Candy All Glossed Up Hydrating Lip Stain in Mauveous reminded me of my beloved Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, so at only $4, I was tempted to make the comparison. Haven't given this pinky-mauve shade a go yet, but am looking forward to it!

Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Collection Naturally Gorgeous Palette has made me glad that I never caved and bought the Urban Decay Nakeds. Though I love Urban Decay deeply, I've resisted their ever-popular palettes because I couldn't justify the $60 price tag given that I own a plethora of neutral shadows already. But at only $5, I couldn't resist this Hard Candy offering! Can't wait to test this out; I have high hopes!

NYX Love in Florence Gelato for Two Palette is another eye shadow palette that I couldn't pass up. It features a selection of both shimmery and matte pink and purple-toned shades that are right up my alley. And the Italian-inspired name is super appealing!

Real Techniques Stippling Brush is one that I've heard raves about again and again. Ulta had all RT brushes at Buy 1, Get 1 50% off and I couldn't resist. I have a feeling this brush will make me want to use cream blush every day!

Real Techniques Blush Brush is currently in a friend's daily rotation; when I did her makeup I used this for setting powder and bronzer and was instantly impressed. So soft and fluffy! Will be using this with my MAC Blot Powder from now on!

NYX Wonder Pencil in Light was featured on my giant wishlist  a couple months ago, so I was ecstatic when I spotted it at Ulta. This pencil is incredibly versatile, but I'm planning to use it primarily on my waterline to brighten up my eyes. It's a lovely, natural-looking alternative to a stark-white shade!

And one final jumbo-sized shot of all the goodies:

Adding things up, the total for all 10 of these items came to about $60, which, when put in perspective, equals one Urban Decay Naked Palette or one higher-end face brush. So no complaints here!

I plan on reviewing some of these products separately, but would love your input on which reviews you'd like to see! Let me know which of these is catching your eye or making you curious!

What have you bought from the drugstore lately? Favourite new budget finds?

Thanks for reading! xo