Christmas 2012 Haul

Christmas gifts actually started Christmas eve morning when my doorbell rang and I opened the door to find a package from LUSH. It was pretty great timing.

It was the forum fragarance perfume that we ordered and I mentioned in my LUSH post. We both really liked the smell of the bubble bar so we got the perfume. Well... it definitely is meant to be only a bubble bar, but regardless it's a pretty cool thing to own.

My puppy, Lucy, helped me open it :)

LUSH uses all natural things even in their packaging. Their stuffing was made out of potato starch and it smelt like food, so before I could blink, both my dog and my boyfriend were eating it....

We exchanged gifts with my boyfriend's family on Christmas eve and here were some of the gifts from my boyfriend, his sister, and his mom.

I am really loving the Burts bees set! and this bracelet which is actually from Topshop, it's just sitting on top of an Aldo tag.

Can you tell the people in my life think I like the bath and body works body creams LOL?

( I really do like them)

I actually had picked out a lot of the jewellery and girly products that my boyfriend got, but he completely thought of the sweatpants idea on his own. I'm always borrowing his to change into at his house so he got me these comfy awesome ones :) they're so soft!

and he picked out a ring at one of our favourite jewellery booths but it was way too big so we exchanged it for this necklace.

and from my uncles I got some MAC giftcards, which I used to purchase these goodies

the 219 brush is actually white, but I already used it lol

and then these two MSFs I hunted.

If you are a big MAC fan then you have most likely heard of the Stereo Rose MSF. It's a limited edition one and comes out every few years. It's intensely loved and goes for a huge price tag on eBay. I think at one point I considered paying a couple hundred for it until I found out it would be released on December 26- boxing day. Afraid that it would sell out in minutes, I woke up at 7 am the day after Christmas to be there as soon as the mall opened.

I also picked up the other MSF in the collection- Porcelain Pink.

I definitely need to work on my swatching skills, but Stereo Rose is on top and Porcelain Pink is below.

Now I await the day By Candlelight MSF is re-promoted :)

my other two gifts were these Steve Madden boots my dear mommy got me:

and then my big gift was from my boyfriend

....

*drumroll*

YSL mini Cabas ChYc !!!! <3

If you've read my blog then you've most definitely heard me talk about this bag.

I've obsessed and I absolutely adore it.

It's my favourite bag and honestly I don't think I'll ever like another bag more.

I love my Louis Vuittons and Rebecca Minkoffs and I do lust over a Chanel flap and Celine tote but I think this will forever remain my favourite bag. 

I didn't think he'd get me this but he did. And there's actually quite the funny story behind it. On Christmas morning he handed me two bags and told me to open them at the same time. I was quite confused but I did so, and out came two YSL dustbags. I was really confused at this point but I opened them both. In one was the black mini Cabas ChYc that I had wanted and in the other was a bright fuschia pink mini tote. It had a different dustbag and no "Y" pattern, a different interior and actually quite a few other differences. 

My boyfriend told me that YSL had sent him the pink one by mistake and then the black after and that I could choose whichever one I preferred. 

I chose the black because it's practical and I really like the Y pattern in the leather. :)

I'll have a post coming up soon which will actually be a more in-depth review and comparison on the two bags and how they have changed with the rebrand of YSL to Saint Laurent Paris

so stay tuned :)

xoxo V

Best and Worst MAC Products

MAC has some truly amazing products, and there's a few that really don't impress me. I won't include brushes in this post, I'll just focus on the makeup.

10 Great products:

1. Blacktrack fluidline
I'm pretty sure this is my all time favoutie MAC product... and definitely in my top 5 of all time favourite makeup products. It's just simply amazing. Best eyeliner- so easy to apply, so pigmented, stays put, and is just so crisp. It also has the dual use of using it as black lid primer for a smokey eye. This is definitely something to purchase!

2. Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
I have this in medium-deep and use it as my setting powder. It mattifies my t-zone, can be layered without looking cakey or even showing at all, goes over foundation really well or can be worn alone, and gives skin a really beautiful and natural finish. I'll never be without.

3. Studio Fix Powder
My go-to powder. I just love it. Another item I'll never be without.

4. Eyeshadows!!!
I adore, adore, adore MAC eyeshadows. In my opinion, they're the best. I like my Urban Decay naked palettes but I'm obsessed with my two MAC palettes. I recommend picking up All that Glitters, Ricepaper, Nylon, Carbon, Saddle, Woodwinked, Electra and Bronze. ...and all the others. I want them all. Yup. I'm obsessed.

5. Easy Manner blush
This blush is absolutely gorgeous. It's currently out in stores with the latest holiday collection, so if you can find it, I recommend you pick it up. It's a satin so it has good pigmentation and a subtle but pretty sheen. I loved it so much upon first application that I went out and bought a back-up. It's a very natural and pretty pink and has made me want to try out other satin blushes. I do own some other great permanent-line blushes but I thought this one deserved the spotlight.

6. Cremesheen lip glasses
This is my favourite lip gloss formula ever. I've had a few of them and currently own Fashion Whim and Boy Bait. They're gorgeous nudes that just look creamy and perfect on the lips. I love the non-stickiness of the formula but am not a fan of how short they last on the lips or how little there is in the tube. Boy Bait, in particular, is a gloss I know I'll continue to repurchase.

7. Cultured lip glass
This is my go-to gloss. It's sticky, as are all the original-formula lip glasses, but it lasts and I love the colour. I always have to have one on me.

8. Lipsticks
I will always recommend MAC lipsticks to people. There's just always something for someone with such a huge array of colours and finishes. The vanilla scent is amazing and I personally love the packaging. My collection continues to grow but 3 lipsticks that I adore and think could really suit a lot of people are: Hue, Rebel, and Blankety.

9. Pro Sculpting powder
I have this in Shadester and it's just a great contour. I just wish it came potted.

10. Pearl cream colour base
I use this as a highlight under my brow. I like it so much better than using eyeshadow and I will absolutely continue to purchase this, as it's perfect for that task.



10 products I regret purchasing:

1. Face and Body foundation
I really like the natural and dewey coverage this gave. It also came in a very generous-sized bottle. I was not a fan of how sticky this felt and worst of all, this ended up breaking me out. I didn't want to believe it, so I tried multiple times, but sure enough every single time I used it I was left with some nasty spots.

2. Studio Fix liquid foundation
I just found this really cakey and unnatural looking.

3. Trace Gold blush
This colour was so sheer and light that it just did not show up on my cheeks. I layered and layered it on and it didn't even provide that "glow" to my cheeks that it supposedly is supposed to give.

4. Glorify Extra Dimension Skinfinish
It's just so dark and gold that it doesn't work as a highlight, and so sparkly that it doesn't work as a bronzer either. I like the formula, so I really wish I got this in Superb or Whisper of Gilt.


5. Retrospeck eyeshadow (and every other from the Lustre formula).
They just have no pigmentation. With barely any colour appearing, what's the point?

6. Mineralize concealer
This did absolutely nothing for me. I felt like I was wearing concealer but instead of covering, I actually feel like it EMPHASIZED flaws and gave me creases I didn't even know I had. This is probably the worst MAC product I've tried thus far.

7. Mascaras
When I just said that the mineralize concealer was the worst product I've tried, I completely forgot about their mascaras. I've tried several, and they were all disasters. I mean, clumpy, cheap-looking messes. I don't know how they failed so bad at these but at this point I've given up trying them because I already have too many full tubes in my back-to-mac pile. On the plus side, I guess they brought me closer to a free lippie. Stay away!

8. Bronzers
Just not a big fan of any of them. I found the pigmentation to be a bit blotchy and the colours to be a bit muddy. I would say they are pretty much all ideal for NC20, but not for my skintone. I much prefer what Sephora has to offer as far as bronzers go.

9. MAC concealers
I've been unimpressed with all the MAC concealers. The best one of them is the prolongwear, which I mention in the next category below. However, the studio fix I found way too cakey and like a worse version of the Bobbi Brown concealer. And the select cover-up was too thick for under-eyes and under-achieving at covering spots, leaving it useless.

And I haven't seen this done before but I wanted to mention some "neutral" products. Products that were neither great nor horrible. I'll continue to use them occasionally, but won't be repurchasing any of these either.

1. Fix +
Meh. That pretty much sums it up. It hasn't broken me out like many complain of,  it definitely feels refreshing, and it does help with cakey foundation. On the same token, it appears to separate foundation a bit because it becomes wet and then blotches. In conclusion, this works well for some rare occasions and areas of the face.

2. Prolongwear concealer
This concealer is raved about, and when I purchased it, the MAC girl even said "you'll never try another." Well... I have tried others... and liked them better. This concealer is good, does the job, but it's definitely not worth the hype. Worst part about it is the pump. It's so hard to control and you end up wasting so much product.

3. Penultimate eyeliner
This is a great eyeliner. However, after using it only a few times, I'm already seeing it dry out. I also think it's not much better than other cheaper liquid eyeliners.

4. Powerpoint eye pencil
I got this because it was supposed to be their waterproof eyeliner. It was ok... I much prefer the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on pencils.

5. Paint pots
Now, maybe this is only because I bought the two most boring paint pots, but I don't see the hype. I own Painterly and Soft Ochre which are so similar. I love how they both even out the eye and cover up the "veins" but I don't think they really work as primers. I don't see a difference with creasing or eyeshadow sticking. I much prefer the Urban Decay or Too Faced eye primers. I will probably repurchase only one of these since they are so similar, and possibly an interesting colour.


So there are my MAC best and worst. I ended up making that wayyyyy longer than I intended, but I hope there is some helpful information in there!

Until next time,
xoxo V

Christmas Wishlist

This is my DREAM bag. I mean it's got everything I've ever looked for in a bag...
Shoulder strap, check. Zippered closure, check. Not everyone's carrying it, check. Classical designer house, check. Timeless design, check. Small but big enough for the essentials, check. Good quality and durable, check.
I love it equally in red and black, so hey... I'm not picky ;)


Ok Victoria, back to reality...

I've tried to think of some more reasonable items and it was hard to think of anything other than that bag buttttt I've found some things that I may buy with giftcards or ask for if someone asks.

......

couple of MAC brushes

I'd love to invest in couple more good MAC eye brushes because most of my brushes are crappy and falling apart.

Sigma eye brushes.

I really wanna try Sigma. These 6 make me excited. I'm not sure why lol.

I've recently thrown out most of my closet because it was either really dated, destroyed, or way too big. I used to buy a lot of crap at Urban Behaviour and Costa Blanca etc, now I just want to get fewer but nicer items. I love Aritizia clothing. Their stuff fits me, is flattering, and good quality. Oh, and they sell Rag and Bones, which I'm in LOVE with... and that's probably what I'd blow a giftcard on...

I also like Topshop!

If only I took a picture of my boots before my mother threw them out...

The only boots I have now are my Choo biker boots which I don't want to wear everyday. I'd like to get pair of everyday riding boots. I don't particularly want these ones, but I do like the duo colour of black and brown on these so that they go with everything, but comfort's the most important thing.

Beats headphones because they're amazing and red and my headphones are breaking.
*UPDATE: my dog has now chewed mine, so now I have NO headphones...*

Car key. Because if I don't ask for it, there's zero chance of me buying this for myself and I will continue to torment myself with my broken one.

And now some stuff that isn't because my things are broken...

YSL lipstick in 13 Peach Passion, just because I really like that colour. LOL

And I'm literally obsessed with lush...

The last 3 are probably the most practical because I'll admit the last time I actually took a bath was probably 5 years ago... but I guess the bathbombs are fun to smell...

so mainly I'd like to get a big Snow fairy shower gel and grease lighting :)

Also, every year I give myself something from myself. It's corny but I really think everyone should do it, just to celebrate your successes as the year ends. 

Two days ago I actually won a pair of Rihanna concert tickets on the radio. 

It's actually a crazy story for multiple reasons.

I'm a huge Rihanna fan so my boyfriend gave me tickets to her show for back on our one year anniversary. I was ecstatic and a few (long) months later we had a really good time at the concert. Well... the tickets that I just won happen to fall on the actual date of our 3 year anniversary. I thought it was a cute coincidence :)

Also, I've never won anything before (not for lack of trying), so I still can't believe I actually won.

I actually tried reallllllly hard to win these tickets. About a month ago another station was giving them away all week. Well, we checked online for all the times and called at almost every time. I woke up brutally early for some, missed class and ran to my car in the middle of class for others... for some we even had 3 or 4 phones going. We didn't get through till the very last contest time of the week. I called during the middle of showering and was caller #34 instead of #35...

Then 2 days ago I was driving and listening to another station. They said that after this song would be a chance to win Rihanna tickets so I pulled over and got their phone number ready. 

First few times was busy and then on my 5th try it rang. Well the guy picked up and started talking to me about Rihanna. I kinda knew at this point that I had won because otherwise they just tell you to try again. I was so jittery and excited, and really quite embarrassing but it's definitely worth it!

So, since I'm broke and will be even broker after buying other people's gifts, I'm going to consider this my Christmas gift to myself :)

And I just want to say that I think "bad luck" is only a frame of mind. Never give up because one day it really will all pay off. I'm really glad I kept trying, because sometimes it only takes one more time. 

Until next time,

xoxo V

My MAC neutral eyeshadow palettes

I got my first MAC eyeshadow in grade 7, which is now also 7 years ago. I went into MAC with, I believe, a giftcard and picked out All That Glitters, a kohl eyeliner, a lipglass and the worst mascara ever (but more about those things later). All That Glitters was my favourite shade the moment I saw it, and still is. I carried it around everywhere with me. I was the first girl to own any MAC makeup in my grade, so girls liked to play around with it too. Well, one girl dropped my beloved eyeshadow and shattered it. Ofcourse I had no idea about pressing broken shadows so with my next Christmas giftcard I bought a new one. This time I decided to get a quad 4-palette and the pro palette form of the shadow. I also bought my second shadow, a darker crease colour which was Satin Taupe. I lived with those two shadows till grade 11 when I asked for Carbon and Crystal Avalanche from my boyfriend for Christmas. He also got me a backup of All that Glitters which is actually the one in my palette currently, that I'm almost out of again.

Anyways, beginning of grade 12 I got my first job working as a hostess at a restaurant. I started making money, and it was downhill from there LOL. I decided to buy the bigger pro palette and expand my shadow collection. I started out buying ones I saw and liked after swatching but being a bit OCD, I needed to have the whole palette full asap. So after way too many trips to MAC and way too much time looking at swatches and eye combos online and a couple hundred dollars later, my big and small palette was full and I was content.

I mentioned in my last haul I bought another pro palette from someone once I found out they were selling a new, different style in stores. I put the 4 shadows that were in my smaller palette in there but being me, the empty spots were bugging me. So over the past week or so, I've bought another 5 or  6 shadows. I'm trying really hard to fight the urge to fill it now!  I'd really like to wait till I really fall in love with a color first.

I'm sorry if that was way too long of a story! I guess I just find it interesting to know how other people's makeup addictions get fueled, because that's definitely where mine began LOL

So on to my collection....
I only wear neutral colours so all of my shadows are neutrals, but I tried to buy a variety of shades.

L-R:

First row: empty, Ricepaper, Naked Lunch, All That Glitters, Electra

Second row: Amber Lights, Woodwinked, Patina, Shale, Club

Third row: Antiqued, Bronze, Sable, Satin Taupe, Knight Divine

These are pretty much all my shimmery lid colours.

In the other palette I have my two inner corner colours, and my mattes.

I also have 5 empty spots.

L-R:

Top row: Crystal Avalanche, Cork, Swiss Chocolate, Blanc Type

Second row: Nylon, Texture, Mystery, Copperplate

Third row: empty, Saddle, empty, Carbon

(** swatches coming soon **)

I'll list them here grouped by finish alphabetically with the MAC's website's description:

Amber Lights - Peachy brown with shimmer (frost)

Bronze - Gold bronze with gold-bronze shimmer (frost)

Electra - Silver with icy shimmer (frost)

Naked Lunch - Minimal pink with shimmer (frost)

Nylon - Pale gold with icy shimmer (frost) 

Patina - Taupe brown with golden pearl (frost)

Ricepaper - Peachy gold with shimmer (frost)

Satin Taupe - Taupe with silver shimmer (frost)

Saddle - Golden orange brown (matte)

Carbon - Intense black (matte)

Swiss Chocolate - Muted reddish brown (matte)

Blanc Type - Creamy beige (Matte2)

Copperplate - Muted mid-tone grey (Matte2)

Cork - Muted golden brown (satin)

Club - Red-brown with green pearl (satin)

Mystery - Muted plum brown (satin)

Shale - Mauve plum with subtle shimmer (satin)

All That Glitters - Beige with gold pearl (veluxe pearl)

Antiqued - Ash brown with bronze (veluxe pearl)

Crystal Avalanche - White with reflects (veluxe pearl)

Knight Divine - Black with silver pearl (veluxe pearl)

Woodwinked - Warm antique gold (veluxe pearl)

Sable - Gold plum with bronze pearl (velvet)

Texture - Peachy brown with shimmer (velvet)

My favourites:
Inner corner: Nylon, Crystal Avalanche
Highlight: Naked lunch, Blanc Type
Lid: All That Glitters, Woodwinked, Ricepaper
Blending: Saddle, Cork
Crease: Texture, Copperplate
Liner: Carbon, Mystery



I don't own shadows in 2 of the MAC finishes, but here's my little "MAC eyeshadow finish 101":

Frost: These are decently pigmented and very high metallic shadows. There are no obvious glitter chunks, just lots in the tiniest form to really deliver that frosty sheen. In my opinion, these go on smooth and can be really fun to create looks with.
Lustre: I don't own any of these. I did at one point and probably never will again. These shadows have almost no pigmentation and barely go on. Despite having large chunks of glitter, the glitter is barely visible once applied. Many people say this is MAC's worst eyeshadow formula, and I tend to agree. If it's glitter you sought after, you are much better off buying a glitter pigment.
Matte: No shine, completely flat. These are great for placing in the crease, or if it's a more professional or natural look you desire. There is a really large selection of Matte formula shadows and as much as I love a lot of the colours, I try to stay away from these...
Matte2: These are everything that the Matte formula should be! Like the Matte formula, they are also completely flat without any sheen or glitter. However they are sooo much more pigmented, and easier to blend. You don't have to pack on nearly as much and they are just so smooth that you don't get that patchiness that the Matte shadows sometimes give. One of my favourite formulas by far and if I'm looking for a matte colour I always try to find it in the Matte2 formula.
Satin: No metallic finish, no glitter, just the tiniest amount of sheen. I own 4 shadows in this finish and if I had no idea that they were all Satins I would have never ever have guessed it. Two of them fit the Satin description and two are pretty high in shimmer and sheen. Despite that, all 4 are good shadows. Decent pigmentation and easy enough to blend.
Veluxe Pearl: My favourite formula (may or may not be because All That Glitters is in this formula *winkwink). These shadows go on like butter. These are high in sheen but without the frosty-metallic finish that the Frost formula has. They are also high in colour payoff and MAC has a large selection of shadows in this finish.
Veluxe: The Veluxe formula is the same butter-smooth formula as Veluxe Pearl minus the sheen. I wish MAC had more than 3 shadows in this formula because it would probably be another favourite of mine, but as of right now, I don't own any.
Velvet: Another favourite of mine. In my opinion the Velvet formula is like Matte2 with a bit of a glow.  My absolute favourite crease colour is in this formula. The Velvet formula delivers high color payoff and an extremely smooth "velvety" finish.

In Canada, you can purchase each shadow in a pot for $18 at any MAC store or counter, and at most MAC individual stores you can purchase the pro palette form for $14.
To buy a full palette is $234.50 CAD plus tax. It's bit scary to think that once I have filled two, I will have spent exactly $530 total with tax but I absolutely adore my shadows and use them everyday so I'll try to ignore that.... :/

On a more positive note, what are your favourite MAC shadows? I would love to know! :)

Until next time,
xoxo V