New In // Recent Hauls + a microreview of Marie Claire's "The Parcel"

An indulgent month for me...and I also thought I'd give you a short summary and also roundup on some of the products I've received from the beauty box subscription service from Marie Claire. 

Read on ;)

Finally bit the bullet and picked up quite* a few things from Colourpop, I've already swatched and photographed everything but I wanted to have a chance to properly wear and play around with them before writing a full review. Watch this space!

There is a store near my work that stocks Yankee Candles and I'm always in there smelling them. I think they're clearing out their candles or something though, because they had 20% off the full range and by the time I realised, they had already sold out of the majority of scents. I did manage to snatch this one up to and oh my god, it smells divine - like I constantly have brownies in the oven. The burn time for this is 110-150 hours so I'm a happy bunny.

I received this in the last "The Parcel" that I received and I really love it! Review to come soon! But for those of you who don't know what "The Parcel" is, it is a quarterly beauty box subscription service by the magazine, Marie Claire. Each quarterly box is $25 and the samples/full sized products are picked by the beauty editors of the magazine. I subscribed end of last year and so far I have received 2 boxes - 1 for the summer quarter and 1 for autumn. I have to say, I am really enjoying this subscription service. In short, here are the things I really like about it:
♡ There is no beauty profile, everyone gets the same products so there is no disappointment knowing that other people may have received better samples than you - except for example, nail polish shades/handcream scents, that may vary from box to box.
♡ The brands and products are well known and trusted, picked by beauty editors.
♡ It has a great mix of makeup, skincare, haircare and bodycare.
♡ It's quarterly instead of monthly, I'd much rather receive quarterly boxes that blow me away rather than too many less-than-average monthly boxes/samples/products. Seriously.
I never took proper photos of the boxes but here is one that I tweeted of my autumn box:

♡ I've actually discovered many new favorite products through the service already - some of these include Essie Sugar Daddy Nail Polish (full size), Garnier Miracle Cream (full size), Philosophy Purity Cleanser (sample size), Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream (sample size), MaxFactor Masterpiece Transform Mascara (full size).
♡ While some of the other products didn't make it to my favorites, I have still been able to try them or I have still gotten my use out of them - e.g. Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate (sample size), Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Cream (sample size, came handy when I needed to take an eye cream to HK), L'Occitane Shea Zesty Lime Handcream (sample size, which I keep in my handbag), Neutrogena make-up remover wipes (nothing exciting but always useful and handy for post-swatching for the blog), John Freida volumnising haircare set (shampoo, conditioner and spray - sample size), a Schick Razor (full size, nothing revolutionary but something I actually need and use, I keep this one at my boyfriend's house), Essie Top Coat (full sized).
The first box I received, 3/10 products were full sized. In the second box, 5/8 were full sized. There has only been 2 products across the 2 boxes that I have no use for, and that is the bb/cc cream that they included (the shade Medium was too dark). That being said, I'm not fussed because the overall value and the array of products, still override that only con.
The Parcel is honestly what I wanted from every beauty subscription box.

I haven't used a brow pencil in years but I really wanted to see what all the hype was about surrounding the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. The shade I got is quite different from my usual brow color so I'm still getting used to it but safe to say, I get the fuss. I also picked up a couple of bits from MAC.

After reading Sharlynn's post on this eyeliner set, I could not get it off my mind! I actually received it in the mail 3 weeks ago now and I have been using it religiously.

And that's a bit of a sneak peek for whats to come in the next few weeks on the blog :)

=('.')=

chloé

MAC Glass Slipper Lip Glass - Cinderella Collection (Swatch + Review)

Growing up as a little girl, Cinderella was my favorite Disney princess movie, I had the film on tape and I literally rewinded/replayed it until it broke (by then my mum was able to buy me a VCD copy of it, remember those?) 

So when MAC first released photos and information on the Cinderella collection for the upcoming real-live action film, I felt a huge sense of nostalgia and also excitement that I can re-experience the desire of wanting to be a princess but as an adult. 

What I was not excited about however, was having to deal with the MAC girls. I don't know if it's just me, but I have never found an in-store experience at MAC pleasant. I never walk away feeling satisfied and I find the staff to be quite rude and generally unhelpful. I asked a number of times, with different staff members when the collection would be released in-store and every one of them shook me off with an "I don't know, you just have to keep checking back", no one bothered to offer to look it up or give me anything beyond their answer. One girl just told me "It should be around the time the movie comes out." Why thank you, how helpful of you. Ok bitter rant aside, lets talk about the actual collection.

New In // Recent Hauls Since November (Microreview)

I actually hardly bought any new make up all through 2014 and then in the last few months, I'm not sure what got into me but I ended up picking up a bunch of new things. This is going to be a microreview post because I'm sure you would have seen plenty of reviews and videos of people talking about these products already. Plus, a few of these items were limited edition so I don't want to go into it too much in case it's hard for you guys to obtain.

After exams, I planned a special Mecca trip to treat myself to a couple of goodies I had my eye on.

I was always going to get at least one Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush. Good thing I held out when they were first released because I was hoping they would release it in a palette much like their powder palette and they did! This palette really is something, everything from the quality of the blushes, the glowing finish, the longevity of wear and the shade selection is perfect - a pink, a peach and a darker plummy shade, suitable for any make-up look/season.I love the packaging and size too. Incandescent Electra (middle) has to be my favorite shade in the trio.

I wanted to try NARS Sheer Glow for the longest time and after I got a few sample pots to test out, I finally purchased the full sized bottle along with the pump. The shade I have is Fiji.
Sheer Glow does accentuates dry patches or any flaking. Luckily my skin has been behaving pretty well lately and I love the luminous finish it leaves me with. The coverage is far from sheer and probably too heavy for daily use, despite that, it never leaves my face looking dull or flat. A little goes a long way with this foundation, for special days/nights out or when I know I will be photographed, this is a lovely option.

After finishing my little tube of Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré that my cousin sent me from Paris, I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Then I came across a really good deal on Cosme-De. They were doing a promotion and the moisturiser was only $23 for the 75ml tube. So without hesitation, I bought 2 tubes because I LOVE this stuff.
I also picked up the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, a purchase heavily influenced by Lena at Sleep and Water. I've only ever tried one other cleansing oil in the past and it was a Shu Uemura one but I was too young to appreciate it or remember how I got along with it. So far I'm really enjoying this cleansing oil. I keep this bottle at my boyfriend's house because I don't have all my normal skincare products there and I don't like bringing them back and forth. This does a great job of dissolving and removing all my make up as well as cleansing at the end of the day and it doesn't feel overly oily.
It was my first time ordering off Cosme-De but it was a pleasant experience. My order arrived quickly and safely bubble-wrapped. The promotion at the time was on their actual website but they also have an eBay store.

MAC Rebel is a color I've wanted to own for years but I just never bought it so when they released it as part of the Christmas Heirloom collection, it seemed like the perfect time to pick it up. I love the starry packaging of the lipstick tube. I actually haven't even tried/worn it yet. I'm going to blame it on the hot weather but in reality, I think I'm just hauling too much too quickly.

My best friend B picked up the Illamasqua nail polish in Raindrops for me after she heard me going on and on about it. She works in Myer and I think when she bought it, it was on sale as well so it ended up costing like $7. 

This is my first Illamasqua nail polish and I'm so impressed with the quality of them. The formulation and pigmentation are both amazing, and first signs of chipping didn't even appear until after a week. One of the longest-lasting nail polishes I've ever worn and I absolutely adore the color. Raindrops is a super light grey-blue with tiny silver flakes of all different sizes. It's so subtle and soft.

The same cousin who sent me the Embryolisse moisturizer from Paris, lives in the States and just after Christmas, she sent me a small parcel with some snacks, make up and bath and body works goodies (I am obsessed with their hand sanitisers and their scent portable air fresheners for the car!)

In the box, there was the Naked 3 palette as well as the NARS Virtual Domination cheek palette that I asked her to pick up for me. I've been using both palettes religiously since I received them.

This palette is seriously so pretty, every color in it is stunning. My favorite shades are Nooner, Liar and Factory. I only wish that the highlight/first shade was a bit brighter as it doesn't even show up on my skin. The packaging is much more sturdy than the Naked 1 palette, which is pretty much made of cardboard, but I'm not a massive fan of the textured exterior on the box. I think it looks a bit tacky.
It also came with a booklet with samples of UD's 4 different eye primers. They claim that each sample has enough for 1 week of usage. I haven't used any of them yet.

This NARS Virtual Domination palette caught my eye from the moment I saw the first bits of information/photos online. For one, there is no "Orgasm" blush in the palette. I have Orgasm and I have to say it's one of the most overrated products in the beauty world. Secondly, it held a massive pan (bigger than its normal size) of the famous Laguna bronzer that I've never tried. Thirdly, I don't have doubles of any of the colors - the other 3 shades are: Final Cut, Sex Fantasy and Miss Liberty (highlighter). All of these reasons combined, was a huge incentive for me to buy this. 

The only let down about the palette is Miss Liberty. I expected a lot more pigment for a highlighter but it was only a whole heap of glitter. That would be the only thing stopping me from calling this palette an all-in-one cheek palette. Shame, but the rest of the palette makes up for it I guess.

So those were some of the things that came into my possession between November - Mid January. 

It's funny, I don't think I bought any make-up in 2014 from January to October and then all hell broke loose after I bought my Lorac Mega Pro Palette (which I have dropped twice since - I was shattered, it was shattered, it was shattering).

Do you ever go through non-spendy then very spendy phases? haha

please say yes.

x

=('.')=

chloé

RiRi Hearts MAC: Fall Collection - Her Cocoa Eyeshadow Quad, Bad Girl Gone Good Blush, Talk That Talk Lipstick and 187 SE Brush (Swatches + Microreviews)

WOW. What a stunning collection and certainly one I could not miss. I went into Myer this morning as soon as they opened - I knew exactly what i wanted so I picked them up and came straight home to photograph them. I can't even decide which product is my favorite because I love everything so much already after one use.

Recent Favorites ♡

I thought I would start a new series of posts on my blog dedicated to my 'recent' favorites. I won't commit myself to monthly favorites because i don't want to limit/pressure myself to find favorites within a time frame. This month I rediscovered a couple of products in my stash as well as found new loves. 

RiRi Hearts MAC: RiRi Woo, RiRi Boy + Heaux Lipsticks (Swatch + Review)

I have so many products to review it's not funny. I really need to get my game on especially for limited edition items! 

When i initially heard about this collaboration, i didn't think i would end up buying all 3 lipsticks from this collection...but i guess i did. LOL i'm not even going to try to defend myself. 

MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow: Joy & Laughter + MAC Mineralize Blush: Warm Soul (Swatch + Review)

I actually haven't bought much since i've been back in HK, takes so much self control but i'm off to Seoul tonight and i plan to do most of my shopping there ^^ 

I did go for a MAC run, hoping to pick up some of the things on my wishlist but was really disappointed to find that HK doesn't stock many of the products i wanted ;c 

MAC Reel Sexy Cremesheen Glass: Private Screening + MAC Heavenly Creatures Cremesheen Glasses: Strictly Plutonic + Galaxy Rose (Swatch + Review)

One of my very first MAC products ever was a MAC Lipglass that my aunty bought me for my 14th birthday. I really disliked it because it felt too sticky and the color was wrong for me in every way. After this, i was turned off all lip glosses from MAC for good...until the launch of the Heavenly Creatures collection.

MAC Eyeshadows: Naked Lunch + Satin Taupe (Swatch + Review)

I've finally had time to take photos of all my swatches today, prepare for lots of reviews coming up!
These have been on my list for what feels like the longest time and i finally picked them up this time in HK.

MAC Casual Colour Lip & Cheek Colour: Out for Fun +Keep it Casual (Swatch + Review)

These are a limited edition cream-based product that can be used on the cheeks and/or lips. When these were first released, i knew exactly which shades i wanted and when i visited the MAC counter and swatched these in person, it just re-affirmed my decision. I bought the shades Out for Fun and Keep it Casual, one for spring/summer and one for autumn/winter.