Hey guys! Today I am here with a haul! I asked you guys on my Insta stories whether you would like to see me purchase products from Colourpop or Glossier and Glossier was the winner. I have never ordered from Glossier before, but I did a project on them for school so I was very excited to grab some stuff. Today’s post is going to be a haul and some quick first impressions. In around 2 weeks from now I’ll be posting an in-depth review of all the products, so stay tuned for that!
Before I get started, just wanted to say that the shipping was pretty good because it came from the US. I placed my order on August 10 and it was supposed to arrive on the 20th. So imagine my surprise when it showed up yesterday, August 17th! I enjoy it when I get packages earlier than expected. So it took a week from when I ordered to when it arrived.
The first item that I picked up is the Brow Flick in the shade Brown. I have heard amazing things about Glossier’s brow products so I had to check this one out. This one is unlike other brow products because it’s a brush tip pen like an eyeliner. It’s supposed to be able to create feathery, hairlike strokes with ease. They only had three shades so I got the shade Brown – hopefully this one will work fine!
The second brow product I got is the Boy Brow. This brow gel is a creamy wax that is supposed to help thicken, shape and groom brows into place. Now I know most people like to use their coloured brow gels, but those scare me haha. So I decided to get clear because it’s more likely to shade match me better.
The next item I picked up is the Balm Dotcom lip balm. This lip balm is supposed to be soothing, moisturizing and conditioning. I got the flavour mango because I love mango. It also has a slight coral tint, but I will say that it’s pretty unnoticeable the tint. So far I really like it!
The other lip product I picked up is the Generation G Sheer Matte Lipstick. This lipstick is supposed to give that just-blotted lipstick look. I am so excited besides that reminds me of the Colourpop Blotted Lipsticks that I loved before they got discontinued (not to be confused with their Ultra Blotted Lip which they still have). I got the shade Cake which is supposed to be a subtle peach but it much browner in person. But I think I am going to love this shade for the fall.
The next product I picked up is the Wowder, which is the finishing and setting powder. Even though I have embraced the dewy look more recently I still love me a good powder. I remember this was huge when it first came out. The other thing I don’t like is the fact that there is no ‘translucent’ option but there are five different options at least. I got the shade G8-G10 which is for light/medium.
The final product I picked up is the infamous Cloud Paint. I feel like these were some of the first cream blushes on the market. I got the shade Beam which is described as a soft peach. I will say that for a peach shade this has a pink undertone to it. I will test this out and see how long it lasts.
And that is my little haul from Glossier guys! Let me know if there are any specific questions you guys have about the products that I picked up. The review will be posted in two weeks!
Hey guys! Today I am reviewing two drugstore brow pencils. I mentioned in my makeup collection if I wasn’t a blogger post that my brow pencil collection is pretty limited. So I thought it would be interesting to buy some brow pencils and test them out! I did a similar concept in March where I bought some drugstore concealers and just tested them out to see what my favourite was. Sometimes it’s helpful when testing out products to have something to compare to. Let me know if you guys like this type of post and I can make it a series!
Anyways, back to the eyebrows. Now my favourite, holy-grail is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. There are a few reasons why I love this brow pencil. First, it’s a very fine tip so I can be very precise with my strokes. Second, it’s not too waxy. I’m not a fan of waxy brow pencils because I have to use more pressure to get any product on my skin. And finally, it has a great shade range so I can find a shade that makes me perfectly. So these were the criteria I was looking for in a brow pencil.
Top pencil is ELF. Bottom pencil is NYX
NYX is on the left with a wider shape. ELF is on the right and has a smaller tip.
The first that I picked up from the drugstore is the elf Ultra Precise Brow Pencil. I’ve had someone recommend this one to me so I thought it would be a good one to test out. First, it does have a small, precise tip to great hairlike strokes. Second, it does have a pretty good formula. It’s almost too wavy but not quite. I’m able to vary the darkness by adjusting my pressure. The only thing is this is NOT the right shade for me. I got the shade Brunette thinking that would be the right shade for me. But it’s too warm for me. I could probably use the shade Deep Brown but I’m not sure if it was in store. Either way, I’m returning this one because it’s not the right shade. But a very promising brow pencil.
The second brow contender is the NYX Precision Brow Pencil. With a name like precision imagine my surprise when I found out that this brow pencil is actually a large oval and not a tiny circle like I expected. So I was thrown off by the shape but it’s not that difficult to use. I’m still able to create thin, hairlike strokes it’s just different. I can use the wide to be able to fill in my bald spot in my brows pretty well. I got the shade Espresso and it matches me well.
ELF brow pencil
ELF brow pencil
NYX Brow Pencil
NYX Brow pencil
So which brow pencil is the winner? I’m going to say this is a draw. They are both good really good formulas and I think either would be a good option to pick up. The issues I had were both due to me buying the wrong one. I need a different shade in the elf brow pencil. And I think I would prefer the NYX Micro Brow Pencil because it has a smaller tip. But I am going to keep the NYX pencil because it’s still usable and return the elf one because it’s just the wrong shade.
And that is my battle of the brow pencils! Let me know in the comments what your favourite brow pencil is or if there are any you want me to test out.
Hey guys! I’ve seen this challenge go around where people share their fantasy shopping cart if they had $1000 to spend at Sephora. Now since I’m Canadian I’m at a bit of a disadvantage since our dollar isn’t as good ahaha. But I still had fun doing this! Also, I did go over by $10 but it’s close enough. So here is my fantasy card:
I have been eyeing the Pat McGrath products for a while now but they are just so expensive. But if I had a $1000 to spend the first thing I would get is a palette and a lipstick by her. I am in love with the Mothership VIII Artistry Eyeshadow Palette – Divine Rose II Collection. I think it’s gorgeous. And there is a nice mix of unique shades and everyday, wearable shades. The picked a MatteTrance Lipstick in the shade Peep Show which is a soft pink peach nude. I think that would be a great everyday shade that I would use a lot.
Up next I would get the MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish Highlight in the shade Whisper of Gilt. This is a cult classic highlight that I have been wanting to pick up for a while. I probably will get it eventually, but if I got a $1000 I would purchase it immediately.
Ideally, I would want one of the palettes that Hourglass releases during the holidays so I could get bronzer, blushes and setting powder. But for the sake of this post, I selected an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush. I think I would pick the shade Dim Infusion because I like coral shades.
And the final product that would eat up most of my $1000 would be the Dyson Airwrap Styler. I would never buy this for myself but if I had a $1000 I would get it. I’ve heard such amazing things about the Dyson Airwrap. I also think it’s a better purchase than just the blow dryer because then I would get eight attachments including a blow dryer attachment. While it’s expensive it is a blow dryer, brush and curling iron all in one. I’m sure if I were to get a high-end blow dryer and curling iron it wouldn’t be that far off in price.
And that is my fantasy shopping cart! I know it’s not very long but it’s probably what I would spend my money on. Some of these products I might eventually purchase myself and some of these I probably never will. But sometimes it’s fun to play pretend that I’m rich and can afford all of this haha. Let me know in the comments what you would purchase from Sephora if you have $1000 to spend!
Hey guys! I am back with another round of product empties! I know you guys love these posts, so let’s get right into it.
First, we have the Fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash. I got this in a pack with another Fresh cleanser. I don’t like this as much as my St Ives exfoliator. It’s very gentle so if you have sensitive skin you would probably like this! I personally like a bit of a strong exfoliator but it was still good enough that I finished the product. But I love the strawberry scent so that’s a plus. I did not repurchase this face wash.
The next product is the Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm. I really like this cleansing balm – even more than the Farmacy Green Clean! It does an amazing job of removing all my makeup. Even if I’m wearing a super colourful look or waterproof eyeliner it just dissolves everything. The balm leaves my face feeling so clean after that sometimes I would not even double cleanse. I would repurchase it if was available at Sephora. I received it in a giveaway so I have no idea where to get it in Canada expect from their website. So for that reason, I won’t repurchase it.
Another skincare empty is the Sephora Collection Brightening Eye Cream. This eye cream is pretty average. I have sensitive under eyes (wait until the next product) so many eye creams give me dry patches. This one doesn’t irritate my skin BUT it also doesn’t do anything special. I don’t notice a difference whatsoever between using it and not using it. Now I know at my age using an eye cream is mainly preventative but I would hope it would at least do something. My main concern currently is darkness under my eyes and this did nothing. So I have decided to not repurchase.
This next product is not empty but I am throwing it out so I am mentioning it here. I got the QMS Intensive Eye Care Cream in February Boxycharm. I was using the Sephora Collection one at the time but switched to the QMS one to test for my blog. After switching I started to notice dry patches on my lids and my under eyes being super sensitive and almost having a burning effect. I thought it was just because it was winter and once I was done testing for my blog switched back to my Sephora Collection one. Once I finished it though I started using the QMS one again. I started getting dry patches and sensitivity again. I was also putting it around my mouth because I’ve heard that eye cream can be good for preventing fine lines around your mouth. Well, I started to get breakouts there too! So I finally realized it was this QMS eye cream and stopped using it immediately. I don’t know what’s causing it because I looked up the ingredients and there is nothing really bad. It’s also £120, that’s almost $200 CAD! Either way, I don’t like this eye cream and would not recommend it.
I have two setting sprays. First is a sample of the Tarte Rainforest of the Seas 4-in-1 Setting Mist (which they have since repackaged). I honestly can’t remember if it made any difference in my skin. I own another Tarte setting spray and don’t find it’s very effective. It does have an interesting scent though. I decided to not repurchase and instead get another of my Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. I finished another one and this is a setting spray that I feel makes a huge difference in my makeup’s longevity.
The final product is the Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm. This used to be my favourite lip balm but they have reformulated it. It used to be thick but not as thick as the original. Now it’s waxy and not as nice on the lips as before. I’m so sad that it’s changed. Also, it seems like everyone on Nivea’s website agrees with me that the reformulation sucks haha. I will not be repurchasing this one.
And those are my product empties for this month! Let me know if you have tried any of these products and what your thoughts were.
Hey guys! So I’ve seen this makeup trend go around and I believe it started with Jamie Paige’s video where she narrowed down her makeup collection if she wasn’t an influencer. I thought this would be a great idea to do because I always have friends who ask me what for recommendations. I decided to limit myself to 15 products. I also tried to choose drugstore products because realistically if I didn’t blog about makeup I probably wouldn’t buy as many high-end products. So here are my 15 products!
I need a primer. This Revlon one is a great dupe for my Dr. Brandt Pore No More Luminzing one so that’s why I picked this one! It makes my skin look glowy and helps prime my skin for foundation. It’s so glowy that on more natural days I could skip highlight and just use this.
I love foundation and I have a variety of foundations from matte to dewy, light coverage to full coverage. So I decided to pick on that is right in the middle. This Smashbox foundation has medium coverage and is a natural finish. I could use more primer to make my skin dewier or apply more powder if I wanted my skin to be matte. This foundation is also long-wearing so I don’t have to worry about it fading on me.
I don’t think is a surprise to anyone who has followed me for a while. This is my favourite concealer, of course I have to pick it! Once again this concealer has medium coverage and a natural finish. I can adjust the coverage by applying more or less concealer. There is a reason why this concealer is so many people’s holy grail concealer!
Powder and lips are the only categories where I have two products. I decided to pick a pressed powder and a loose powder. The Maybelline pressed powder is great for when I want to mattify my skin or make it last longer. Pressed powders are also better for travelling. This Hourglass one is expensive but great. It’s very fine so it gives a beautifully soft, airbrushed look to the skin. Both are amazing and I use them for different effects on the skin.
I know I have gotten into cream bronzer and blush lately but if I had to pick only one I would use powder. I like creams in the summer but for year-round use, powders are better. So if I could only have one I would of course pick the cult classic PF Butter Bronzer. This bronzer has been with me through the years so I am very faithful to it. It’s the perfect shade and pigmentation. And it’s drugstore! Win-win-win.
Blush was hard to pick. I’ve received many great blushes from Boxycharm over the years but I wanted to pick something easily accessible in Canada. So I picked a Milani blush. They are available in the drugstore but honestly the pigmentation is similar to my Tarte blush. There are also six different shades so lots of options to choose form.
This was another hard one to pick because I own SO many highlights. There is also a huge difference in looks between a cream, liquid and powder. I decided that on my lighter makeup days I could get away with just using my primer and to pick a bright highlight for when I want some glam in my life. An amazing drugstore highlight is the Wet n Wild Megaglo highlights. I have the shade Precious Petals which is a gold with a slight copper undertone to it. But Wet n Wild has so many other shades that you can find the perfect one for you.
This was soooooo hard to pick just one because all my setting sprays do very different things. But in the end, I decided to go with Mac Fix +. It’s the best at melting the powder into my face and making my makeup look more natural. I can use other products to extend the wear of my makeup or make my skin look dewy but no other product with help with a powdery looking face than Mac Fix +.
*special note* I realized after picking the products that I forgot to include my eye shadow primer. Now for most people, I would say you could use your concealer and get by. But if you have oily eyelids like me then you would probably benefit from an eye shadow primer. But since I forgot and don’t feel like retaking my photos I’m just going to omit it. But I would likely take out one of my powder and include it instead.
This was hard for me to pick because I love eye shadow and I have a large collection of palettes. But I ended up picking the ABH palette for a couple of reasons. First, if I didn’t have a large collection I probably wouldn’t want a huge palette, I would want something that fits in my makeup bag. But I would still want something that has a variety of shades. That’s why the Soft Glam palette is so great. There is also a nice balance between mattes and shimmers so I can create a variety of looks. There are pink shades, gold shades, orange shades and bronzy shades. And finally, there is a black and deep brown so I can use those shades to create an eyeshadow liner look if I wanted to. I have used this palette so my times on my blog, you guys know I love this one.
This is my favourite eyeliner hands down. I have been using this for years and will continue to use it faithfully. It has a brush tip which I find is the easiest to apply eyeliner with. It’s super black and dries down quickly. And it doesn’t smudge. Like what more could you want? And it’s drugstore! I highly recommend this one.
This was another hard one to pick. I am someone with numerous mascaras and I will different ones depending on my mood and what I want. So it’s hard for me to pick one but realistically I wouldn’t have multiple mascaras if I wasn’t a hoarder. So I decided to pick the only drugstore one I have right now which is this Covergirl one! It’s a great dupe for the TooFaced Better Than Sex mascara. This gives me super voluminous lashes with a bit of length as well. A great everyday mascara.
Seeing as this is the only brow pencil that I have used for YEARS I decided to pick this one haha. The ABH Brow Wiz is just the one I use! I think I should probably branch out and try some drugstore ones as well – maybe that will be a future blog post. Also, I rarely use a brow gel unless my brows are being particularly unruly so that’s why I don’t have a gel.
Now even if I wasn’t a makeup collector I would probably have a few more lip products than these two. But I kept it to two for the sake of the challenge! The first is Mac Velvet Teddy which is my go-to nude. While I do enjoy wearing colour, I think a nude would be best for the majority of scenarios. I also picked the Fenty Gloss because it’s pigmented enough that I would wear it alone but I could wear it on top of my lipstick.
And those are my 15 products guys! Let me know in the comments what some of the products you would pick if you had to pair down your collection. I can also do a part 2 if you guys are interested in more of my holy grails!
Hey guys! Today I am sharing my current summer makeup routine using cream products! It wasn’t until recently that I got into cream products but now that I have tried them I am in love. I think it just makes my skin look dewy and fresh and also much more natural. It’s also a pretty long-lasting routine since I do make sure to apply a bit of powder. I have been doing this routine almost every day for the past couple of weeks. I will also be posting a video of this routine on my Insta if you want to check it out!
The first step is to prime. I like to use a dewy primer because then I don’t have to use as much highlight. The primer I am currently using is one of my products of the month, the Touch In Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm. This was is very dewy. As I wait for my primer to dry I do my eyebrows.
Next, I apply my foundation and concealer. I like the Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation. Because I am using a dewy primer I don’t need a super dewy foundation. This foundation is pretty long-wearing as well. The concealer I use is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. The shade I have is just a touch to pale for me right now but I love the formula.
After comes the fun part. For my bronzer, I like to use the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer. This one is just a great shade for me and it blends out so easily. My favourite brush to use is the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. And I use the same brush to blend out my blush as well. This helps create a seamless look between the two. My current favourite cream blush is the NudeStix Nudies Matte Blush in the shade In the Nude. It’s such a great cream blush. I finish my face with the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. This is technically a complexion booster, so the colour is almost skin toned and it looks quite natural on the skin. It adds that light-from-within glow to my skin.
Now if you have dry skin you could probably get away with not setting the face. Because I have oily skin I have to set my face. I set my concealer and then place powder around my nose, chin and forehead. I also lightly dust powder around the rest of my face to set the cream products. This helps the base stay in place and also make my face not feel tacky. I currently am loving the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder. To help my face not look powdery I spray a healthy amount of a dewy setting spray. My current fav is the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray.
Next up is the eyes. I usually keep my eyes pretty simple. Sometimes I’ll apply a little eyeshadow but if I’m just at home then I’ll apply mascara. My current favourite is the Lancome Monsieur Big mascara. I didn’t like it at first but once it dried out a bit then I liked it. It gives me long and fluttery lashes.
The final step is the lips. Most of the time I’ll just apply lip balm. If I’m at home I don’t wear anything because I eat food lol. If I’m going to a store I will wear a face mask and I don’t want any lip products to get all over my mask. But if I’m just chilling with my friends and socially distancing, then I’ll apply a bit of Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip in the shade Champagne Mami.
And that is my current makeup routine guys! Let me know what some of your current favourites are to wear in the summertime.
Hey guys! Today I am sharing my thoughts on my newest palette purchase – the Natasha Denona Bronze palette. I’ve only used the palette a few times so this won’t be a super in-depth review. But I’ve used it a few times and have developed some ~thoughts and feelings~ about the palette that I thought I would share! 🙂
First I just wanted to say that I have been thinking about getting a Natasha Denona palette for a while. I’ve heard that the formula of her eyeshadows are some of the best and that they are worth the high price tag. I hadn’t bought one yet because they are expensive and wanted to pick one that I felt would be worth my money. Well, when I saw the Bronze palette I knew that that was the one for me.
I realize that the colour palette isn’t exactly revolutionary. It’s full of bronzes, golds and coppers. But that is what makes this perfect for me! Those are my favourite shades to wear, so I know I will get good use out of this palette. I also think that the balance between mattes and shimmers is pretty good. There are six mattes in a range of tones to be able to create depth in the crease and then a bunch of fun shimmers and metallics to use on top. One of my favourite shades is surprisingly Deep Dive. It looks like a black but it’s actually deep brown-purple and one of the most unique shades I’ve ever seen. Just shows that even in a neutral palette there are interesting shades.
I haven’t used all the shades yet but every shade that I have used has been great. In the two looks I did I was dealing with some dry patches in my crease (bad reaction for an eye cream). The shades still blended amazingly over dry patches. Like you can’t even tell unless you look up close that I had dry patches. I think that shows how great the mattes are. The shimmers are all great. They are pigmented and the duo-chromes are also really good.
I was able to great two very different looks. But I just like the fact that I can throw a couple of mattes in my lid and then pop a shimmer shade and I would have a great look no problem. There is not trying to figure out what shades will go together because every shade will go with the other shades. That’s something I love that you don’t see in a lot of palettes.
Now is it worth the price? To put this into perspective, this palette is $87 CAD for 15 shadows. In comparison one of my favourite palettes ever is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam palette, which is $55 for 14 shades. So the Natasha Denona palette is significantly more expensive. I am unsure if it’s worth the price tag, I would have to do some testing to see if I notice a significant difference between the two.
So what are my overall thoughts? I am happy that I purchased this palette. It’s something I’ve wanted for a while and I think I will use it a lot. It might even become my new holy grail palette (too early to say though). But I would hold off recommending it to everyone for now. I think you would have to consider how much you wear makeup. A good thing to consider when making purchases is the cost per use. So if you are planning to use this palette daily then it will be worth it. But if you don’t wear makeup a lot OR have a large collection then this palette might not be necessary.
And those are my thoughts on the Natasha Denona Bronze palette! Let me know your thoughts on the palette or if you have any questions about it in the comments!
Hey guys! So today I am reviewing the new(ish) Wet n Wild foundation. I realize it’s not that new since it came out in like January. But it’s new to me because I just bought it okay! I liked the original Wet n Wild Photo Focus foundation so I was excited to try their Photo Focus Dewy Foundation. This is supposed to be a weightless formula that provides a natural, hydrating glow. It has buildable coverage from medium to full and is supposed to be long-lasting. They have 20 shades, which isn’t a lot, but the shades are at least evenly spread between Light, Medium, Tan and Deep shades. And something I like about Wet n Wild shades is that have warm, neutral and cool-toned shades.
So what are my thoughts on these claims? First, this foundation is medium coverage and can be built up to full coverage. For some reason when I think of a dewy foundation I automatically think less coverage. So I was surprised by the coverage. I had some nice pimples when testing this out. I found after the first layer I could still see the redness but I could apply a second layer of foundation to help conceal it. I found that applying it with a brush gave more coverage and applying it with a sponge helped sheer it out.
This is a dewy foundation. Because it’s so dewy I found that it left my skin feeling tacky. I like to applying cream products on top of this foundation and then lightly powdering my whole face. I found it looks more natural and skin-like. But I wouldn’t say this is weightless because I feel this Wet n Wild foundation on my face.
The foundation is also not long-lasting. I took photos half an hour after I applied my makeup and it looked great. About four hours later I was having redness peak through. About nine hours later the foundation has completely faded from my skin. In these photos, I had applied cream bronzer and powder. Whenever I wear powders over top it’s even worse. I find that the foundation almost crumbles off the skin.
So what are my overall thoughts on the foundation? I think it looks great on the skin and has great coverage, but the wear time sucks. I think this would be a good foundation to mix with others. Either adding it to a matte foundation to make it dewy or a sheer foundation to increase the coverage. I don’t think I would wear it much by itself which is unfortunate. So overall I would skip on this foundation and get something else instead. But I will continue to use it since I own it.
And that is my review of the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Dewy Foundation. I love doing foundation reviews, let me know if there are any foundations you guys think I should test out!
Hey guys! Today I am sharing my review of my June products and showing what products I have picked for the month of July.
My products for the month of June were the Ace Beaute  Vintage Dawn and Grandiose Palette, and the  Fenty Gloss Bomb. So I’ll be honest guys, I didn’t wear my June products that much. That’s because I have been skipping eyeshadow and lip products to make my summer makeup feel light and be faster to apply. But I have used both of these products in the past and can attest that they are both amazing products.
For the month of July I decided to pick products that I know I would get use out of. I use primer every day, so I thought it would be good to pick out one that I haven’t used in a while. I decided to pick the Touch In Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm. I always want dewy skin but especially in the summer so I thought this would be a good pick.
The second product I picked in the It Cosmetics Brow Power in Universal Taupe. I do my eyebrows every single day but often use the same brow pencil (my ABH Brow Wiz). I thought it would be good to get some use out of my other brow pencils.
And that’s in for this month guys! Sorry this wasn’t a very detailed post but I thought I would still update you guys.
Hey guys! Today I have an extra special Boxycharm post – I am reviewing both the base box and the premium box! I’ve mentioned in my last post that I was curious about the difference between the two boxes. So I decided to get both. I will review the products in both boxes and then let you know my thoughts between the regular and premium.
So first the base box. I just want to mention that I have been testing quite a few skincare products and I have noticed that my pores are a little clogged right now and I have some small breakouts on my face. I believe it’s from the BB cream, but it would be the face wash or the masks. Unfortunately, I don’t know.
Base Box
Base Box
The first product is the Foaming Face Wash by Kylie Skin. This face wash is supposed to be gentle, leave skin feeling moisturized and brighten skin’s complexion. This cleanser is okay. I do think the fact that it’s foaming is fun. I also only need half a pump to wash my face. But it’s quite gentle. My acne-prone, combo skin needs a little more for a daily cleanser. This would be a good shower cleanser when I don’t want something stripping by will still clean my face. I also wouldn’t say it’s necessarily moisturizing. Overall I think it’s a pretty mediocre cleanser. I’ll use it because I have it, but wouldn’t go out and repurchase it. Price: $24 US
Next up is the Purlisse Beauty Perfect Glow BB Cream SPF 30. I really like this BB cream, except for the fact that I think this is what broke me out. This is the perfect tinted moisturize. It gives enough coverage but still looks like skin. It just looked so nice and other products applied beautifully on top of it. I would wear this if I was going to be outside but still wanted to wear a foundation. I believe that this is breaking me out because I have had issues with sunscreens breaking me out in the past. I think if I were to wear it once in a while my skin would be fine but since I wore it every day for almost two weeks it was too much for my face. I would still recommend this BB cream though because it looks amazing on the skin! Price: $35
I really like this product but I don’t think it’s for everyone. I received an Artist Couture Diamond Glow Powder in the shade Conceited. It’s a bronze/gold highlight with golden shimmering pearls. I actually like to wear this as glitter on my eyes the most. When I do wear it as a highlight, I just apply a little bit to the top of my cheeks. Because it’s a very glittery highlight. So if you like glitter you will love this. If you perfect a dewy, glowy look I would pass this. Price: $27 US, $36 CAD
The next product is insanely priced. The QMS Medicosmetics Lip Line Corrector is £155. That’s $260 Canadian dollars!!! Like what the fuck. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT, IT IS NOT WORTH IT. This lip line corrector is supposed to target fine lines and wrinkles as well and hydrate and plump the lips. I was skeptical but I read good reviews about it, saying it has instant results but continued usage makes a significant difference. And then I tried it myself and it worked! Almost instantly my lips looked smoother and significantly plumper. And it didn’t have any tingly feeling like plumping glosses. The only annoying this is that a full pump is way too much product and it’s hard to half pump it so I feel like I’m wasting product. Listen, this shit might work, but I would never recommend spending that much money on a cosmetics product. Like at that price point you might as well get lip injections. Price: $200 US (that’s what the card says)
The final product is my face box is the First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA. This is a hard product for me to review because I don’t have KP bumps. I used this scrub on one arm and a regular body scrub on the other and didn’t notice a difference. Both left my arms smooth. But maybe if you do have KP bumps and use this it’ll be strong enough to make a difference? I’m not sure but one of my friends used it and loves it. So overall I will be passing this product along to someone else who will get better use out of it than me. Price: $18 US, $36 CAD
Premium Box
Premium Box
The first product Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask. This mask is just … average. Like it’s basically just a super thick moisturizer that takes a little longer to sink into the skin. Like sure it makes my skin feel smooth, but I don’t wake up in the morning going wow my skin is amazing! Like it did its job but it’s nothing special. I think the Glow Recipes Watermelon Sleeping mask is better. Price: $49 US, $66 CAD
The next product is the Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette. I’ve mentioned this before but I am not a fan of this brand. Just so many controversies that I don’t think they handled well and a lot of products that they have realized lately haven’t impressed me. But I tried to keep an open mind about this product. First I love this packaging. It looks nice, feels nice but isn’t too bulky. It also smells amazing. Like every time I open it smells like chocolate but the scent doesn’t carry over to my face. It also has a big mirror. What I don’t like that there is only one palette for every skin tone. Like I’m glad that they are shade inclusive, but I will never use the deep shades. I wish it only had the shades I need so it was cheaper and less packaging for me. I find the highlight shade not very pigmented so I have to use a lot. The contour isn’t bad, but what’s the point of the palette if I only use one shade? So while it’s not a bad product, it just doesn’t suit my personal tastes. Price: $44 US, $59 CAD
The lip product is the NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in the shade You’re No Good. I love the formula of this lipstick. I own this lipstick in the shade Light My Fire (which is an orange-red) and I love it. It is a very liquidy liquid lipstick that dries to be more of a stain. What I like is that I can apply a little and sheer it out for a wash of colour or apply a thick layer for a bight impactful look. Because it’s also more of a stain, it doesn’t look dry or cakey on the lips and lasts so long. I’m not a huge fan of this shade. It’s a deep red fuchsia, and I just prefer an orange toned than a pink. I will still wear it but probably sheered out. Price: $26 US, $34 CAD
The next item is the Grace & Stella Anti-Wrinkle + Energizing Face Masks. It came in a six-pack which is pretty great. These face masks are very slippery and slimy, so I have to lay down otherwise it falls off. It’s kinda annoying because then I can’t do other things, but on the other side that I am forced to relax at least. I think that they do a good job of moisturizing my face, but I don’t see how using one sheet mask can do that much for anti-ageing. Overall I will use them all, but I wouldn’t recommend these over other face masks.
I love getting face brushes! These Powder and Contour Brush Set from Battington Beauty are pretty nice. The hairs feel very soft and apply powder very well. The powder brush is just a little big for my under eyes, but applies powder to the rest of my face well. The contour is a great shape for chiselling out the face. I will say that for $90 (so $45 for each brush) that the handles are pretty cheap feeling. They aren’t heavy and honestly feel like my Morphe brushes. If you want a nice brand of brushes, go with Luxie because I feel that those are worth the price. Price: $90 US
The final product is the Living Proof Restore Repair Leave-In. This leave-in treatment is supposed to help dry and damaged hair. I have heard great things about Living Proof so I was excited to test it out. It’s paraben and phthalates free, and I believe it’s also curly-girl approved but I’m not 100% sure. If you guys don’t know, I’m kinda on a curly-girl hair journey where I am trying to bring out and enhance my normal curls. So I think this Living Proof treatment is great at what it claims, but it’s not what my hair needs. It left my hair feeling smooth and soft but didn’t do anything to help my curls. So I will keep this treatment for when my hair does feel dry (like after going in the pool or sal water) but probably won’t be using it on the daily. Price: $30 US, $40 CAD.
Full face using products from both boxes
Comparing the Boxes
So my base box was $25 US with a value of $304. Now keep in my the lip corrector is $200, so that product inflates the price of the box. The premium box was $35 US with a value of $264. Once again I think those brushes are over prices. So this shows that getting the premium box doesn’t automatically mean that it’s worth more than the base box.
If what brands are included in the box, then I think the premium box is better. In the premium box, 4 out of the 6 products are available at Sephora and therefore more ‘mainstream’. Whereas in the base box only 2 out of the 5 are available at Sephora, but I would argue that Kylie Skin is still pretty mainstream. But on the flip side, I don’t necessarily subscribe to Boxycharm to get products that I know about. I like testing out new brands, especially ones that are not always easy to get in Canada. For example, one of my favourite products in both boxes in the Purlisse Foundation, a brand that I’ve only heard about from Boxycharm.
So either way, I think both boxes are pretty great. I don’t think the premium box was so much better than the base box. It was one more product, so it makes sense that it would therefore be more expensive. I have decided in the end to stick with my base box. I don’t have a ton of extra cash and would rather spend the extra $10 US on buying products that I know I will like then on a surprise. But I think in the future I would consider getting premium again as a treat.
And that is my very long Boxycharm post for June! Let me know in the comments which box you think was better!
Leave it to Lea 