Spring 2017 Makeup Haul

Over the past couple of months, I bought a decent amount of makeup which I would love to share with you. I’ve never done a beauty blog post before, so we’ll see how this goes.

The Returns

Sephora’s Classic Mini Multitasker Brush – $18

I got this online because I thought I needed a brush and this one was cheap. However, when it arrived I realized the reason it was half the price of a regular brush was because it was half the size. I should’ve paid more attention to that word “mini” in the title. The brush seemed fine enough if you’re looking for one like it, but I myself took it back.

bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF – $36

Okay, a quick confession: prior to trying this on at the store, I had never worn foundation in my life. I didn’t really know what I liked or what worked for me, so I got a sample and bought the full sized version while I was at it. Later I tried the sample and it didn’t seem to do anything, which some might call “light coverage” but I called “a waste of $36” so back it went, unopened.

Sephora Mini Citrus Brush Cleaner – 8$

I got this brush cleaner to replace my other Sephora brush cleaner that I had lost. Of course, as soon as I got home I found my other one. So I returned this, but not because I didn’t like it.

The Keepers

The Face Shop GELSET smudge proof colour pencil – 10$

This is a great colour for spring. I was looking for this particular colour for a dress I was planning to wear, but I would also wear it on a nice day with any plain t-shirt and jeans outfit just to make things more interesting.

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm in Pomegranate – $2 (On Sale)

My local grocery store had these on sale. I still had my first-ever Burt’s Bees lip balm (in Tiger Lily) which I loved, so I got this in a different colour. The formula was a bit different, too, which isn’t surprising considering the first one I got was from years ago. I use them both all the time and they’re especially great for those days when the air is dry and it seems like spring hasn’t really arrived yet.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz – 27$

This has been my go-to for years now and I use it nearly every day. Funny story, I was going to get this but accidentally got the Anastasia Brow Definer instead (they look so much alike). I tried the Brow Definer for a little while but got frustrated and went back to my trusty Brow Wiz pretty quickly.

Wearing: Marvellous Mauve Lip Stain, Ebony Brow Wiz, Nars concealer, Bobby Brown mascara, and Urban Decay eyeshadow.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Marvellous Mauve (Pink) and Rose Wood (Red) – 18$/ea

I thought these were lip glosses when I first bought Marvellous Mauve. I was looking for a colour that was sort of nude but still pink, and this was the perfect balance. Turns out it’s a stain that sets matte and hardly budges for the rest of the day until I take it off with makeup remover. Even more of a surprise was that I really liked it. I haven’t had the best experiences with stains or matte lips before this, so this was a good thing. So good that I went back and got another, Rose Wood, which looks sort of brown in the tube but on my lips is a beautiful deep red. I’m really happy with both of these and may even go back a third time eventually…

Anastasia Beverly Hills 4 Well Refillable Eye Shadow Palette – 1$ (Orig. 8$)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Eye Shadow Singles in Soft Gold (White), China Rose (Orange), Sangria (Red), and Emerald (Green) – $16/ea

I had my eye on these for months before getting them, and I am so happy to finally have them. I first fell in love with the combination of China Rose and Sangria which I combined for an eye look that reminded me of peaches. Then I sort of realized I didn’t have any green eye shadows and although I wasn’t sure how much I’d like green shadow (spoiler alert: I love it) I got Emerald which is such a nice classic forest green. Soft Gold gave off a pearly look and was perfect for accenting with. The palette is a dollar when you buy four individual colours.

Here I’m wearing the Emerald eye shadow with the Brow Wiz and Marvellous Mauve lip stain. Also wearing: Stila eyeliner and Nars concealer. This is pretty much the most makeup you’ll catch me wearing on any random day.

Bumble & Bumble The Silkening Set (Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Oil, and Pre-Shampoo Masque) – 500 Sephora points

When I took my solo trip to Paris and forgot to bring soap, I got the travel-sized Bumble & Bumble shampoo and conditioner and absolutely loved them. I only needed a dime-sized amount of each for all my hair and I wouldn’t need to wash my hair again for three days! (Note: my hair was short then, too.) Unfortunately, the full-sized versions were unjustifiably pricey, so I never bought them and the mini versions quickly became obsolete (at least I couldn’t find them). So when I heard Sephora had released the Silkening Set as a 500 point reward, I headed to my nearest Sephora to get one right away. When I got there, turns out they had run out a month before. Yikes. I checked another store which was also sold out, and for my desperate last attempt, I went online and managed to get it there. I save these for travelling or when I know I might not have the time to wash my hair for the next little while, and I dream of a day when I’m making enough money to drop 100$ on the full-sized versions which I imagine would last me a couple of years.