the elusive Tarte custom beauty kit

Tarte does this promotion 1-2 times each year, where you can customize a makeup bag with products and shades of your choosing, and it's always a super great deal. I have found many "holy grail" products this way where I otherwise would never have looked to the brand for something specific. It's usually 1 makeup bag + 6 items for $84CAD. I bought one in November of 2017, discovering the Amazonian Clay loose powder foundation is my absolute favourite non-liquid base and I use the bag I received for travel ALL THE TIME. I also use the duo brush every single day. For those items alone, it's worth it.

This is the one I received a couple years ago, so you can get an idea. Each item usually is vaguely grouped into categories when you're selecting your products, so most people end up with a mascara, a face product, a brush, etc.

This time when the promotion came around again, I fell for it! I didn't need anything, but it's such a good price for what you get.

Here are my June 2019 choices:

The hard-to-identify items are a setting powder and a white gel liner pot. 

The first thing I noticed is that .. yeah, I'm missing an item. I chose a colour splash lipstick and it wasn't there at all. But here's the good news - I sent an email at 0700 this morning and got an answer within a couple hours. They didn't ask any questions and immediately sent me a new tracking link and said they sent out a replacement lipstick. I'm floored! My original package also came to Canada in exactly 1 week from ordering it.

Keep your eyes peeled for these deals, they usually have one in the spring and one in the fall. It's a great way to try a new brand or stock up on old favourites.

Brand highlight: Too Faced

I've decided to do a couple of brand highlights, to mention my favourite products that I have in my collection. I wanted to start with Too Faced because it's a brand I actually haven't used very much and my Chocolate Bar palette is one of my oldest and first mid-range brands besides Urban Decay. I want to focus on a "panning" project now and into 2019, focusing on this palette and a couple of others!

✪ Chocolate Bar - purchased November 2014. I bought this prior to the brand adding the names of the shades directly on the palette, as you can see from the photo! I had a few regrets with this purchase. It was so highly recommended as THE staple neutral palette that is SO versatile, and I just didn't care for it. I love the scent and formula and some of the colours, but others are muddy or look the same once applied. There isn't a lot of variation in the tones of each brown. The highlights of this palette are the most basic shades, in my opinion. I can use Marzipan, Salted Caramel, Milk Chocolate, and Semi-Sweet for a really simple and neutral look. I have to get a bit more creative to feel motivated to use the rest of the shades. I want to pan the shades I listed, as well as the two larger shades (White Chocolate as a primer setter, and Champagne Truffle as a highlight). We'll see how it goes!

✪ Sweet Peach - purchased December 2016. I had by-passed this product release completely earlier in 2016, and it was regarded quite highly and always sought after! I decided when they released it again with the other Peach collection items that I would try it. It has a peach candy scent and I think the shades have a greater variety than the Chocolate Bar palette. I appreciate the warm and cool matte browns, and the shade Luscious is CREAMY AS HELL and looks wet and gorgeous with any look. I will probably hit pan on the lighter shades first, like White Peach, Peaches n' Cream, Nectar, Georgia, and Luscious.

✪ Chocolate Bon Bons - purchased THIS WEEK at Winners! I remember having this on a wishlist a few years ago and always looking up swatches and reviews. I always managed to convince myself I didn't need it, and I probably still didn't. I always thought to myself it would be a waste because I didn't love my original Chocolate palette. but I've been using this all week and I'm so deeply in love with it. It was another one where they had a good mix of warm and cool matte transition shades. Cafe au Lait is my "Luscious" of this palette, a gorgeous silver/taupe creamy shimmer shade! The pinks are a nice touch. I'm glad I decided to finally give this one a try and I'm going to focus on using it for a while with my other TF palettes.

✪ Natural Matte - purchased summer 2018 at Winners. It was a huge impulse purchase and it was not a necessity for me, as I already own the KVD Shade and Light eye palette which has me covered for all the matte shades I could ever ask for. I know a lot of people like this one, and I figured I could take it for travel/touch-ups because the tin is fairly sturdy and its easy to make neutral and simple looks. The palette was re-released this year with an updated look, and I think the shades are slightly different, too.

✪ Melted - I have a mini size Nude from the original line of Melted lip products, which is great for work/every day. I picked up Metallic Candy Bar from the Chocolate line, which isn't very opaque and really doesn't change the colour of my lips. It's more like a shimmery gloss. I like these products with the squeeze tube and fuzzy slanted applicator. The scents are nice, they fade gracefully, they're easy to apply.

✪ Cocoa Powder Foundation - I think this product is discontinued now, which is really unfortunate, as I like it quite a lot. I'm going to use it up and continue to use my Tarte Amazonian Airbrush powder foundation after. Like so many of Too Faced's products, this one has a chocolatey scent.

What's your favourite Too Faced product?

A CANADIAN'S BOXYCHARM REVIEW. What is Boxycharm and what's it like to be subscribed?

I always thought subscription boxes were REALLY NEAT. I think the first one I ever heard of was Topbox or Birchbox, several years ago. There was a time when being Canadian meant you didn't really have a lot of options when you wanted to be a part of something or buy something. Many places didn't ship to you or offer alternative payment options, such as Paypal. But since I've discovered Boxycharm in October of last year, I wanted to share a bit of my experience with it.

Boxycharm is $21 each month USD, which turns out to be roughly $34-36 CAD. They require a credit card on file to bill you, and you have an option of prepaying for 3, 6, or 12 months, or on a month to month basis. Boxycharm bills subscribers around the 1st-5th of each month as long as the credit card on your account is valid, and send you shipping confirmation several days after. The boxes typically contain 4-6 "full-size" beauty products, which range from mascaras, face and eye palettes, eye and face masks, primers, lip products, false lashes, and some other bits and bobs from time to time. Some brands that I have seen in the last 10 months are PUR Cosmetics, Smashbox, Tarte, CoverFX, Luxie, Colourpop, Becca, Pretty Vulgar, Butter London, Kat Von D Beauty, OFRA, MakeUp Geek, and Girlactik. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but they are popular and trendy brands that many subscribers like to see and can receive.

I put full-size in quotations because one thing I really don't always like about Boxycharm is that they have a few brands they routinely partner with or are "sister" brands of, and sometimes they release products in sizes other than the amount you can buy at beauty retailers. This is something that frequently comes up as a con and complaint from subscribers, and it can be the kind of thing that makes a person decide to stop being subscribed.

Another common issue is that not everyone receives the same products. There are usually at least 2, sometimes 3 items that are "core" to each month's themed box, so all subscribers will have it. But the other products can be variants, and sometimes one variant is much more valuable, popular, or is perceived to be of better quality or value. Many people will get a month or two with a "bad variation" and unsubscribe due to the unfairness of it all.

Boxycharm does not implement profiles or preferences at the current time. It may be something they do with an inventory or survey in the future, so that subscribers may only receive items that suit them and their preferences. Ipsy glam bag is another subscription service that has a beauty quiz that takes the subscriber's preferences into account, from skintone and type and hair colour to favourite colours they like to wear to products they want and don't want to receive. It is a more custom experience. Boxycharm sometimes says they would like to implement this type of personalized experience with their box, but since they don't, it is another deal-breaker for many.

I am Canadian, so my experience has typically been that my boxes are billed on the 1st of the month, the shipping link/confirmation is sent to me by maybe the 10th-15th, and I'll have my box at my address by the 25th-28th of the month. Most US subscribers I see posting are receiving their boxes quite quickly, usually between the 8th-12th of the month. Occasionally, I will get a box very early. For example, October 2018 (this month), I received my box on the 10th. But it isn't consistent, and sometimes this bothers people.

One thing I will note about subscriber complaints that are really a pet peeve of mine - Boxycharm has in plain view on their website:

Boxes normally ship out within 5-10 business days from the date your payment was received for US customers and tracking information is sent via email within 48-72 business hours from the ship date. Prepaid boxes are shipped out within 5-10 business days from the 1st of each month. You will receive your BOXYCHARM approximately 5-10 business days from the time it ships.

Boxes normally ship out within 5-10 business days from the date your payment was received for Canadian customers and tracking information is sent via email within 48-72 business hours from the ship date. You will receive your BOXYCHARM approximately 10-20 business days from the time it ships.

I find it extremely unfair for subscribers to complain about not getting their box when it's only been a day or two since billing or shipping confirmation. You see it very often on their Instagram and on the BeautyBoxes subreddit. 

I haven't seen it happen very often in the past year, but sometimes Boxycharm will have a waiting list. I technically "joined" as a subscriber in October 2017, but I was waitlisted until December 5th 2017. I was not billed and I did not receive a box, I guess I was just waiting for there to be enough "spots" or boxes available. 

Boxycharm has very recently started a "luxury" experience, a quarterly box that is larger and has more products. Their first box was in September, and honestly, it was a disaster. The website crashed, it sold out, people didn't get invited to try and be on a list to receive it.. it was kind of crazy. I am currently on the list to have it for December of this year, so we'll see how it goes this time around. From what I have gathered, it will have most of the core items of the regular box, but will have other exclusive products in addition. 

I have not saved photos of every single box I have received between December 2017 and October 2018, but here are a few. They are not in order, but see captions to acknowledge which month the items were sent. 

August 2018

December 2017

February 2018

July 2018

April 2018

May 2018
NOTE: The palette is not from Boxycharm. I received two packages in the mail together and took photos of them.

October 2018

September 2018

What do I think of Boxycharm? 

I don't really feel like I need it, as someone who owns a lot of beauty products and can afford to buy what I want at pretty much any time. I have only given away one item that I just knew I wouldn't like. I do like the mystery, the little gift/treat that I look forward to each month. I like the variety and the chance to try new brands or colours I might not choose on my own. I am becoming exhausted by eyeshadow palettes, so I think after Decemeber's BoxyLuxe, I will unsubscribe. I have destashed palettes from Janauary 2018 (Crown Cosmetics' Heavy Metal) and March 2018 (PUR and Boxycharm collaboration). You can get overwhelmed pretty quickly, a peek on any beauty subscription community will give you an idea on how annoyed people can be about certain brands or categories of product. But I think it's a lovely choice for a gift or someone who is building a collection! 

September Empties

I've been trying to work on my panning game, but it seems it's just other stuff that's been emptying on me lately.. 

Ole Henriksen Face the Truth Gel Cleanser - I can't seem to find this in a "full" size, which I would expect to be somewhere around 150mL. I bought it in a set with Truth Serum and a moisturizer last year, but I really enjoyed the cleanser. I would buy it again, but it was pretty small, approximately 50-60mL, if I recall correctly. It smells like citrus. Gel cleansers are my favourite type. 

Missha Perfect Cover BB cream, no.21 - mine was a sample size, but I so rarely use the same base product two days in a row, so it took me over a year to use it. I really liked it. At one point, I also used shade no.13. I find them both totally usable for my fair, neutral-to-yellow skin. The no.13 is quite fair and whitening, and no.21 is a bit more neutral. It has 42SPF and looks just like skin for me. 

CoverFX Illuminating Primer - illuminating primers are my thing! I would try this one again after I finish all the others one I'm trying to get through. It's a close contender for favourite, but I really love my Becca Backlight Priming Filter. 

Smashbox 24/HR Photo Finish Shadow Primer - I'll probably always buy this. This is my third one since 2014. It lasts me over a year, you don't need much for a day's application. 

Urban Decay/Gwen Stefani Blush Palette (Highlight shade Angel) - The first highlight I have ever panned. I worked on it daily for a while. I don't really find it glittery/shimmery enough for my tastes, it's better for someone who likes a subtle highlight. I'm preserving Hush because I love it and I can't find a good dupe. I thought Becca Rose Gold would be similar, but it's too orange. I'll work on Easy and Lo-Fi next. 

Sephora Holiday 2018 Haul!

I just have to say, I love how fall comes in with a BANG and all of the best beauty brands begin to release their holiday kits and products! There is so much to look at and decide what to buy for gifts and ourselves, it's crazy.

When you're trying to navigate all of these new products and sets popping up.. my best advice would be to pick up sets that include full priced items or close to it (considering the set/kit price in comparison). Sometimes you have huge deals, like a Drunk Elephant kit that is $120CAD but has a $100 C-Firma inside with a couple smaller samples. I also tend to avoid brands that annually release large palettes - Tarte and Too Faced are always doing this and I really feel like those huge face/eye palettes with dozens of shades are not representative of their regular quality when they have releases throughout the year!

There are just a couple of items that I was interested in in picking up right now. I might do more shopping later on for Christmas, but these ones are just for me!

Sephora's Favourites: Give Me More Lip. 

The set includes 14 lip products in varying shades and finishes, with 5 of them being full-sized. It costs $82CAD. 

Products and shades included: 

- 0.11 oz/ 3.2 g Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Poet ($26, full size included)
- 0.12 oz/ 3.7 mL bareMinerals Gen Nude Patent Lip Lacquer in Everything ($23, full size included)
- 0.07 oz/ 2 g Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Lip in Marsala
- 0.12 oz/ 3.5 g Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Bond Girl ($39, full size included)
- 0.14 oz/ 4 mL HUDA BEAUTY Lip Strobe in Snobby ($23, full size included)
- 0.1 oz/ 3 mL Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw
- 0.042 oz/ 1.2 g Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon in Plum N Get It
- 0.06 oz/ 1.7 g NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Do Me Baby
- 0.04 oz/ 1.3 mL SEPHORA COLLECTION Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick in #40 Pink Tea 
- 0.13 oz/ 4 mL Smashbox Always On Metallic Matte in Vino Noir ($28, full size included)
- 0.033 oz/ 1 mL tarte Rainforest of the Sea H20 Gloss Lip Gloss in Hang Ten 
- 0.1 oz/ 3 mL Too Faced Melted Matte in Queen B 
- 0.03 oz/ 1 mL Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Ultra Cushion Lipgloss in Naked 
- 0.1 oz/ 3 mL Yves Saint Laurent Tatouage Couture in #1 Rouge Tatouage

As you can already see, the full sizes alone would cost $139CAD. This is an amazing deal, and a great opportunity to try Charlotte Tilbury since she only recently showed up for sale in Sephora. The Huda gloss, CT lipstick, and BM lacquer really made this set a huge winner in my books. 

Left to right: Huda, Urban Decay, Tarte, Sephora, Too Faced, BareMinerals, CT, NARS, ABH, Marc Jacobs, KVD, YSL, Smashbox, Bite. 

I also was completely smitten by the Clinique "Get Cheeky" compact with 3 Cheek Pops included. I did find that they are a bit.. light. I really only think these will work for fair-skinned folk. One is more of a cheek topper or possibly even a highlight shade. 

The trio is $39CAD and includes Pink Honey, Black Honey, and Nude Pop. A single Cheek Pop retails for $29CAD.. I understand online everyone is saying these are full-sized, but I'm not 100% sure. In any case, it's a nice compact with great shades! Great for travel to have blushes and highlight with you. 

What are you planning to get from all of the holiday releases? 

FabFitFun Fall 2018 + Add-Ons ☕🍂

Fall 2018 is only my SECOND FabFitFun box I've received, but this is the first season or time that I took advantage of the discounts offered for additional items. 

I guess what typically happens is that "Add-Ons" will go live first for Annual subscribers about a week and a half before the BILL DATE of the box. There are beauty, fitness, fashion, lifestyle, and home items available at HUGE discounts. I'm talking... GlamGlow Supermud that is regularly $75CAD was available for $19USD/~$24CAD. You add whatever you want to your cart, and there is no "checkout" function. There is a day and time that the add-ons are over, and whatever is in your cart will be billed with your box and sent.

 Now, it is a bit of a shitshow. The hot ticket items, like the Mud, sell out very quickly. But the secret to getting the add-ons you want as a Seasonal subscriber is to be quick and have a lot of free time on the last or second last day of the add-ons. I sat and refreshed on the last day for maybe.. 20 minutes. I wasn't staring at the page, I was multi-tasking and having a morning coffee and checking emails and occasionally refreshing to see if anything I wanted was popping up on the page. If you check forums and communities like Reddit's "/r/BeautyBoxes" then you'll know what items are always sold out and you can look out for them (if they're things you want, of course). I managed to snag some of the GlamGlow brand items that were popular that I would NEVER try for full price. I had a hard time deciding what things I wanted otherwise, because there was some nice makeup, skincare, and a purse that tempted me.  

Here's what I decided to add on: 
➣Cover FX Shimmer Veil - Celestial
➣GLAMGLOW #GLITTERMASK
➣GLAMGLOW Supermud
➣GLAMGLOW Waterburst
➣NuMe Fashionista Straightner (turquoise)
➣Sol de Janeiro Açaí Body Power Cream
➣Summer & Rose Throw Blanket - Light Grey

Here's what came in my regular box: 
➣ALFRED Teapot
➣Catherine Maladrino Floral Umbrella
➣GROWN ALCHEMIST POLISHING FACIAL EXFOLIANT: Pink Grapefruit & Glucomannan Extract
➣Farmacy Dew It All Total Eye Cream with Echinacea GreenEnvy
➣beautyblender (nude)
➣GLAMGLOW BUBBLESHEET™ OXYGENATING DEEP CLEANSE MASK (2 Pack)
➣Simply Whimsical Set of 2 Tea Towels
➣SKIN&CO Roma Blue in Capri Shower Gel
➣Vince Camuto Luck Tote (Red Desert)

I did pay an extra $10 to also get the ➣6-Piece Crown brush set, because the option was between brushes and the tote and I really liked both.

I am a skincare hoarder, so I haven't opened all of the items and tried them yet. I am already using a different moisturizer, sponge, body wash, and eye cream.

I did open the GLITTERMASK to try it, and it's so fun and makes my skin feel amazing. I love the smell of the mask. It's vaguely sweet, like licorice root or marshmallow. It doesn't even make that much of a mess, because it peels off in one piece. The Body Power Cream is to DIE FOR. It has microglitter and smells great and really softens the skin. I already have a couple of the CoverFX Shimmer Veils, so I just wanted another colour because they're nice on the eyelid and as a lip topper. I needed a new flat iron desperately, and this one already blows my GHD out of the water. I spent SO MUCH MONEY on my last flat iron, and it didn't hold up or wow me. I have used the teapot every day since I received my box, it's adorable and functional. The blanket is kind of delicate, it's easy to poke little holes through the knit and it sheds a few fuzzies, but it's warm and matches my bedroom well (everything is black and grey). I didn't have an umbrella before, so I put this in my bag since I do a lot of walking at uni. The tea towels are functional and I like that they're a neutral colour and don't have any weird sayings on them (I really hate cutesy stuff that has quotes like, Keep Calm and ______, etc.). I don't have a comment for most of the other stuff, but I'm excited to try everything out. 

Now, even though this box impressed me and I liked my Summer box just as much, I'm not going to stay "subscribed" in the future. I think for someone who really never treats themselves or doesn't have a lot of makeup or skincare or body care, this is a great box to indulge in. But for myself, there's no way I NEEDED the box items or to make extra purchases, and for the add-ons especially.. it's far too tempting and easy to just say to yourself that something is 80% off, so you might as well. I think it's really nice to have a nice teapot and blanket and flat iron, but I would have picked these types of items up eventually from a Marshalls/Winners myself. But having this box subscription, it's a lot of checking your dates.. managing your finances to allow for shopping because it bills all at once.. then getting stuff I don't need or have to have.

FabFitFun has "starter boxes" available for $5 and you can find people online giving those codes out all the time. As I mentioned previously, Reddit's BeautyBoxes community lives for stuff like this and they are always sharing ways to save money or updating on what's going on, sharing spoilers for new seasons, etc. When and if you do decide to subscribe, there are $10 off codes floating around. It's a lovely treat or makes a great gift! 

Cool Purple.. Before + After!

I recently picked up a couple of palettes at Winners.. one is Kat Von D's Innerstellar palette, and Make Up Forever's Artist Palette Vol. 4. They both are cool matte palettes, with a focus on taupes, purples, and steel blues. I'm a big fan of the recent warm palette trend, with sunset and fire focused colour palettes, so these colours are really not a part my typical look. I'm told purples look good with green eyes and I tend to agree, but I still insist on orange and gold!

I also decided to take a "before," no makeup photo to bring up alongside my finished look.. I have decent skin, I love skincare as much as I love makeup! But I'm not so blessed in the eyebrow department, so it's interesting to see the transformation.

Eyeshadow palettes used are the two I mentioned, with The Ordinary's Cover foundation in 1.0N and MAC Creme Cup cremesheen lipstick.

Sugarpill Green Summer Look

I think I've mastered my own method of cut creases and glitter cut creases.. they aren't necessarily IG worthy yet, I need a lot more practice, but I'm so happy with this look I came up with today!

One is inside with my glasses, one in natural light and a hat because I'm way too lazy to wash my hair today.. oops.

❀ glossier priming moisturizer
❀ missha perfect cover bb cream, no.13
❀ colourpop no filter concealer, fair 04
❀ lunatick cosmetic labs high definition microfinish powder
❀ too faced sweet peach bronzer
❀ mac blush, taupe
❀ anastasia beverly hills aurora highlight palette - helia
❀ colourpop precision eyebrow pencil, dope taupe
❀ colourpop precision brow colour, honey blonde 
❀ milani eyeshadow primer
❀ wet n wild eyeshadow single, brulee
❀ sugarpill eyeshadows - midori, acidberry, buttercupcake
❀ anatasia beverly hills subculture palette - dawn, edge, electric
❀ tarte sex kitten liquid liner
❀ pixi endless silky eye pen, black noir
❀ butter london double decker mascara
❀ stila glitter and glow liquid eyeshadow, smoldering satin
❀ maybelline master fix setting spray
❀ wet n wild liquid catsuit, coral corruption 

July BoxyCharm! feat. Tarte and Dr. Brandt

I am ABSOLUTELY AMAZED by Boxy's shipping to me in Ontario this month! I typically get billed on the 2nd-4th of the month, shipping by around the 10th-12th, and I get it, like... the 29th. :(
BUT FOR JULY, I was billed the 2nd, got shipping the 6th, and received it today, the 12th! Amazing turnaround for a Canadian subscriber like myself.

This month, the box had a couple of variations. Their main item was a topic of much controversy and debate on Instagram and the beauty and subscription communities that I frequent. One variant included a new Crown Cosmetics eyeshadow palette, with a colour scheme not too different from Urban Decay's Naked Heat. The other variation included a full-sized Tarte Ready, Set, Radiant skin mist. Many people argued that a whole palette versus a skincare item that some people wouldn't use regularly in a routine made it extremely unfair. Personally, I love the gamble and mystery, and I prefer skincare items so I was actually hoping for the less popular pick this month!

And look at that, I got pretty much exactly what I wanted! The eye gel was another variant item, some other subscribers received the new Farmacy Bright On Vitamin C mask. I would have preferred that item myself, but I am also happy for another skincare product to try. I'm quite overstocked with makeup right now, so I'm not sure why I still have a makeup subscription! It's just really fun to try new things..

• Tarte Ready, Set, Radiant skin mist
• Note Silk Compact blusher in Desert Rose
• Chella eyebrow cream 
• Wander Beauty Unlashed Volume Curl mascara
• Dr. Brandt No More Baggage eye depuffing gel 

The eyebrow product is interesting, the pomade sits in one end of the stick, while there is a brush on the other end. Great for travel or touchups, I think. It is a "universal" taupe/medium brown shade, and it appears so far to be quite strong and takes a lot to smudge or remove! I love that in a brow product. The blush is a great colour for summer, and I'm going to hold onto the mascara until I finish one that I have open. I actually just started using my Butter London mascara from BoxyCharm's March box this year (which I love, by the way!). 

What variation did you get this month?

BoxyCharm, FabFitFun + A Look

Today I received BOTH of my beauty box subscription packages! So naturally I had some fun opening up some new products to try and making a colourful, summery look with my new palette from Alamar Cosmetics.

FabFitFun is a SEASONAL box that typically contains items pertaining to beauty, health, and home. A seasonal subscription will net you a couple of "choices" for products, but the rest will be randomly selected and sent in your box. If you subscribe for an annual membership, for all the seasonal boxes, you can make more choices. Summer 2018 was my first box, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to choose a long subscription, plus I like a little bit of mystery.

My box contained:

• tarte tarteist™ PRO glow highlight & contour palette
• Erth TU Y YO Ring
• Maji Sports Loop Resistance Band
• Orlando Pita Play Atmos-Shield Hair Protectant Treatment Spray
• FOREO LUNA! fofo
• COOLA Classic Face SPF 50 White Tea
• Pier 1 Imports Marble Ring Dish
• Wildlife Conservation Society Straw
• Yumi Kim Makeup Train Case

If you're interested to see some variations, check out the FFF forums or Instagram hashtags like #fabfitfun. 

Overall, I'm very happy. The website says my box is worth $342.99, and I paid $39.99 as I used a $10 off code from the regular price of $49.99. I think it's worth it for the Tarte palette and Foreo fofo alone. I'm not super impressed that I ended up with the resistance band, as that's something I already have at home and I don't think it's as nice as a skincare or bodycare item like many others received in its place. I also already own a Foreo Luna 2 that I ADORE, so I might be able to convince my significant other to use this one - even though it's pink! The ring dish looks amazing on our custom DIY computer desk, and matches the marble tiling I have underneath my keyboard. The ring is comfortable and gorgeous. I still have to give the other items a try.

My only other beauty subscription is from BoxyCharm, which I have had for 7 months now. I love it because it's inexpensive and features full-sized products. My only "complaint" about Boxy is that they seem to have good relationships with a few beauty brands that get repeated .. a lot. I've received so many PUR and Crown items, and they're kind of hit or miss. BUT THIS JUNE 2018 BOX WAS A HUGE HIT FOR ME!

My box contained:

• Luxie Face Brushes: Luxie Rose Gold Precision Foundation 660 Luxie Rose Gold Tapered Highlighting Face Brush 522 Luxie Rose Gold Duo Fiber Powder Brush 516
• Battington Monroe Silk Lashes
• Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream (25ml travel size)
• Alamar Cosmetics Palette
• Ofra Cosmetics' liquid lipstick in Verona

I actually immediately depotted the eyeshadows because I really don't have the space for any large palettes. The cardboard packaging wasn't my favourite and it was very easy to pop the shadows free from the glue on the cardboard backing. The mattes are SOFT, though, in a way that makes the shadows crack in layers almost immediately. I had to repress 3 matte shades, but no one was lost 😄 I bought some new lash glue earlier in the month in anticipation of receiving this box, but I like to save them for semi-special occasions! 

Here's a look I created today using the Alamar palette, the Tarte highlight & contour, and Verona lipstick. 

What subscriptions do you have? 

My Favourite Hair Products by VERB

I have 2b curls and my hair has a tendency to knot and mat very easily. I need hair products that will keep my curls hydrated and looking great. Gels can be tricky for styling because they tend to make the hair "crunchy" and weigh it down. Once I found these products from VERB, I have been very happy with styling my hair!

• Sea Texture Cream 
• Sea Spray
• Leave-In Mist 

Not pictured, but I also need to give a quick shoutout to Ghost Oil and both the Hydrating and Sea shampoos and conditioners. I'm basically ready to give them all my money. 

After I shampoo, I like to apply the mist directly into my hands and run it through my hair. The nozzle isn't the best in the world and I can control the product a lot easier this way. It makes my hair smooth and a bit easier to comb through while wet. Then I apply some of the texture cream through the lengths of my hair and blow dry with a diffuser. When I'm done with that, I use a bit of Ghost Oil to tame all small frizzies or fly-aways that remain and then I scrunch some of the sea spray onto my curls. The cream leaves my hair very soft and the curls aren't as defined as I like, so I find using the spray and cream together leaves me with the perfect combination of softness and definition! 

These are my "day 2" curls. I spent the day before at a music festival on the lake, but it still looks really good!

What are your favourite hair products? 

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna - Summer 2018 BEACH PLEASE Collection

I'm gonna be honest: I didn't really buy into the hype at the release of Fenty Beauty in late 2017. I tried the foundation, but found it was too matte and drying for my skin type. I had a Kilawatt Highlighter, Mean Money/Hu$tla Baby, on my wishlist for a while. I was very close to trying the lip gloss and the Match Stix. But I was never really too excited and nothing grabbed me where I *had* to have it, you know? They were just products I would maybe get around to buying and were probably good.

I flipped when I saw the Summer 2018 products. I almost want to buy one of everything, but settled for two of the Kilawatt Foil Freestyle Highlighter Duos. I purchased Mimosa Sunrise//Sangria Sunset and Sand Castle//Mint'd Mojito. The "Freestyle" in the name implies that they are multi-use products, that are safe for blush, highlight, and eyeshadow. Or whatever else you can imagine and want to experiment with! I've even seen some people scrape a bit off and mix it into primers, lotions, and foundations. The sky is kinda the limit with these gorgeous powders.

The packaging is metallic with a raised, crystalline design. The compact itself is quite large, about the size of my palm, with a mirror. They feel sturdy and luxurious.

Sand Castle and Mint'd Mojito in particular are very creamy and pigmented. They all have great quality, are easy to apply/blend, but Sand Castle in particular blows my mind (the taupe/copper shade).

L-R: Sangria Sunset, Mimosa Sunrise, Mint'd Mojito, Sand Castle.

I'm personally most excited to use the orange and magenta duo for blushes. I have many blushes, from cream sticks to liquids to powders, but nothing quite like these. I used Sangria Sunset as a blush today and I love it. It's bold, it's glittery, it doubles as a blush and highlight. But it's really fun, especially for a summer collection.

Did you get anything from this collection?

Empties & Reviews

I have to say I'm absolutely obsessed with checking tags on IG like "projectpan." I like the idea of people getting their money's worth from a product and enjoying all it has to offer. There is also the side of things where you want to use up a product you're not totally in love with, but it's always commendable to me that people stick with it and finish something up.

I think what I've done - hold onto some empty packaging for a couple months to "collect" my empties and show them off and review them - is kind of weird. I don't know if I'll do it again for an extended period of time, because it feels a little obsessive and like hoarding garbage! But I'm always envious of posts on /r/reddit/panporn so I wanted to do this just once! 

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter
I really enjoyed this. This was my first "solid" balm or butter for cleansing. The tin is a bit small, but I used it for several months because I alternated nights with a cleansing oil. It has a strong scent, so beware. I ended up liking the Banila Clean It Zero balm better and it's larger, but I'm not opposed to getting this because I can just go to a store and grab it easily.

Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk
I liked this, but I think for a gel or creamy cleanser, I prefer glossier's. I don't necessarily think the price is crazy high for Stratia, especially because Alli's ingredients and vision are all very good and I support Stratia and love the products and don't mind. But it's $15 for 4oz vs. $22 for 6oz, so the price per oz is only just slightly higher for Stratia. I don't have a problem with scents and I love the scent of glossier's cleanser, so I've been using it instead (plus I have 2 bottles to use up) and didn't buy this one again yet. She does now produce an 8oz version for $28, though, so once I get through some other products, I might buy it!

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
This is my favourite lightweight summer moisturizer! Gel-based moisturizers are so good for me and my skin in general, actually. I just don't like the packaging because you can't cut it out and squeeze everything out, I have to use a beauty spatula to clean it out. I will repurchase this again once I use some other ones (Drunk Elephant B-Hydra, Citrus-Honey Aqua Glow).

the Ordinary Niacinamide 10% & Zinc 1%
I make a pretty powerful skincare cocktail with my beloved Ordinary products - this one, Argireline 10%, and Buffet serum. I find that this one reduces redness after a bad blemish, taking away spots that might otherwise last longer once they're "healed." My turn-around time for breakouts has significantly lessened when I use all these guys together. I already have backups.

COSRx Advanced Snail Mucin 96 Power Essence 
Ah, a staple for so many. I really enjoy it. When I'm particularly dry, red, or irritated, I triple-down in snailtown and use this with Mizon's Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule + Recovery Gel Cream. I use this daily and it lasted me 10 months somehow. I have a backup! It is highly recommended by so many and I think the price and packaging is all very good.

Mark Prep For It Hair Primer
I honestly don't even know if Mark/Avon makes this anymore. I found it in with some of my near-forgotten hair/bath stuff and decided to use it up, because it's a decent product. It sort of feels like a leave in conditioner or lotion that sprays out and I feel like it worked best for me as a detangler. My hair is really curly and practically dreads or gets matted immediately after showering, doesn't matter if I use a comb in the shower or concentrate my conditioner or a treatment on the ends.. I need an oil or leave-in product to comb through my hair! I have lots of other stuff I like now, so I won't miss this, but I'm glad to have used it finally.

Welcos Kwailnara Banana Milk hand cream
I first tried this in a Pink Seoul mystery box and loved it! It's cheap, moisturizing, and smells great. I can usually find a package of 3 creams on eBay that's very inexpensive, so I have these all over the place. I even take them to work and my co-workers love the scent.

Nivea Smooth Replenishing Macadamia Nut Oil hand cream
I like this in the winter, it feels pretty "heavy duty" for me without being greasy. It feels like a protective glove.. like that Debba cream that they have in workplaces! Since it's cheap and easy to find in drugstores, I've gone through a few.

Wylde Rose Fruit Punch body lotion
Wylde Rose is local to me, but they have an online shop! I LOVE THIS PLACE, the owner is awesome, she has so many products. I've used bath bombs, soaps, nail polishes, probably almost everything at this point. This sounds weird, but I love this lotion's scent - to me, it smells like Monster energy drinks.. yeah, told you that's weird! But it's sweet and moisturizing and I always buy it.

NYX White Single Eyeshadow
I just use this as a base to set my primer. There is still some product clinging to the edges and I could repress it, but I'm kind of lazy and done with it. I have a lot of white and cream matte shades in palettes, so I'm not missing anything. Great cheap, matte white shadow, though! I can't believe I finished an eyeshadow!

Maybelline Fit Me! Matte and Poreless Translucent Powder
This one isn't completely used up, but I got really tired of it. It worked fine but I wouldn't use it again. It doesn't really "wow" me for any reason. All of the really hyped drugstore powders don't do it for me.. I have a similar feeling about the Rimmel Stay Matte powder!

Epically Epic Dreamsicle lip balm 
Another "indie" soap shop! I love her lip balms and interesting scent combinations. This one was Dreamsicle, which is obviously sweet and orange and creamy! I buy 6 or so at a time, sometimes scents are seasonal or have a limited run, so it's always worth it to check her out every once and while. I opened a Coconut Almond one after this and it's heavenly.

Missha Perfect Cover BB cream #13
My "holy grail" next to klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish cream. The Missha has a high SPF, good colour, creamy medium coverage that works well with all of my primers. NO COMPLAINTS. This was a small package, I will get the full product soon!

Boscia Light BB cream
This was my favourite BB cream before I tried the other two I previously mentioned. It has a thicker, almost mousse texture and lots of microglitter. The glitter doesn't bother me, but it's not for everyone. It lasted a long time, I went through 2 of these in the last few years but I think I've moved on to better things.

Too Faced Hangover Primer 
I love the scent, it's a good primer. I just think it's kind of expensive for what it is and if I had to recommend a similar "hydrating primer," I'd go with glossier's. I miss the sweet smelling coconut, but it's a small sacrifice.

I'm working on some foundations and skincare, I don't think I'm going to finish many makeup items any time soon except maybe mascaras and liquid eyeliners. But they're boring and can't really be photographed!

What did you finish up recently?

First BoxyCharm - December 2017 *Glitz & Glam*

BoxyCharm is my first ever subscription box!

I have wanted to try a beauty box/bag for years. Ipsy seemed like a great one at first but I've also seen a lot of reviews that it kind of lackluster. I found BoxyCharm and for roughly $35CAD and 5 full sized products each month, it seemed like the best option.

The only problem is it's gotten pretty popular and subscribing pretty much immediately puts you on a wait list. Which could take a couple days.. or a few months. I subscribed on October 5th 2017 - I really wanted the October box! - and didn't get off the wait list until December 2nd 2017. I was billed via my credit card on December 5th and the box was shipped on December 19th. I received it on December 29th. Overall, not too bad for shipping times. I am more understanding it took the whole month because it's the holidays/Black Friday had just passed. Post is really slow around this time of year. I would love to be one of those people who regularly get it like a week after it's billed, but I'm also in Canada, so I don't have high hopes that it'll be faster in the future.

The December box theme was "Glitz & Glam" and the products included sparkly items like a metallic liquid lip, highlighter or bronzer, and blush palette.

Products in my box:
❏ Crown Pro Blush Brush
❏ RealHer Blush kit
❏ Tarteist Lash Paint mascara
❏ Beaute Basics Bronzer
❏ Pretty Vulgar My Lips Are Sealed lipstick in shade "Particularly Sophisticated"

Overall, I like the box. I'm happiest to have the lipstick, brush, and a mascara - a mascara is always a good thing to have on hand and most of them will work for me! I like the bronzer though I don't use bronzers often (mostly in the summer), and I like my NARS Laguna and Too Faced Sweetie Pie. The blush kit is my least favourite. The powders are kind of stuff and difficult to get good colour payoff. I have a lot of blushes in my collection already that I like, so I didn't really need to add any more of them.

I will continue to renew this subscription for a couple months just to see how it goes. January 2018 looks okay so far, though I'm not thrilled about the shades in the eyeshadow palette that has been "spoiled" so far.

Do you sub to BoxyCharm or any other boxes?

Sheet Mask Review Round-Up!

As I promised a while ago, I wanted to make quick reviews of sheet masks I've been using in order to help others and keep a record for myself. 

OKA Pump the Brightening Up

Spotlight ingredients: niacinamide (Vitamin B), magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (Vitamin C).

Fit: great besides poking me in the eye a little bit.
Essence/Absorption: a sticky/greasy residue.
Effect: soft, plump, brightened skin. 

LEADERS 7 Wonders Caribbean Coconut Calming 

Spotlight ingredients: "high Vitamin E content activates skin soothing properties; nutrient-rich coconut."

Fit: a bit large and floppy. It has a layer to remove and it's supposed to adhere very well to the face but it doesn't stick well for me.
Essence/Absorption: very nice, watery and not sticky.
Effect: calmed, refreshed, and plump skin. 

esfolio Egg Essence 

Spotlight ingredients: egg yolk extract to nourish; hyaluronic acid. 

Fit: pretty good, no complaints nor raves.
Essence/Absorption: no residue, quick absorption.
Effect: moist skin.  

MIZON Joyful Time Rose

Spotlight ingredients: hydrolyzed collagen and plant extracts; claims to clean pores and moisturize.  

Fit: great fit, these are some of my favourite lines of masks and I use all of them regularly.
Essence/Absorption: so much extra essence to keep and use in the morning; watery and absorbs quickly though slightly tacky. 
Effect: moist, clear skin. 

G9 Skin Pure Milk Bomb

Spotlight ingredients: "milk protein extract and amino acid complex to provide moisturizing effects."

Fit: literally like it was made for my face. I've never been happier with a mask in my life.
Essence/Absorption: white and creamy essence that absorbs quickly without ANY residue.
Effect: BRIGHT and moist skin. 

Etude House Air Therapy Tea Tree 

Spotlight ingredients: tea tree oil for calming and healing properties. 

Fit: good fit. Another line of masks I use all variants of and always repurchase.
Essence/Absorption: watery, no residue, quick absorption. 
Effect: calmed and smoothed skin.  

The Creme Shop Coenzyme Q10

Spotlight ingredients: CoQ10; claims renewal, rejuvenation, source of collagen, improved skin elasticity. 

Fit: it's okay. It is a bit wide and has extra mask around the jaw and ears.
Essence/Absorption: watery, absorbs well with minimal residue.
Effect: really only feels hydrating and softening which is fine but I wouldn't mind to use up the other couple I have left and move on. 

OVERALL: no real duds lately! MIZON and Etude House are my go-to for when I want something comfortable and trustworthy. G9 Milk Bomb is the shining star that surprised me. What have you been using?