Holika Holika Holy Berry Tint No. 1 Strawberry swatch + review

This was a spontaneous purchase as I was in Pacific Mall. I first heard about this brand from Jen frmheadtotoe so of course, that made me tempted to try something from there. I've been looking for possible dupes for Benefit Cosmetic's benetint and posietint for a while now so I was curious about Holika Holika's tints. It was also only $10 so it didn't seem too expensive to me.

Holika Holika is a Korean cosmetics brand and Holy Berry Tint in No. 1 Strawberry is a red-pink lip tint that is very highly pigmented. It is a liquid type tint and looks a lot darker in the bottle than it is on lips. Like most good tints, this does not dry out your lips and can be used for layering under other products. It comes with a doe-foot applicator so it is easy to apply too much product but at the same time, it gives you a lot of control. The applicator gives enough control so that you can easily create effects like gradient lips.

One downside for me is that it has a very artificial berry flavour that is too strong for my liking. It also tastes a bit like the smell. The packaging also makes me hesitant to bring it around in my makeup bag since I heard it could unscrew and leak so I always keep it in the little plastic bag I received with it.

In terms of the wear, it is a bit waterproof but fades quite a bit whenever I drink water. I'd say that it lasts for 2-3 hours if you are eating and drinking, but even longer if you don't. It goes on semi-opaque and can be built up for opaque and bold colour. It is a nice tint but because of the smell and lasting power, I probably will just buy benetint or another type of tint. I'll just finish off with a swatch:

This is available on eBay for as $5.40 and up.

Loose Button Luxe Box Spring 2014 review

So to add to my ever expanding collection of makeup/hair/skin care products, I purchased a 2 season subscription to Loose Button's Luxe Box for $25+tax/box (shipping included). Unlike most beauty subscriptions, Luxe Box comes every 3 months and comes with "7 to 8 trial sized beauty and lifestyle discoveries". There are 3 membership options so that you can pay $24 - 26 for each box, depending on your membership. The one I have for review is the Spring 2014 Luxe Box.

Each Luxe Box is a nice rectangular white box that is super sturdy and the products comes in a silky white dust bag. I wasn't expecting the box to be so sturdy so I was surprised, but glad because I now have something for nail polish storage! Now onto the products:

- essie sleek stick in oh my gold! (full size - $11)

- teeez trendy cosmetics Paradise Perfect Lipgloss in sheer gold (full-size - unknown price)

- Fekkai PrX Reparatives Conditioner with Argan Extract (59 mL - $5)

- Fekkai PrX Reparatives Shampoo with Argan Extract (59 mL - $5)

- Lancome Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate (8 mL - trial)

- Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion (28 mL - trial)

- Knotties (4 hair ties - unknown price)

Close up on the teeez lipgloss:

 

And essie sleek stick:

The total value of this box doesn't seem too high but I'm sure it is greater than what I paid ($28.25).

I'm okay with the Fekkai, Lancome, Essie, and Aveeno products but I'm not too crazy about the others. The Essie sleek stick is a nice design of gold hexagons and I actually like that I didn't get a bottle of nail polish since I have way too many of those. The Fekkai and Lancome are a decent size but since the Aveeno is a body lotion, I feel like it should be a bit larger.

I'm a bit worried about the teeez lip gloss because plumping products usually hurt, and I don't really need bigger lips, or the pain. I wish I had gotten a gloss with colour or one of their nail lacquers instead.The hair ties are the most disappointing product since you can get those anywhere and at a cheap price.

My next Luxe Box is the Summer 2014 box coming in June so hopefully that one will be better!

bliss Lemon+Sage Body Butter Maximum Moisture Cream review + swatch

I first bought this body butter as a filler item for my Sephora order last year and bought it again in one of my most recent orders. It was $7 for 50 mL the first time but the price has since been raised to $10. It also comes in a 200 mL size for $35 but I have seen the 'super size' which is 414 mL for around $30 at Winners!! Very tempted to buy it whenever I see it.

"A maximum-moisture, best-selling cream with a luxuriously rich texture."

My favourite thing about this is the smell! I really love lemony and fresh smelling things so this scent is perfect for me. The sage definitely makes it seem different and helps to tune down the lemon a bit. This is also more of a light lemon smell and does not smell super sweet. The smell lingers for around 30 mins - 1 hour on your skin but even then, it is not as strong as when you first apply it.

The texture of this cream is also light; it is not as thick as other body butters but also not too runny so it is very easy to spread. It is thick enough that it won't drip off you when you squeeze it on your skin and not so thin that it is like a runny lotion. When applied It isn't too greasy and really absorbs into the skin quickly. Since it isn't so thick, it is also good for hand cream and the 50 mL size makes it very portable as well.

In terms of the moisturizing, I'd have to say that it is also light and not 'maximum moisture' like they claim. It is sufficient for my dry skin but it does not make my skin feel as smooth as other body butters do. The feeling is probably equivalent to how your skin is when it is wet? It is fine for my skin in the winter but I prefer it more for summer since I need some light moisturizing then.

I really like this body butter for the summer so I will probably keep buying it if I ever need filler items. Similar to the Tony Moly Peach Anti-Aging Hand Cream, the performance isn't as great as some would expect but the smell is worth it for me ;)

Urban Decay Naked Flushed review + swatch

The Urban Decay's Naked Flushed Palette is a bronzer/highlighter/blush trio (which I received as a birthday gift this year). These type of trios seem to be very in right now and I can see why since they are quite multi-purpose! I'm not really sure which company came up with this idea first but the first one I heard of was Benefit Cosmetic's Fine One One stick. I'm more of a powder girl so when my birthday came up, I asked someone to get me the Urban Decay palette.
 
The packaging of this palette is very similar to the Naked Basics palette; it made out of plastic and has a full size mirror. The mirror is sufficient enough for me to see about half my face so it is great to use for touch-ups. It does not have any latches and is just a magnetic closure. This makes it very easy to open and close while still being secure enough to just pop in your makeup bag.

"Use these pressed powders individually or blend them together to create just the right effect—and let this seemingly straight-laced trio morph into a tangled color love-fest. Then bask in the radiant glow and let people wonder what you’ve been up to."

All the powders in this are full size, similar to how Urban Decay's eyeshadow palettes are. The great thing about this palette is that the colours can applied either separately or you can mix the colours together. My favourite way is to mix the blush with a bit of highlighter and apply bronzer separately. They are also super pigmented but have a very powdery formula so you definitely need to tap your brush to get off excess powder.

Bronzer - "a medium bronze satin" which is fairly pigmented but it may show up as slightly orange on some skin tones. It seems like a colour that is better for light skin tones and some medium tones because it may not show up on darker skin. It would be great all over bronze but doesn't show up enough to work for contouring for me. 

Highlighter - "a soft pink champagne shimmer" that is more pigmented than the bronzer and you will be able to get full colour with just one swipe. It is very shimmery and slightly pinked tone but seems like an okay highlighter for cheekbones. I'm not a highlighter person since I have oily skin anyways but I do occasionally mix it with the blush.

Blush - this "dusty rose satin with a hint of shimmer" is extremely pigmented and it is easy to go a bit overboard when applying. It is a very pink blush so it is not one that I wear everyday but it is still one I will use from time to time. The pigmentation allows it to last throughout the majority of the day so it is quite a long-wearing blush.

Swatch without flash

  Swatch with flash

My favourite part of this trio is definitely the blush since it is so pigmented so whenever Urban Decay blushes start to appear more in Canada, I would like to try one in another shade!

Boxing Day 2013 Haul

Woohoo, time for another haul! As with every other Boxing Day, I went shopping at Toronto Eaton's Centre since I like those stores better and although the sales weren't too good (mostly just 50% off), I still ended up buying quite a lot...

I don't remember the exact prices for each but here were the deals:
- Express 50% off entire store
- Hollister 50% off entire store
- Lindt 50% off holiday chocolate
- Sephora $12 deals
- Bath & Body Works $3 hand soaps/holiday items 50% off
- aerie 50% off store

Since this is somewhat a beauty review blog, here's a close-up of the Sephora items :)

- Caudalie Winter Moisture Kit
- tarte clean slate deluxe primer trio
- boscia Intensifying Moisture Pack+
- Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow duo
- Ole Henriksen The Naked Truth Kit
- Sephora + Pantone Universe makeup bag (promo code: VIBEMERALD)

The display in the store was quite barren and the website only had 10 deals so Sephora was quite disappointing. Black Friday was definitely better and last year, the stores had a bunch of $9 and $12 deals! I remember the display was swarmed with makeup obsessed girls but this year, I was able to walk around the entire display without interference.

Besides there being a lack of good deals at Hudson's Bay and the disappointment at Sephora, I am quite satisfied with my purchases. Hopefully everyone else's Boxing Day went as well as mine!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas (or other holiday) and a Happy New Year :D

Skindinävia No More Shine Makeup Finish review

Setting/finishing sprays were another thing that I was exploring last Fall and after looking at multiple reviews, I decided to try Skindinävia! My friend's sister and I decided to split The Kit which is a set of their two best sellers - No More Shine Makeup Finishing Spray and Original Makeup Finishing Spray. We decided to get the 8 oz. bottles because it only cost $10 more than the 4 oz. kit! They were also having FREE Shipping & FREE Travel-Size Makeup Finishing Spray for international orders over $40 so it seemed like a really good deal. (This seems like an everyday deal though because it's always on the website, but with a different "now through" date) I wanted to keep the travel size so that I could try both sprays so me and my friend decided to split it according to volume. In the end, one 8 oz. bottle ends up being $27 total! Really awesome deal considering the 4 oz. sells for $29 by itself.

No More Shine Makeup Finish "controls shine and absorbs oil over face and t-zone while preventing makeup slippage. Formulated for oily skin types. For best results: Apply before and after makeup. Spray 2-4 times in an "X" and "T" formation."

I have been using this spray on a regular basis for about 7 months now and it really does seem to help makeup last a lot longer! At first, I would spray it on top after finishing makeup application but now I spray it on before. This seems to work just as well but I find that I actually do get the best results when sprayed before and after application (good thing we chose 8 oz.).

Another plus is that when sprayed after makeup, it helps take away any cakiness! In terms of oil control, I don't think this one really helps at all as I still need to blot after 4-5 hours (which is usual). The only major problem with this is that the nozzle makes spraying it a bit difficult. It's just regular spray bottle but for some reason, it just doesn't come out very well. You cannot cover your entire face with one spray so you are required to make multiple sprays (but 1-2 spritzs is sometimes sufficient). They should change that nozzle with the one they put on the travel size because that one works really well and one spritz can cover your full face. Despite the faulty nozzle, it doesn't really waste much product and even with daily use, there is still half the bottle left.

I have used the Original spray a few times and it performs just as well as the No More Shine. They also have a Bridal Makeup Finish and I think I want to try that next. Hey, not only brides need perfect makeup ;)

Benefit Cosmetics Gettin' Cheeky! review + swatch

Benefit is quickly becoming one of my favourite high-end/Sephora brands. They have really great tints, value kits, mini sized products available, and very attractive packaging. I've only bought 3 Benefit products but I have tried a lot of samples and the Sephora Benefit birthday gift and loved most of it :) The product for review today was actually a birthday gift too, but I was actually contemplating on getting it a while back.

Gettin' Cheeky! is a set of three mini tints: Posietint, Cha Cha Tint, and Sun Beam. Each comes in a little 4.0 mL/0.13 oz. bottle. It is miniature packaging of the full sizes (0.42 oz.) so they also have the nail polish like brush for application. This is a limited edition Sephora exclusive product.

Posietint: Benefit's Posietint is a petal-pink stain that plants a kiss of see-through tint on cheeks and lips. With hours of smudge-proof, just-picked perfection, you'll be the prettiest bloom in the bunch! 

Cha Cha Tint: This mango-tinted stain beautifully blushes lips and cheeks with a tropical sunset hue. Smooch-proof and smudge-proof, this sheer stain will have you looking deliciously sun-kissed for hours.

Sun Beam: Consider this liquid sunshine in a bottle. This golden bronze highlighter gives you a natural, sunkissed radiance. Dot and blend over makeup onto cheek and browbones for a bronzed glow that complements all skintones.

I don't entirely know how to use Sun Beam so I have barely touched that one but I like using Posietint and Cha Cha Tint a lot! Posietint provides a natural flush on your cheeks that seems to last all day (or at least the work day). I mainly use it on my lips and it gives a nice pink tint while still looking very natural so it is a nice MLBB? lol. Cha Cha Tint is also great for the cheeks and stains all day. It's a bit too bright for year round wear so it seems like a more summer shade and I stopped wearing it a couple months ago but will occasionally use a bit on my lips. Both tints are really great and even with daily use, these sizes have lasted me over 3 months. When the bottle finally finishes, I think I will splurge to get Posietint (since I still have another mini Cha Cha Tint). To finish off, here are the swatches:

 

stains blended out (1 layer)

Sephora had their Benetint as a 100 point perk a few months ago so I snagged two of those! They also have a new Lollitint which looks really gorgeous so I'm thinking of getting that next year to build up VIB status again :)

Black Friday 2013 Haul!

This is quite delayed but here is my Black Friday Haul for this year. Since we live in Canada, this is still a new concept for us so the deals are not as great as the States, but it's still better than nothing. I'm not sure when we first got Black Friday, but I remember a few stores having sales last year. I was waiting until my Sephora online order came in to make a post and it did last week so here's my Black Friday haul:

From Sephora:
- Josie Maran Argan Hand Healer
- Lorac Fan Favourite Duo
- Clean Rollerball Set (bought in store)
- Philosophy's purity made simple (bought in store)
- Boscia Pore Perfection Set

These were $12 CAD each and using the VIB 10% off code (V436CB), I got them for $10.80 woohoo! I took this opportunity to buy some gifts for my friend and to let other friends get in on the discount too but most of those are wrapped so no pictures, sorry! The purity was sold out online before I could get on so I went to get it in the store. It was advertised as 12 oz. for $12 so I didn't look at the bottle when I grabbed it. Turns out, I only got 8 oz.! My friend managed to get 12 oz. so it seems like they just ran out of that size. Since they will probably have it again during Boxing Day, I'm going to try to get the 12 oz. then ;) They gave me a sample of Benefit's Hello Flawless foundation, which was nice, but it was in a light shade even though I'm a medium...

This is my haul from other stores (sorry for the Sephora repeats):

- Aritzia's TNA Verbier Parka 10% off
- 3 tops from aerie 40% off entire store + free tote
- Nano Vidal Sassoon hair dryer $10 (returned this because it wasn't hot enough)
- WD Elements 1 TB External Hardrive $59.99 Future Shop door crasher
- Hollister sweater 40% off entire store

Oh I also got about $50 in Lindt chocolate! oops. They were having 50% off boxed chocolate so I got 2 boxes of specialty truffles, a small box each of the snowman truffles and regular milk truffles, as well as 2 boxes of assorted truffles :D

All in all, this seemed like a great haul since I managed to get some clothes and a new winter jacket! Aerie was also giving out a free blanket along with the tote for purchases over $45 but they ran out by the time I got there :( It actually looked like a nice blanket too, which makes me kind of regret not going to the mall at lunch, but at least I got a tote right?

Ipsy December 2013 Glam Bag Review

Woohoo, I finally decided to subscribe to a beauty subscription! Since Christmas is coming, I decided to try one bag as a little Christmas treat to myself. I received my Ipsy Glam Bag on the 11th I think and it came in the mail in its usual hot pink metallic bubble mailer. This definitely added to the excitement of getting my first subscription bag!

This glam bag was a black plastic pouch that was nice and sleek looking. It has red inside lining, a diamond texture design and an 'ipsy' zipper pull.

Now for the good stuff! My glam bag this month came with:
- Mirabella Eye Blender Brush ($27)
- POP Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio in Naturally Bare (approx. $8.08)
- Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Sunset ($16)
- Nicka K New York Nail Color in NY 139 Ripe Apple ($4.99)
- J. Cat Beauty Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha ($3.99)

Total Value = approximately $60

I only tested these products a little bit and so far the Big Lip Pencil seems the most disappointing. The colour is really unflattering and slightly orange like so it really doesn't seem like I'll be using it at all. The One Stick is shade of pink-red and looks like a natural flushed when worn sheer on the cheeks (seems alright for lips too!). The eyeshadow trio has really great neutral colours and is also fairly pigmented. The nail polish was also a bit disappointing since I specifically did not select 'nail colour' in the Ipsy quiz since I really do have a lot :S but it is a nice shade of red that's perfect for the holidays. Lastly, the eye blender brush has really soft bristles but the metal handle makes it a bit too heavy. This is my third blending brush, but I guess you can never have too many? haha

This bag was a good value (since the brush already costs $27) but I feel like this will be my only Glam Bag and I will stick with my plan to unsubscribe. To finish off, here's swatches of the eyeshadow, lip pencil, and bombshell stick:

Left to Right: eggshell, toasted taupe, and cinnamon

Top: J.Cat Beauty The Bit Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha; Bottom: Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Sunset

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer review + swatch

This product was the one I chose to replace that awful Smashbox Photo Finish Light. I bought this last April during the time Sephora was having their Chic Week so it was 15% off! Whoopee for discounts :) I wasn't very Sephora crazy at that moment (and it was final exam season) so I think that was the only product I bought that term. If I wasn't so busy, I definitely would have taken full advantage of this discount!

"A makeup primer scientifically formulated to achieve the look of flawless skin without makeup."

This primer was definitely a step up compared to Smashbox. At first use, it was very different from the Smashbox one because it has a thicker consistency and is also very nude coloured, therefore making it feel less like a cream. There is no smell to it, so that is also a benefit. When applied, it definitely makes your skin smoother and does seem to minimize pores a bit! I'm not sure where I read this, but someone once said that you need to wait a few minutes for the primer to absorb into your skin before applying foundation so I usually wait 2 - 3 minutes. Another great thing is that you need a really little amount since you don't need to apply it all over your face (I only apply on my T-zone). Even if you did need to apply it all over, it still won't take a lot of product to do that.

In terms of oil control, it does help quite a bit, I'd say it .controls oil for a good 4 - 5 hours but it really does help to keep make-up on my face. I don't think this has reached the standard of "holy grail" for me yet but it was a much needed improvement :D Another benefit of this is that it lasts really long! I've been mainly using this since last April (tried a few primer samples here and there) and there is still half left! It costs $38 so it is still quite pricey, but it seems like a good investment.

Urban Decay 24/7 Vintage Glide-On Eye Pencil review + swatch

Hey there! It seems that I'm in my procrastination mood again and blogging instead of studying (final in a week). Today I have decided to review everyone's beloved Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil. They were on sale for $7.50 so I had included 2 pencils in my friend's online Sephora order so she could make the shipping threshold but then since my birthday was coming up, she just gave them to me as a gift!

The eyeliners that I got were actually the 'vintage' ones so I guess these were the colours they chose to discontinue before they changed their formula? I'm not entirely sure but anyway, the colours that I got were 1999 and Gunmetal. Although the formula probably changed, I believe that these two pencils have the same packaging as the current 24/7 pencils. They are the same size as a regular eyeliner pencil and have a nice silver plastic cover.

1999 is a really nice eggplant colour with a bit of a sparkle. They have a creamy consistency and really do glide on easily (similar to MAC's Pearlglide eyeliner). They are fairly pigmented and do seem to last really long (most of the day) but are not immune to the usual pencil smudging that most  eyeliner pencils suffer. Gunmetal is quite similar to the eyeshadow colour they sell which is described as a "dark metallic grey with silver micro-glitter". It has the same type of application and staying power as 1999 but the problem with this colour is that there is fall out from the glitter :( A friend pointed out that I should try an eyeliner primer so next time I use it, I'll try that and see if there is still fall out.

With flash (1999 on the left, Gunmetal on the right)  

All in all, these seem like great eyeliners and are great for anyone that wants a more bold eyeliner look since they come in multiple different colours. I was disappointed with Gunmetal, but I have no problems with 1999. They sell for $23 at Sephora so they are pricey but they also come in eyeliner value sets and are sometimes packaged with Urban Decay's palettes.

Sephora VIB Sale Haul 2013

This is the first year that I have ever been Sephora VIB (thanks to my other make-up obsessed friend and my mom with her skincare products) so I was able to get the 20% off a few weekends ago. Even though it was the same weekend as IMATS, I still managed to make two online orders over $75 to get free shipping :P

It took a while for everything to come (too many orders were placed I guess) but the second and final package came today. I was a little disappointed to see that most of my samples were substituted because that has never happened before, but oh well. Here is the haul:
- Urban Decay Naked Palette (woo finally! long debate between 1 and 2)
- Ole Henriksen Power Peel 2x treatment
- Benefit Gimme Brow in light/medium
- Too Faced Primed & Perfected To Go Duo
- Too Faced Tan Without the Twinkle
- Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder
- Tarte Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer (to get a friend the discount)

I have yet to try it all, but I'm sure it will be great. Black Friday sale is coming (not really sure why Canada needs this) and there will be some Sephora deals for $12 and under $20, so hopefully I don't go too crazy then too.....

EDIT: Some Black Friday deals have been posted ($12 CAD) and I kinda want 5 or more things oops.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Review + Swatches

Hello readers! (Does anyone actually read this blog? If so, please leave a comment!). I have finally decided to make a review for the famous Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadows :) These eyeshadows are very creamy and have a similar consistency Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow, but at a fraction of the price! I bought these a while ago but I believe that they were $5.99 on sale and and $6.95 regular price at Wal-Mart.

They all seem to be very pigmented and have a long wear time. They go on very smoothly and do not become "scaley" looking when you apply more than one coat. This was a problem with the Benefit cream shadow so it's great to know that not all cream shadows have that problem. Another great thing about these shadows is that they do not dry out easily! I remember reading stories about how cream based products dry out in a few months but I've had these for almost a year and they are still in great condition. They are also very great for eyeliner and seem to last the whole day :) (Well at least 8 hours or so). In my opinion, they seem decently priced and are great for those that cannot afford high-end shadows/already enjoy cream products. If you are hesitant, maybe wait until they're on sale or if you have a coupon :P

There are four colours I have and have swatched are: 75 Electric Blue, 30 Pomegranate Punk, 55 Inked in Pink, and 45 Bold Gold. They all have flecks of sparkle but are still quite metallic-y and since they have sparkle instead of glitter, there is no fallout.

From left to right: Pomegranate Punk, Inked in Pink, Bold Gold, Electric Blue

Electric Blue is very blue and sapphire like. I have yet to find an occasion to wear something that bold so I mainly use it as eyeliner. It is part of the Metal collection of Color Tattoos.

Bold Gold is a very yellow gold and definitely a bold choice for anyone that wants. Despite it being so gold, it isn't too much for day wear and can be used for somewhat of a neutral eye? (Please ignore the eyeliner swatch below it)

Inked in Pink is yet another shacodow from the metal collection and is a pale pink. This one would also be okay for day wear if blended properly but would also look pretty for special occasions!

Lastly, Pomegranate Punk! It is a very dark mix of pink and plum but I find it blends well with Inked in Pink. Like Electric Blue, I mostly use this for eyeliner to add a bit of colour to my eyes :)

There are several different shades of Color Tattoos and I would love to try them all! However, I have too many eyeshadows (and just got the Naked Palette!) but if I ever ran out/one of them dried out, I will probably try a new colour :)

IMATS Toronto 2013 Experience and Haul!

After seeing many beauty guru vlogs about it, I finally got to go to IMATS! It was last weekend on November 9 & 10 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Since I have another friend also into makeup, we decided to go together and got an early start by trying to get there right at 8:30 when it opened :) I did a lot of research on the vendors and previous IMATS beforehand so I knew which products I wanted and what prices to estimate. This was my first IMATS and my first time in Metro in a while so I didn't really know what to expect. Let's get right to the haul! Sorry I only have a phone camera picture.

I came with a list of stuff to get and I got everything on it :) Plus a few more...so I kinda went over my budget haha. This is what I got:

	IMATS Price	Regular Price
Beauty Blender Duo	$24	$37.29
Make Up Forever Aqua Liner in 6, 13, and 14	3 x $18 = $54	3 x $30.51 = $91.53
Bdellium 940 pink	$7	$10.80
945 green	$7	$9.68
781 green	$5	$7.92
942 green	$7	$9.68
785 green	$5	$7.92
934 green	$5	$7.04
Royal & Langnickel brush roll	$10	$29.99 USD
MAC Chromaline in Black Black	$20.79	$25.99
OPI full size polish	6 for $30	6 x $11.13 =  $66.78
OPI mini size polish	$0.50 x 7 = $3.50	$2.83 x 7 = $19.78
Beauty so Clean brush cleaner in Cake Pop and Candy Cane	2 x $5 = $10	2 x $10 = $20
Total	$188.29	$344.40

Wow I actually saved a lot more than I realized. The best savings were probably at MUFE, where everything was 40% off! Classique Nails had good deals too since they were selling full size OPI for $30 for 6 and a bunch of minis for just $0.50! I definitely got more nail polish than I should have. They also had really good deals on Essie, China Glaze, and other top brands.

How far did I stray from my list? The main stray was at the nail polish because I only intended to get OPI Scatter the Scales and Essie Good to Go but they had neither of them :( At MUFE, I had only intended to get an Aqua Eyes and the travel size HD Finish Powder but since I once got Aqua Eyes for $12 at boxing day, I decided to just wait and they did not have the powder in travel size there. I did somewhat intend on getting an Aqua Liner...but getting 3 was too excessive :P Bdellium Tools was a problem for me too because the brushes were so colourful and tempting! I had a list of 5 brushes but ended up not liking 2 yet somehow still got 6 brushes haha.

Aside from the massive amounts of money spending, it was really fun! I got to see make up artists at work during the show and even sat down for a few demonstrations/talks. One was the 50 years of Doctor Who, a special effects sculptist, MAC session, and Battle of the Brushes. It was really fun to explore and look at all the different brands since a lot of them didn't have easily accessible shops in the GTA. There were a lot of special effect makeup and make-up artist tools as well so it was interesting to see all the different kinds. Now for some pictures!

My favourite one of the day! She was also really awesome at her model poses as well.

To summarize, I had a great day and really enjoyed seeing everything at IMATS. It seems to me like it is only a thing to go to yearly if you really have expendable income and are super crazy about makeup. Every 2 or 3 years seems like a better thing since girls only need so much makeup :P Will I go again? Definitely! but probably not until 2015 :)

P.S. I also made two Sephora orders that weekend (with the help of my friends) and thoroughly abused the 20% off VIB sale. Get ready for another haul when those packages arrive!