Sephora VIB Sale 2014 15% off

For those other Sephora VIBs out there, today is the start of the VIB Early Access Event where all in store and online purchases are 15% off! Today is also the only day to get the limited-edition cosmetic bag (in-store) :)

VIBs should have gotten an email a few days ago so check that one to get your in-store coupon, or use the promo code VIBTICKET for online orders. The offer is good April 3 - 11th. I'm not sure if this is replacing the usual 'Chic Week' but I really hope not and that they will have the sale later on for regular Beauty Insiders. I think VIBs can also bring a friend so make sure to share the love with other beauty lovers out there :D

I've been anticipating this sale for a while so I already have a wishlist compiled ;)

- Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush

- Ole Henriksen Cleansing Clothes: Oil-Free Pore Refining

- Tarte Clean Slate Poreless 12-Hr Perfecting Primer

- Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo or Perfect Brow Pencil

- Benefit Cosmetics Posietint

- Ole Henriksen Walnut Complextion Scrub

- Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

Has anyone tried any of these products before and if so, how did you like them? What's on your wishlist for this sale? :)

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.

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!

Recent Beauty Products

Too lazy to take pictures of swatches so here is a roundup of some beauty products I've tried recently and found either awesome or remarkably bad.  As you can see, my recent obsession is with skincare products, not so much with makeup because I think I've got more than enough for my everyday needs.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion

Yes, that's right, 1 bottle sold every 4 seconds in Japan.  Rohto is one of the best pharmaceutical skincare brands, and their hyaluronic acid lotion is seriously one amazing and effective product.  "Lotion" in Japan refers actually to "toner," not the milky stuff that you normally find here.  This is a clear, viscous liquid made of sodium hyaluronate which comprises the extracellular matrix in connective tissues.  It's made my skin moist and elastic during these horrible winter months.  This is a multi-tasking product.  After showering, I put a few drops into my palms and rub it into my face to prep my skin for serum and moisturiser.  Also, I use it before applying base or BB cream to provide a moist, smooth surface for the makeup to glide onto.  The Hada Labo lotion is free of colorants and fragrances. One 170 mL bottle costs around $20 and will last you forever since you need to use only a few drops at a time.

Bioderma Crealine H2O Solution Micellaire

This highly raved beauty product really does live up to its hype!  It's recommended by beauty bloggers, makeup artists, models and pretty much every one who's tried it.  I'm sure you've already heard about this miracle product.  It removes foundation without causing any tightness or dry feeling.  And you don't need to rinse it off after!  Perfect for lazy bums like me.  You can get it at Shoppers for around $20 for a large 250 mL bottle.  I've used up around 50 mL in 2 months, so it should last quite a while.  

LashCard

I received this in my Ipsy Glambag for March, and it's basically a piece of specially shaped cardstock to help shield your eyelids when applying mascara. Using a business card to prevent ectopic mascara application is a nifty little idea that's been around for ages.  Whoever thought of turning it into a business venture must be either stupid or have lots of cash to throw around.  Can you believe that the pack costs $7?!  After I'm done with them I'll just save the last one as a template and cut my own from business cards I have lying around; and I'm sure everyone will do the same.  Also is it really necessary to wrap each card in plastic?

Ok more next time!