Sucker for pretty packaging

hen I see something with pretty packaging I want to have it. Even if I don't need it. Are you guys like that too?
When I first saw the Topshop line of cosmetics I was blown away by the packaging. I have never seen anything like it. Having a background in graphic design I liked how graphic it was and it was something I had never seen on any cosmetic packaging. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I saw the cosmetics line in person when Topshop opened where I currently live. I wanted it, but I ended up not getting it for some reason. It's been on my mind ever since and today I finally gave in and bought a few things. I actually bought everything that I had my eye on since I don't get to go to a mall often.

I'm not in love with the Topshop bags. I think it looks kind of cheap.

I can't say the same thing about the cosmetic packaging. It's gorgeous! I'm going to be keeping the
boxes. They are too pretty to throw out. I got 5 things- 2 lipsticks, 2 blushes, and 1 bronzer.

The first lipstick I got is called Innocent. It's a mauve-y pink. It was $17CAD.

The lipstick is in a matte, brushed metal package. It's so pretty.

Here is the colour. It's very close to MAC's Creme Cup. I would say this colour is a touch more mauve.

The second lipstick I got is called On The Town.

It's a wearable purple. I love this lipstick.

The first blush is called Pop. It was $13CAD. 

The blush packaging has pencil dots all at the top.

It's not coming out true to colour, but it's a neon coral. 

This blush is called Powdered.

This is a neon pink. I get reminded of MAC's Pink Swoon, but this is more neon.

I got the bronzer in Holidaze. The one lighter than this one was also pretty, but I think this colour
will show up more on my skin. I'm not a huge bronzer person, but I just could not resist this one.
It was $17CAD.

The bronzer lid has pencil lines across.

Here is the colour. It swatches beautifully and it has fine gold shimmer.

See all the packaging all together. So lovely. I wish I had gotten some of their eye brushes. They were
pretty affordable- around $9-$11.

Here's a swatch of On The Town and Innocent lipstick.
I tried On The Town on my lips at the store and I love it. I'm sure I'll love Innocent too.
The finish of these lipsticks feel like MAC's Cremesheen formula- very smooth and moisturizing. However
I did swatch a coral colour (I forgot the colour of the lipstick) and that felt like it was a different
formula. It was dry and I could just tell that it would emphasize all my lines on my lips.

Here are the blush/bronzer swatches. From left to right: Pop, Powdered, Holidaze.
These are silky smooth and the colour payoff is excellent. 

Beauty Haul

eauty hauls are one of my favourite things to read from other bloggers. I wanted to share with you what I got in the past week. Hopefully these photos and initial thoughts on these items will be helpful to you. I know I love reading what products people love/dislike as it is really helpful in determining if I purchase them or not.

Victoria's Secret Candy, Baby body lotion in Spun Sugar and Warm Vanilla. VS had a promotion going on
where you could mix and match 3 body products for $25. I went with my mother-in-law and I
decided to buy her, my sister-in-law, and myself the body lotions. My mother-in-law chose the Spun Sugar
and Warm Vanilla scent and although all the other scents were amazing I also got it in the same scent. It
literally smells like sweet sugar. I usually don't like sweet scents, especially when they make me smell like a
dessert, but for some unknown reason I really liked this smell. I have worn this body lotion for a week
now and I have really been enjoying it. I've also gotten compliments on it at work. The best part is
that the scent lasts. I would get a whiff of the smell throughout the day and it made me smile.

This is a sample package so I'm not sure what the real packaging would look like.

My co-worker knew that I was really into BB Creams and she just got the Boscia BB Creams in.

She asked me to try it to see if I liked it.

The product comes out pretty thick and it's quite hard to blend. I've noticed that most

BB Creams have a thicker consistency than foundations, but this one feels really thick.

I have actually worn this BB Cream for 2 days now. I do like it as it absorbs quickly and feels like 

I'm not wearing any makeup. It also has fine shimmer so once you blend it all out it gives

your face a luminosity.

See it blended out. You can see it covers my blemish that you can see in the previous photo
nicely.

This is Quo's (a Shopper's Drug Mart brand) blush/bronzer duo. Isn't the packaging gorgeous?
I normally don't like Quo products, but this one I LOVE. The colour I have is in You're A Peach
and it looks so natural on my face. I haven't found a bronzer that looks natural on me yet, but I think
I've found it. It doesn't have too much of a shimmer and blends so nicely.

The colour may seem ruddy and not that interesting, but it's actually quite nice on my face. I think I'm
about an NC 25?

Here is the back of the package.

A quick swatch. It was hard to capture the colour on camera because it didn't really show, but on
the left is the blush and on the right is the bronzer.

I was using Seche Vite's base coat for a while now, but I wasn't blown away. I went to my local
beauty supply store and bought Essie's Protein Base Coat. I originally wanted to try Essie's First Base
Base Coat after hearing about it from SparkleMissA's YouTube video, but the sales associate told me that
this one was better. We shall see. It's interesting because the formula is white.

I then got Essie's Good To Go! Top Coat. Again I heard about this from SparkleMissA's YouTube video
so I wanted to try it. I was using everyone's favourite- Seche Vite for a while now, but I hated how
it got all thick and goopy when I didn't use it all that much. Plus, I heard the chemicals in that top coat
was pretty scary stuff.

Now for my favourite- MAC!

My brushes were becoming insanely dirty and although I deep clean it every week I still felt that it
wasn't clean enough. I saw Tiffany D's video on what she uses to clean her brush- Mac's Brush Cleaner.
I rushed out to get it. It was only $15 so totally affordable. I used it yesterday and it did an amazing
job. I'm so happy with it.

I picked up 2 things from Mac's Fall Colour Collection. The first thing I picked up the collection was the
MSF in Porcelain Pink (re-promote). In the store the sample had beautiful gold veining throughout.
It's a light pink with gold shimmer. The one I got looked just pink, but I think once I keep using it
I will be seeing the gold veining underneath. I've been using this for a few days now and I like it.
I use it as a highlighter and it gives me a beautiful finish. I try to use highlighters sparingly as I can
get pretty oily throughout the day.

Here's a swatch.

My second item from the collection was the eyeshadow quad in Parlor Smoke. I wanted it because of the
eyeshadow Parlor Smoke (it's the top left one). It's a grayish purple and it reminded me a lot of
my favourite Mac eyeshadow- Shale (permanent). Parlor Smoke is a frost finish. It's not as pigmented
as I would like, but it's a beautiful inner lid colour. The next 3 shades are Cross Cultural (matte) which is
a neutral brown; Indigo Noir (Matte) which is a purple-y navy colour; and Steel (Veluxe Pearl) which
is a steely gray.

Here it is swatched. I wish they were more pigmented, but they do feel silky and there is hardly any
fall-out. I hate eyeshadows that are pigmented, but have crazy fall-out.

I picked up 2 things from the Styledriven Collection. I didn't realize that they were going to be
permanent. I picked up Styledriven (I think this is what the girl in the promo is wearing on her lids). It's
a beautiful sky blue and it swatches gorgeously. Everything in this collection is in the Pro Longwear
formula so the eyeshadows are supposed to last for 8 hours. The eyeshadows are a bit bigger than
the regulareyeshadows. I think this was 0.11oz compared to the usual 0.05oz. It was also a little
more expensive at $24CAD a pop.

This is Fresh Flare. This too swatches beautifully. The sales associate commended me for not being
afraid of colour. I got these 2 colours because it's hard finding these shades that are silky
smooth and so pigmented.

Here it is swatched. Styledriven is to the left and Fresh Flare is beside it.

Here is is swatched. I haven't tried Styledriven and Fresh Flare yet, but I'm excited to try them soon.
I need something special to go to so I can bust out these shades!