Top 5 VIB Shopping List Ideas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Sephora’s Christmas gift sets and VIB 20% off discount! It is rumored that the sale will be occurring during the middle of next week, so keep checking your email for that reminder.

This is the perfect time to try out lots of products, value sets and those expensive products that you’ve been eyeing all year (which can now be justified with the 20% off discount!!!). I thought I would compile a list of my must have products that I will be considering/convincing myself that I need for this upcoming event.

1. I have yet to try any of these polishes but for $18 with an added discount this a great time to take the opportunity to do so. I have heard amazing things about these polishes but I could never convince myself to pay $20/bottle. I love the neutral pink and glittery color that is included in this set. I like that one shade can be worn during the day and the other would be beautiful at night or for that upcoming Christmas party.

2. The VIB sale is always the perfect time to purchase that expensive fragrance that you’ve been dieing to get. I usually buy some sort of gift set that contains a perfume, lotion and/or shower gel to really take advantage of the sale (typically the set ends up being the same price as the perfume alone would be during the regular season). This year I’ve been eyeing the Chloe fragrance set, which has three perfumes for $30.00 (steal!). The original Chloe scent is a very clean and fresh fragrance that would be very unique to any fragrance collection. I also LOVE the Viktor and Rolf Flower Bomb perfume but can never justify spending $60-128/bottle…but now that it will be 20% off I can’t say my will power will be as strong. This is an adult/mature version of a sweet floral scent that is beautiful for day time wear.

3. This Kat Von D palette is a must have. It contains all matte shades ranging from warm to cool shades, which can suit every skin tone. It also has a variety of highlight, neutral and contour/crease shades. My sister introduced me to this palette and I haven’t been able to stop day dreaming about the perfect matte smoky eye since. I have ran out of my well loved Urban Decay tease, buck and naked from the various naked pallettes and I have been contemplating repurchasing the single shadows constantly since. BUT for the price of three single shadows ($22.00/each) I can have 12 new ones, so it’s a no brainer…go with Kat Von D!

4. Can we just take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this product. This is definitely a splurge product that I would never purchase at full price, but because there is a discount and everyone deserves a treat, its justified. Something about a Burberry product screams luxury and it makes you feel a little extra special every time you use it. These four shades are beautiful and are perfect for every day, or can be glammed up for a night out. I can’t get enough of this taupe and chocolate brown shade – simply stunning!

5. A couple of months ago champagne pop was sold out everywhere and coveted by everyone.  This limited edition trio has the gorgeous champagne pop plus two other beautiful shades. Blushed Copper might be too dark for most to be used as a highlighter but I think it would make a stunning blush shade to warm up the face during these upcoming winter months. The second highlight color, Pearl, is another cult classic and is also perfect for us fairer toned gals. For $44 this is a great way to get the best of all three worlds and to try out three different shades for less than the price of one full sized product ($46.00). This product is so pigmented that you need very little, so it will probably last you a lifetime. I’ve yet to try any other products by Becca, but this is by far the best highlighter that I have in my collection (I can’t believe I’m saying this … even better than the now discontinued Dior Amber Diamonds) .

Let me know what products you plan on picking up for this event, I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions!

Sephora Favorites – Give Me Some Lip

For a few of months I was on a desperate hunt for Kat Von D’s Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita. I stalked the online website, called Sephora regularly, and visited the store once a week with no success. I even signed up for the e-mail notifications, which didn’t help at all – I would receive the emails at 2 a.m. to only wake up to the product being sold out. . . AGAIN. The more I couldn’t have it, the more I wanted it! Also, the endless positive beauty reviews on the product was feeding into my growing obsession.

The sales associates at Sephora told me that they were unable to keep up with the product demand but that they would definitely have the product available for Christmas. Please – Lolita is clearly a fall color, it would serve no purpose to me during the Christmas season. How they did not understand the ridiculousness in that statement was beyond me.

Finallyyyy, the make-up gods answered my prayers and I found Sephora’s ‘Give Me Some Lip’ Kit, which included a sample of Lolita!! It included 1 full sized product and 5 deluxe samples. Due to my obsession with lip products I rarely go through a full sized lippie, so this worked out perfectly.

Now onto the product breakdown:

left-right: Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lip in Lolita, Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion The Neutrals in 19-Peony, Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme in Je T’Aime, Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment, Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Coral Blossom, Make up Forever Artist Plexi Gloss in 202

Kat Von D Lolita: During production a few months ago Sephora released a “bad batch” of Lolita, so I’m not entirely sure which category this one falls under. I’ve been told that Sephora is planning to release a Christmas duo, which will include Lolita I and Lolita II (“bad batch”). Irregardless, I am in love with this color – it is perfect for fall. It is a matte ashy plum-brown shade that leans on the cool side (pairs beautifully with the cooler tones in the Naked 2 Palette). The application of this product can be a little finicky, I definitely recommend using a lip liner with this product. Kat Von D’s liquid lip colors are known for their longevity and this color does not disappoint. The only touch ups required throughout the day are after drinking or eating. I will definitely be trying more colors from this line in the future.

Sephora Peony: This product applied a little unevenly and blotchy, it required 2-3 coats to give a full coverage on the lips. The color is a pretty berry red shade that I will be reaching for in the upcoming Christmas season. Unfortunately, this product didn’t have the best staying power – I needed to touch up every 2-3 hours. However, with that being said it did leave a nice stain on the lips after the product had worn off.

Marc Jacobs Je T’Aime: I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this product. I received samples in the past from the Marc Jacobs line and I wasn’t thrilled with the color selection. This is a beautiful berry shade with brown undertones that is a great transition color that can be used moving from fall to winter. The product was super opaque and creamy – it was moisturizing and it didn’t settle into the lines on my lips. As for the wear time, it was similar to any other lipstick – the staying power was average and didn’t blow me away.

Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment: I think I am the only person out there who hates this product. It is a glorified chap stick, with zero moisturizing capability with a price tag of $26.00/tube. It provides a sheer faint red tint to the lips and applies with a waxy consistency. The only thing I like about this product is the faint rosy scent.

Tarte Coral Blossom: This is the only full sized product in this set, which retails for $20.00. To be honest, I have yet to try this color. When swatching it appeared to provide medium opacity with a sheen. It is a beautiful peachy, pink-coral shade that I can’t wait to wear in the spring-summer; however, I won’t be wearing it this season.

Make Up Forever (MUFE) Plexi Gloss 202: This is my first time trying a MUFE gloss and I am beyond disappointed. This has to be the stickiest gloss that I have ever used in my life. Typically, if a lip product applies terribly but has a beautiful color I can try to make it work – unfortunately, this product does not even deliver on that front. As you can tell from the swatch, the product has poor color payoff and has even less color on the lips.

All in all I’m ecstatic that I managed to get my hands on Lolita and was able to try out five other products that I normally would not have. Considering the total kit costs $30.00 (Canadian) and has one full sized product (valued at $20.00) I think this kit is a great value. I’d recommend it to all of my fellow lip product lovers or even those who are looking to experiment with new colors. There’s a shade to suit everyone as it has a range of products that vary in texture, color and consistency.

If you’ve ever tried these products, please let me know what you think!

Welcome!

For many, many years I have debated creating a blog to share my interests (beauty, fashion, health, travel, pets) and life with others. Today, I decided to finally take the plunge.

I’m excited to announce that I will be starting a blog that will include information on beauty, make-up and fashion. As well as details about my newly begun fitness journey – including my highs, lows, achievements and struggles. I also want to use this forum as a way to share health and wellness information as I begin my career as a chiropractor.

Please feel free to ask any questions, leave comments, and share your experiences as well. I’ll admit I’m new to the blogging world, so please bear with me while I learn the ropes. If you have any tips/tricks please let me know.

I’m thrilled to embark on this new chapter of my life and I can’t wait to share it all with you.