Lancome Haul, on a budget!

Hey markup lovers! It was my birthday a few days ago and I decided to splurge a little bit, just a very little bit, and got some awesome stuff from Lancome!

 Here is an overview of everything I got! I got a total of 10 products for only $40, unbelievable??? too good to be true??It's because they are having a really awesome promotion!!!

Not everyone can afford everything one wants in life, which is why I like to shop for deals. Lancôme is not a brand that is in my budget range, but department stores such as The Bay, Sears and Macy's often puts out promotions such as gifts with purchase that makes them much more affordable! So the next time you want something a tad pricy, perhaps there is a promotion for it~ Shop smart!

This is the list of things I got:

1) Large black makeup bag, (full size)
2) Creme radiance cleanser, 125 ml/4.2 oz (full size)
3) Colour design lip stick in colour Natural Beauty (full size)
4) Colour design Ombre Mono effects eye shadow (full size, I think)
5) Lancome mascara(sample)
6) Double action eye makeup remover (travel size)
7) Geneifique Eye cream(sample)
8) Bienfait multi-vital(sample)
9) Visionnaire serum(sample)
10) Teint Idole Ultra 24H foundation  (sample)

I do not normally buy anything from Lancome because their stuff is way out of my price range, but they are currently running a promotion at the Bay where you get 8 delux samples when you spend $35 before tax.

The promotion end Nov 4th 2012!! you still have time!!!

I am all for buying high quality products, but I also love money, and would like to save as much as possible!!! So I definitely would not miss out on a great deal!

So this is the reasoning that I told myself, just think about it, some of the make up subscription services out there charge you $12-$20+tax to send your 5-6 samples every month, you get some hits and misses, but I am sure the products are not all up to Lancome's quality! So I spend $35+tax, and got 10 Lancome products of my choice! that's a awesome deal to me!

So after some research online I decided that I will purchase Creme radiance cleanser that retails for exactly $35+ tax which totaled to $40. I would never normally spend $35 on a cleaner, but if I have to spend the money, I rather spend it on a product that improves the quality of my skin rather than a make up product.

This is the promotional ad I saw that tempted me to make the purchase! I love that I can customize the sample selection! 

I chose between two serums, a skin care routine that includes an eye cream and a moisturizer, a makeup routine that includes a lip stick and an eye shadow pallet, as well as a make up remover and a mini mascara. 

O~ almost forgot, I also get to choose an awesome awesome make up bag. It's a quite large bag, I can definitely use it just as a regular bag! which is great cause I have a tone of make up bags already! btw, you can choose between a pink bag or a black one~

Bienfait multi-vital moisturizer and  Geneifique Eye cream: I have been using these two for the past few days, I do not know if it's psychological or if its super effective, I see some minor, minor improvements on my eye area!!!  I hope the bottle can last me a very long time.. cause it's too expensive for me buy >.<

 Colour design Ombre Mono effects eye shadow. I have yet to use it, but I do like the colours, and am very excited to try it out soon, I have never used a high end eye shadow pallet before  @.@

  Visionnaire serum. I have been using this, it is quickly absorbed by my skin, but I have yet to see any visible improvements, the effect will probably be more visible in the long term.

The make up remover and mascara, have not use it yet~

 I also got a full size lip stick in the colour natural beauty.

 Aside from the 8 piece sample set, I also got a small sample of their Teint Idole Ultra 24H foundation from a offer on their Facebook page. I even had the dermatologist match the colour for me, so it has to be good~ 

In conclusion, I am very very excited about the huge amount of new products I get to try!!! YEAH~~ I am so excited!!!!

Happy 4th Anniversary

My birthday was 3 days ago on October 23, and I simply had the most wonderful birthday this year! big thanks to all my friends and family for making it so special! <3

Not only was it my birthday, it was also the start of my fifth year relationship with my boyfriend. I have told him to not read my blog, but in case he does, happy anniversary baby.

I met my boyfriend in my first year university, on Sept 19th, 2008, my COMM 103 professor announced the grouping for the course projects on that day, and it was the first time I knew who he was. I still remember that he had really bad hair at the time, which I still tease him about to this day.  I remember I found out later that he was flirting with all the Asian girls in the commerce program when we first met, though he probably would not admit it.

We studied together for our first university mid term exams, and on my birthday, also the last day of our exams. he asked me not to leave him.

There was no big confession or anything, so there is no precise date of our anniversary, but I thought I would let it be on the same day as my birthday. This way, it's easy to remember and we would always celebrate it.

We have had our fair share of problems over the past four years, but we were happy for the most part.


老公，谢谢你知我，懂我, 爱我

Outfit Of The Week [Classic Chic]

Hey fashion lovers~another week, another outfit of the week!!! I know I promised to post it every weekend, but this week has just been so crazy >.<!! Also, be sure to stay tuned for another OOTW next weekend <3

For this outfit, I was going for a look that's classy, yet chic by combining a lot of staple pieces you might already have in your closet!!! Keep reading to see how I pulled this look together <3

 

Here is the look I put together, let me know what's you initial reaction in the comment section below ~

I think layering is the best way to show off your awesome summer pieces in the fall or winter. In this look, I am wearing a fitted white sleeveless shirt that I purchased from H&M in the summer. What I love about this shirt is its collar, so by laying a wide collared, cropped sleeve cardigan over the shirt, the classy collar detail is revealed.

I purchased the cropped sleeve cardigan  from Banana Republic for $83. This has to be one of my favourt shirts ever!!! The print is a grape leave pattern in the colours black, nude and white, therefore, the cardigan matches great with dark, white or nude coloured outfitts! I buttoned up the cardigan to give it a more clean and well put together look.

While the cardigan a tad expensive, I think it's important to purchase a few really good, high quality pieces instead of buying a lot of cheap shirts that last you no more than one season.

The Canadian weather is getting a little chilly these days, so I pulled out my blazer that I got from Zara, another great buy that I have loved for a long time, to keep me cozy and add that chic factor to look. <3

I paired what I am wearing on top with a skin tight, light pink skinny jeans. I think a well fitted pair of jeans is a staple fashion piece that everyone should have in their closet, and recently I have come to love light coloured jeans instead of the traditional navy ones. 

When I think classy, I tend to think of white, laced, Victorian dresses, so I feel a pair of light coloured  jeans looks more girly and classy~

Since the cardigan has pops of black colour to it, I added a basic skinny black belt to balance out the colours and pull the whole look together.

As for shoes, I am wearing this really cute classic pointy toe pump that I got from Nine West~ it's such a classic pair of low heel, it will look great with any outfit. The added touch of black also balances out the dark blazer I am wearing on top.

And that's it, the whole look! Let me know if you love or hate this look, and stay tuned for another Outfit Of The Week next weekend (I promises I will try to post it on time next week) <3

Lighting Lash X Femme Couture

Hey my lovelies~ as you may or may not know, I recently received my October Glymm bag. Click HERE to read the product unveil blog. For the past few days, I have been eager to try out all the products that came in this month's bag~

One of the products I really like from the bag is the Lightning Lash by femme couture! 

I have never heard of the product or the company, but, after some digging, I found on Sally Beauty's website: "Femme Couture is a fashion inspired color cosmetic line with luxurious textures, broad shade ranges and eye catching palettes. Their high-quality, advanced formulas along with professional make-up artist tools offer infinite combinations with professional results. Femme Couture helps skin look naturally flawless, and the coverage is perfectly weightless."

Glymm claims that the product is worth $14, but it only retails for $8.99 online, which is very reasonable the price for a mascara.

 

I have used this mascara for the past few days, while it does not live up to Glymm's promise of amplified lashes, IT DOES NOT SMUDGE UNDER MY EYE and give me raccoon eyes!

Let's bitch about shitty raccoon eyes in the comment section below! 

I have combination skin, and is naturally oily around the eye area. I have struggled for years to find a mascara that does not smudge!!!! I even stopped wearing mascara for a long time to avoid the awkward  moment when people tell you that your mascara smudged again.... But with the Lighting Lash mascara, I wore it all day to work for two days, and it did not smudge at all! A huge huge bonus! So if you too struggle with the same problem, you may have just found you new LIFE SAVER!

The brush is skinny to say the least, and the brush does not have the bristles that a volumizing mascara would have, and I did not find the brush design to have any particular benefits.

 I have decided to use myself as a test subject to show you the full effect of the mascara. I started off with a clean face, no makeup, so that you can see the sole effect of the Lightning Lash mascara.

 And I just wave my little mascara wand to get beautiful lashes.

Here is a look at my lashes after applying the mascara. As you can see, it does look slightly lengthened, but the result is average, I have definitely seen better performing mascara than this. The mascara does clump a little, but I was able to comb through it with the brush. The formula is very pigmented and quick drying.

Here is a direct comparison of before and after~ In conclusion, I think it is definitely a good mascara. While it does not give an amazing lengthening result, it does make my lashes look somewhat volumized and lengthened. But the fact that it does not smudge is a big big bonus for me !!!

One last picture of me with my eyes open~ he he.. XD Let me know what you thought of the mascara~

Glymm Bag October 2012 UNVEIL

OMG OCTOBER GLYMM BOX IS FINALLY HERE!!! 

I am so excited because I knew from their facebook page that this month's bag is going to be PINK, and I love pink things!!!

I will be trying out all of the products in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for my Product Review Blog! 

UPDATE: Check out my Lighting Lash mascara product review HERE

As usual, all of the products were packaged into the lovely pink makeup bag! When I took out the bag today, I noticed that it is considerably heavier than last month's bag, and I just got so excited!!!!!

There were 6 products that came in the bag, but I only got 5, you will see in a second I would not be complaining about this.

The first item I took out was the Lighting Lash Mascara by Femme Couture. The product is full size, 11.3gram,  costing $14.00

UPDATE: Check out my Lighting Lash mascara product review HERE

I have never heard of the brand, butlet me know if you know anything else about the company~

The colour I got was Midnight Black,  The mascara tube is actually clear, but it looks black because of the colour of the mascara~ interesting!

The second product I got is Baby Buttercreme by Miss Jessie's . There is 59ml or 2 fluid oz worth of product, which is full size, worth $9.

Apparently, it is a creme to soften and tame your hair. I am always interested to try out new hair protective products because I have really damaged hair.

The third product I got was 2 samples of H2O Hydration by Cyberderm.

So this is how I ended up with 5 products instead of 6. The product card shows that there are suppose to be two products from Cyberderm, one is H2O Hydration, a moisturizer (full size:50 ml/$60), and the other is Every Morning Sun Whip, a sun screen (full size: 50ml/$38), but instead I got two of the same thing.

But I am not complaining at all, because the H2O hydration cost a lot more, plus I have a tone of suncream already, and now a days, almost everything is SPF something.

And I am a moisturizer junky! I LOVE THEM!!!!

I have never heard of the company, but I have heard people say bad things about this product. Plus, the package is really random and sketchy, they basically taped a logo to some random aluminum tube, there is not instructions, no ingredient list what so ever... which makes me a little concerned about using this random product .... I also do not know how much product is in the package, I would think 5 ml in each package, so $12 in total

The four product I got is Johnson's Baby Oil, 88ml, cost unknown (an awesome reader told me it's about $2)

I think this is a bonus product that is sent out to introduce this new thing Glymm is doing, They are launching MAMA, a unique box for mothers and mothers-to-be. 

I am sure people are aware of  Johnson's Baby Oil, it's multi-purpose, can be used to remove makeup, for shaving, and moisturizer etc.because it's a bonus product, I do not know how much it cost.

I have never used it before, so it's very exciting for me!

The last product, and the most useless product is LASH CARD, a product you can DIY yourself.... Glymm is lucky that the rest of the products are so good... else I will be bitching about this useless product to everyone.

It basically helps to make sure you do not get your mascara everywhere.. A package of 10 costs $6.99, so 2 is worth $1.4.. but it means $0 to me..

so in conclusion, the box is worth (14+9+12+baby oil+$1.4) =$36.4+baby oil

I am very happy about this month's products, definitely let me know if you liked the sunscreen if you got it, and what you think about the products this month

Stay tuned for my product review in the next few weeks.

You can read a bit more about the products from the information card, click on the image to enlarge~

Julep Maven Review -Classic with a Twist

Hey all, I am SOOO Excited today because my Julep box arrived!!!!

For those of you who are not aware of Julep, it is a monthly subscription box that focuses on nail polish and nail care~ it cost $19.99 per month and you will receive two nail polish and a few small additional items, but the items do change from time to time!

The BEST PART is the 1 cent free trail promotion they have! which is how I got my box today!!! There are a variety of coupon codes you can find online. I used the code: COLOR2012

Here is a list of other codes that offer the same promotion:

PENNY

JOIN18

WELCOMEMV5

Julep will automatically charge you every month until you choose to cancel.

Here is the link http://www.julep.com/maven.html if you want to become a Maven 

Based on my initial style quiz, I was sent the "Classic with a Twist" box, which includes two nail polishes and a pedi creme.

The red colour nail polish I got is called Rose and the white shimmery white colour polish is called Kate

The last item is "The Best Pedi Creme Ever" by Julep, which has 60 ml or 2 fluid oz of product.

I was very excited and tried out the polish IMMEDIATELY!!!, I felt Rose is not a very autumn colour, so I tried Kate, which is a neutral  colour that I feel is good for any time.

The polishes were okay, but I definitely did not love the colours I received, the white polish, Kate, reminded me of white out, and the red polish, Rose, is just not a good colour for fall. But I think they are good staple colours to have, and I will put them to use some day~I have seen some of the other colours they have in their online store, and there are some really good colours.

The polish contains 8 ml or 0.27 fluid oz worth of product, which is definitely less product than the average nail polish.

Julep markets itself as a higher end nail polish, but honestly, I did not see exceptional results, the polish was chipping before I even had a chance to put a top coat on. But there was little to no smell, which is really important for me!

Overall, I do not think I will continue to subscribe to them, just because I am not the biggest fan of nail polish, and I personally do not think the amount of product I get justifies the money I would pay, I mean, other subscription boxes that only cost $12 also offer nail polishes on top of four other products.

And since Julep is also available in Sephora, I could just go purchase the colours I really love, instead of get a lot of polishes. But I am not a big nail polish junky, and if you are, this might be a good subscription service for you.

Besides, you get to try the first box for nearly no cost!
 

Outfit Of The Week [Weekend Casual]

Yeah for another Outfit Of the Week!!  I will be posting one every weekend, so stay tuned for next week's <3

I wore this when I went to hangout with my boyfriend this weekend~

I guess I was going with a casual, sophisticated, yet cute look with this outfit. Let me know if you guys like it by commenting below, and keep reading to see how I pull this look together <3

I am wearing a taupe coloured, over sized sweater I got from Costa Blanca for $25!!. I love the two small front pockets it has, I think it's really cute and girly because I remember the clothes I wore as a child always had little front pockets for me to put candy in <3

I love the look of oversize shirts! it gives any outfit a effortless look to it, but the shirt should not so big that people think you are wearing other people's clothes! 

I think it's important to consider the material of any oversize clothing, because a material that drapes well will  allow you to show off your figure, where as material that are too stiff will just make you look like a big potato bag [>.<], making you look bigger than you really are... and who wants that???

The skirt I am wearing is also from Costa Blanca.

The material is fairly stiff with a shimmy look to it, but what I love about this skirt is the beautiful detailing on the waist line, the brown strip makes your waist seem narrower, and the ruffle is a nice feature when you tuck your shirt into the skirt for a more polished look. The bow at the front adds a touch of girliness without going over board!

And of course, I am wearing my leggings and knee high boots that I got from Nine West!!! did you notice I LOVE Nine West shoes???

I think a pair of flat knee high boots is something that EVERYONE should have! It is just sooo versatile and comfortable, I literately wear it all winter long, plus, it looks really nice ~

I also wore my trench coat that I got from H&M for $40. It's just my personal preference, but I always make sure that the outer wear is longer than the skirt inside so that the look is polished when buttoned up. Sometimes it drives me crazy when I see peak a boo of the clothes inside, but it can also look nice if its done intentionally and everything matches <3

Looking back at the outfit, I would like to switch up the skirt or the shirt for a more colour piece to make the outfit pop!

Let me know in the comments section below if you liked this look or how you would change it, and I will be back next week with another outfit!

My Clarins face cleanser and toner~

Update [Aug 1, 2013] 
Please scroll down for original post

I know it has been a while since I posed this blog and used this product, the fact is, I was so underwhelmed and disappointed with it that I totally forgot about it for the longest time! So, it's a pretty standard three step system, cleaner, toner and moisturizer. I started to break out soon after I used the product, and my skin started to clear up shortly after I stopped using it. The cleaner and moisturizer were nothing out of the ordinary, but the toner just felt wrong. When the toner is applied, I can feel a layer of product on my face, it felt like it was not properly absorbed or something.

I have no idea as to which step of the three step system caused the break out, but I felt I have given it a fair chance and I had made the right decision in abandoning it. I will note that sometime it does take a little bit of time for one's skin to adjust to a new product, so perhaps had I used it for a long period I would see better result, but the sample quantity did not allow it.

Clarins is a fairly high-end/expensive product and I expected more. If you are looking for a product recommendation, can I interest  you in:
Cleanser: Khiel's Ultra Facial Cleaner
Toner: Lancome Tonique Douceur
Moisturizer: Lancome Bienfait Multi-Vital
or for a cheaper alternative: Olay Moisturizing Lotion Sensitive Skin

Those are my ALL TIME FAVOURTS!!

Stay beautiful~

Original Post:
Honestly, one of the best things in life is Getting FREE Stuff! 

>>Read to the bottom to see how you too can get this awesome Clarins sample!!! <<

Clarins is a French luxury cosmetics company, which manufactures prestige skincare, makeup and fragrances products. There are five different types of samples being given out to cater to the needs of different skins, the one I got is designed for younger skins <3 the other ones include intense hydration, skin firming etc.

I love the packaging of the samples. The products are actually in tiny bottles that resemble the full size product <3 I also checked out the full size Clarins products while I was in Shoppers, and they are expensive! price ranges between $40-$60, which is totally outside of my budget, so it's really nice to be able to try out the free sample, and if the result is OMG amazing! I will probably feel better about committing to buying the full size product.

I will be trying out this sample during the next few weeks, and I will let you guys know how it is~

I was really happy about the sample because it is quite sizable, and the three sample products came in one big sample box! 

The samples are:

1. Daily Energizer Cream Gel, 5ml

2. Daily Energizer Wake-Up Booster, 10ml, 

3. Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel, 5ml. 

The Daily Energizer Cleaning Gel is a cleanser, and the other two are to be applied after washing your face, and before applying your moisturizer~

But if you choose to get a different box you will probably get some other products~ 

How to get your FREE  Sample:

The Clarins Free sample is available at Shopper's Drug Mart between October 6 to 19th 2012

Click on the link below to print out the coupon (or you can try to search it on Google if you do not trust my link), and take the printed coupon to your local Shopper's Drug Mart to redeem the  awesome sample!!! Get there quick while quantity last!!!

http://www.canadianfreestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/cc-clarins-se.jpg

Be sure to let me know if you want me to post more free sample alerts like this in the comment section below, and Good Luck everyone~