PART 3: Updated Makeup Collection & Storage - EYES

Hello fellow makeup lovers!

Today I will be sharing Part 3 of my updated makeup collection and storage. This post will showcase all makeup products that are found in my 5-drawer Muji Acrylic Storage Unit for 'EYES'. This includes both high-end and drugstore eyeshadows, eyeshadow primers, mascaras, eye liners, gel liners, and brow products.

Before I begin, I would like to include the same disclaimer as I did within the others:

I would just like to mention that in no way am I creating this post to brag. I do acknowledge that I own more makeup than I'll ever need; however, I'm always on the lookout to try out new products. That being said, makeup is one of my hobbies and my collection has grown over the last two years. I did purchase the majority of the products that are in my makeup collection, and the rest was given to me as gifts from friends and family. I'm creating this post so that I could share with you how I store most of my makeup, and I'm hoping that this post will help those who would like new storage ideas for their makeup collection.

So without further ado, here is PART 3 in my updated makeup collection & Muji storage!

  My Makeup Collection - EYES:

Eye Collection Overview
Storage: 5-drawer Muji Acrylic Storage Unit

Single and Depoted Eyeshadows stored in quads
Brands: Sephora, Forever 21, Meet Matte, Revlon, Yves Rocher, MAC, Lise Watier, NARS.

Mineral Eyeshadows
Brands: Hi-Fi Cosmetics, Bare Minerals, Orglamix, NYX.

E.L.F. Eyeshadow & Primer Collection

Mascaras
Brands: Benefit, Maybelline, Tarte, Bose, Marcelle, Clinique, Hourglass, Too Faced, Korres, DJV Beautenizer, Lancome, Stila, Smashbox, Rimmel, E.L.F.

Brows & Liners
Brands: Urban Decay, MUFE, E.L.F., Kat Von D, Hello Kitty, Wet n Wild, Tarte, Lise Watier.

  More Eyeshadow Palettes:

 

These are my eyeshadow palettes that are not currently stored within my Muji storage system.
Brands: Inglot, NYX, Urban Decay

Please feel free to link your makeup collections below, or mention any products that you would like for me to review in detail!

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PART 2: Updated Makeup Collection & Storage - FACE

Hello fellow makeup lovers!

Today I will be sharing Part 2 of my updated makeup collection and storage. This post will showcase all makeup products that are found in my 5-drawer and 2-drawer Muji Acrylic Storage Units for my 'FACE'. This includes both high-end and drugstore foundations, concealers, face primers, pressed and mineral powders, blushes, bronzers, and highlighters.

Before I begin, I would like to include the same disclaimer as I did within Part 1:

I would just like to mention that in no way am I creating this post to brag. I do acknowledge that I own more makeup than I'll ever need; however, I'm always on the lookout to try out new products. That being said, makeup is one of my hobbies and my collection has grown over the last two years. I did purchase the majority of the products that are in my makeup collection, and the rest was given to me as gifts from friends and family. I'm creating this post so that I could share with you how I store most of my makeup, and I'm hoping that this post will help those who would like new storage ideas for their makeup collection.

So without further ado, here is PART 2 in my updated makeup collection & Muji storage!

  My Makeup Collection - FACE:

Face Products Collection Overview
Storage: one 2-drawer and one 5-drawer Muji Acrylic Storage Unit

 I keep my Marcelle & Bourjois Face products on the top of the storage unit for easy access.

Everyday Makeup Drawer
Brands: MAC, E.L.F., Urban Decay, Maybelline, Bare Minerals, Smashbox,
Kat Von D, MUFE.

Foundation & Concealers
Brands: E.L.F., Bare Minerals, NARS, Yves Rocher, it, Benefit.

MAC Blush Collection

High End Blushes
Brands: Sephora, NARS, Tarte, Pandora's Box, Bare Minerals, Bailey.

Drugstore Blushes
Brands: E.L.F.

High End Highlighters
Brands: Sephora, Bare Minerals, Lorac, Laura Mercier.

Bronzers
Brands: E.L.F., NARS, Too Faced, Benefit.

  Makeup Brushes:

These are all my makeup brushes and two perfumes that I currently use. I keep all my clean brushes in a see-through glass fish-like bowl, and all my used brushes in a small elf brush holder.

Brands: SPAressource, E.L.F., MAC, My Glam, Kenzo, Victoria Beckham

Visit the blog tomorrow for Part 3 and final part of my updated makeup collection and storage to see all my EYES makeup products!

Please feel free to link your makeup collections below, or mention any products that you would like for me to review in detail!

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ipsy | November Edition

For those of you who are not familiar with ipsy, it's an American monthly subscription beauty sample bag that was formerly known as myglam. For $10 American or now $14.95 Canadian a month, subscribers will receive 4-5 deluxe beauty samples or full-sized products within each ipsy bag.

Before I continue, I just want to take a moment to disclose that I have not received any monetary compensation for this post. I'm an ipsy subscriber and I pay for the monthly ipsy bags with my own money.

Starting this month, ipsy has extended their monthly subscriptions to Canadians as well! I've heard many great things about this monthly subscription and once I learned that they were inviting Canadians to join, I immediately signed up. This is my first ipsy bag and I have to say, I'm so glad that I became a subscriber!

Want to know what's in the package? Let's take a look!

Within the November Edition, the following products were included:

• Deluxe Sample Size eclos Anti-Aging Regenerative Cream (7 ml / 0.25 fl oz)
• They're Real! Deluxe Sample Size Benefit Mascara (3 g / 0.1 fl oz)
• Chocolate Scarlet Eye Pencil (1.5 g)
• Millionaire Nailtini Nail Lacquer (15 ml / 0.5 fl oz)
• Matt Batali the Balm Matte Eyeshadow (0.9 g / 0.03 oz)

 ipsy also included two special bonus items to welcome Canadian subscribers!

• A myglam makeup brush bag
• A myglam makeup brush

My favorite aspect of signing up to monthly subscription beauty boxes is that I get to try out products from companies that I may have never heard of. This month, I was introduced to quite a few brands such as eclos. I'm always hesitant when it comes to trying out creams because of I have sensitive skin, and after having tried out the eclos Anti-Aging Regenerative cream, I found that it works well for my sensitive skin. Of course, it'll take more than one try to see any effects and I'll definitely post a review of this product once I've used it all up.

The next product within the ipsy November Edition was a deluxe sample size of They're Real! Benefit mascara! Although this is the second time I receive this product this week, I was really excited to receive it as I really like this specific brand. I think I'm set with mascara for a while!

Scarlet Cosmetics is another company that I was introduced to this month. I received a full-sized Scarlet eye pencil in the shade Chocolate. I really like that the shade comes out in a light matte brown and that it can be built up to be darker if you want it to be. I'm definitely looking forward to expirementing with this product!

The Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Millionaire was another great product that I was excited to receive in my first ipsy bag. As I mentioned in my other beauty subscription post, I enjoy experimenting with nail polishes that are clear and have glitter in them. Nail polishes like this look amazing on top of dark shaded nail polishes.

The last product that I received within my first ipsy bag was a matte eyeshadow by the Balm. The shade comes out dark grey with a slight hint of purple and is great for creating a smokey eye effect. Another great product!

My Overall Impressions for the ipsy November Edition:

Overall, I was very impressed with all the products included within my first ipsy bag. I loved all of the products, and I appreciated that ipsy added some bonus items to welcome Canadian subscribers. This is definitely a beauty subscription box that I will be keeping for a while!

 I'd love to receive beauty box subscription recommendations! Also, please feel free to include links to your reviews of this month's ipsy bag in the comments below!

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Topbox | November Edition

For those of you who are not familiar with Topbox, it is a Canadian monthly subscription beauty sample tube. For $12 a month, subscribers will receive 4 deluxe beauty samples or at times 3 deluxe beauty samples and a full-sized product will be included as the fourth product within the tube.

Before I continue, I just want to take a moment to disclose that I have not received any monetary compensation for this post. I am a Topbox subscriber and I pay for the monthly tubes with my own money.

This is my second time receiving a tube from Topbox, and today I received the November Edition. When I received it, I took a few moments to try and not have high expectations as I was fairly disappointed with the October Edition (which I will discuss later on in this post). This is the tube that will decide whether I continue as a subscriber.

Want to know what's in the tube? Let's take a look!

 

Within the November Edition, the following products were included:

• They're Real! Deluxe Sample Size Benefit Mascara
• I Heard That Full Size China Glaze Nail Polish
• Red Deluxe Sample Size Pari Beauty Lip Paint
• Lovestruck Floral Rush Deluxe Sample Vera Wang Perfume

I would normally be disappointed with receiving perfume samples, however, I really like this particular scent, and it us a pretty decent sample size.

I'm all for lip stains, however, I never wear red and this product is very sticky and hard to take off. Unfortunately, I know that I'll never use this product so I will be passing this on to a friend.

I know I know, I just got a SEPHORA FAVORITES - Lash Stash Sample Set, and I probably don't need more mascara but honestly, I was so excited to receive this product because it's perfect for keeping in my purse or when traveling! Second favorite item in the Topbox November Edition.

This would have to be my favorite product within this month's Topbox. I love glittery nail polish and I know this will look amazing on top of some darker shades! I'm also happy that this was a full-sized product that was included within the tube.

October Edition Discussion:

After having been on the waiting list since April, I was really disappointed with the October Edition as my first Topbox tube. There was nothing in the tube that appealed to me, and I had indicated in the survey I filled out for my beauty profile that I did not want some of the products that I had received. I do also know that I wasn't the only person that was disappointed and there were quite a few complaints made by subscribers regarding the October Edition as well.

Topbox | October Edition

My Overall Impressions for the Topbox November Edition:

Overall, I am very happy with two of the four products within this month's Topbox tube. I know that I'll have great use for the nail polish and mascara. As for the other two products, I'll most likely pass them on to a friend that I know will enjoy them. I'm still torn on deciding whether I should remain as a Topbox subscriber, and I may possibly stay just for one more month and cancel after I receive the December Edition. Hopefully, Topbox will include some nice goodies for the holidays.

So what do you think, is it worth remaining as a Topbox subscriber?

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PRODUCT REVIEW: SEPHORA FAVORITES - In The Glow Sample Set

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the SEPHORA FAVORITES Sample Set that are usually offered around the holiday season. These are limited edition sets that sell out fairly quickly and are not always available throughout the year, however, Sephora does offer deluxe sample sets without as great a value is their SEPHORA FAVORITES Sample Sets. 

The SEPHORA FAVORITES Sample Sets that are currently available in store and online in order of price include:
- The Finest Shave Deluxe Sampler For Him
- Give Me Some Lip
- Draw The Line Eyeliner Sampler (Update: Sold Out Online)
- Deluxe Fragrance Sampler For Her
- Beauty & The Bride
- Lash Stash
- Glitz and Glam Part Sampler
- In The Glow
- Collector's Edition Fragrance Sampler For Her
- Super Stars Beauty Essentials

Today I'll be sharing my product review for the SEPHORA FAVORITES - In The Glow: Blush, Bronzer, and Luminizer Sample Set. This set sells for $54 Canadian or $45 American at Sephora, and has an overall retail value of $133 Canadian. The SEPHORA FAVORITES - In The Glow Sample Set contains 9 deluxe samples from various higher end brands which is very appealing to most makeup lovers as it offers the opportunity to try each product before committing to purchasing their full sizes.

Within this product review post, I'll be sharing swatches and reviews for each product within the In The Glow Sample Set, as well as my overall impression.

SEPHORA FAVORITES - In The Glow: Blush, Bronzer, and Luminizer Sample Set

Products offered within this set include:
- Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight (0.106 oz)
- Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic (0.14 oz)
- Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Splendor (0.11 oz)
- Benefit High Beam (0.13 oz)
- Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna (0.08 oz)
- Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flush (0.17 oz)
- bareMinerals All Over Face Color in Pure Radiance (0.02 oz)
- Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder (0.08 oz)
- Stila Convertible Color in Peony (0.07 oz)

I had some pretty high expectations for the Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight as this has been one of the most highly recommended products that some of my friends have recommended to me. I have to admit that I instantly fell in love with this product after just one try. It has a great silky texture and sheerness that's perfect for highlighting  your cheekbones or using within the inner eye corners. This is definitely one of the products that once my sample is finished, I'll be investing in the full size!

Although the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic is meant to be a highlighter, I have to say that I prefer using each shade as eye shadows. Each shade within this product has great pigmentation and my only complaint with this product would have to be that the two middle shades are identical when swatching (reason why I only swatched 3 out of the 4 shades) in the above photograph.

The Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Splendor is another product within this sample set that I absolutely adore. As most of you know, I'm a blush junkie and this product has been on my radar for a little while now. This product works well with all skin tones, has great pigmentation, and has long-lasting wear. I also really like that there is a little bit of a golden hue in different lighting. This shade is definitely an eye catcher!

Benefit High Beam was definitely a product that I was skeptical about trying as I never liked the idea of applying a liquid highlighting product with a wand then having to use a blush to blend it out. I gave this product several tries and wasn't able to master a good technique of applying just the right amount of this product as I either put too little or too much and I often found myself removing it completely and using something else. Overall, this shade is gorgeous when swatching, however, I just don't think that I'll be using it again unless I find a good use for it. I'd love for any of you to recommend a good technique for using this product in the comments below!

The Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna is one of my new favorite bronzing powders. Because of it's great pigmentation, just a little bit goes a long way! Because of my light skin tone, I'll mostly be using this product in the summer when I have more of a tan. If I had to buy any NARS product in its full size, it would be this!

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flush, was another product within the In The Glow Sample Set that I was very skeptical about. My skepticism stemmed from the product not being in powder form, so I was worried about it being too sticky or coming off way too pigmented on the skin. After trying out the product, I was glad that the sticky/wet sensation only lasted for a few seconds and it then dried into a powder looking effect. I also liked that it wasn't too pigmented and the product can be built up to look darker as you apply more. Overall, I'm still not completely sold on it but I'm definitely willing to try it out more.

The bareMinerals All Over Face Color in Pure Radiance is another new favorite of mine. There's a lot more shimmer and glitter in this product than the Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight. It can also definitely be doubled up as a mineral eye shadow for those with darker skin tones or in the summer. Because it's easy to get this product everywhere when you apply it onto your blush, I would recommend sprinkling a bit into the cap then dab your makeup brush into the cap and tap off the excess before applying.

The Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder is another great bronzer within this sample set. For those of you who don't like shimmer or glitter, you will enjoy this product. There isn't much pigmentation and it comes off more sheer, which is great if you'd rather build up the product and not fear getting too much on your skin when applying.

The Stila Convertible Color in Peony is my least favorite within the In The Glow Sample Set. A lot of the product got stuck on my brushes and I found it to be too sticky and dark when I applied it with my fingers. I don't think I'll be using this product again and I personally wouldn't recommend it.

My Overall Impressions:
One of my favorite aspects of the SEPHORA FAVORITES - In The Glow Sample Set, is that there is a great variety of higher end products within this set. Like I mentioned above, this is great for makeup lovers to try out all these different brands before committing to their full sizes which can be quite expensive. When purchasing a full-sized higher end product without having tested it out before, there is the added risk that you may not like the product even with its rave reviews, and the product will end up going to waste. As a total blush, bronzer, and highlighter junkie, this sample set was definitely on my radar the second it became available. I ended up really liking the most of the products within this sample set that have also become my new favorites that I would have otherwise not tried out had I not purchased this set. Any products that I didn't enjoy, I'll be giving away to friends who I know will enjoy them. Overall, I would definitely recommend makeup lovers to purchase the SEPHORA FAVORITES - In The Glow Sample Set while it's still available!

Please feel free to share your thoughts on these products, other blush, bronzer, and luminizor product recommendations, or link to your reviews of the SEPHORA FAVORITES - In The Glow Sample Set.

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