Girly Stuff: A Haul

For the second time this year, I was able to redeem $200 of Shoppers Drug Mart Optimum Points. I thought I'd show you some of the more fun things I picked up on my spree as well as a few things I ordered on-line from Sephora on Black Friday.

The only thing I dislike about these lipsticks is they easily smudge on the cap. I like things neat and tidy.

Primrose (left) and Orchid (right)

Essie Gel Setter top coat

Lately I've been using the OPI Infinite Shine top coat, but that's not available at Shoppers and I really needed a new one. I decided to try this Essie one and I'm not disappointed. I had red nails last week and they lasted 5 days with absolutely no chipping and on the sixth day it chipped a tiny bit. I was bored with it anyway, so I changed it, but I could have lasted another few days I'm sure. 

Revlon Ultra HD lipstick in Orchid and Primrose

I have this type of lipstick in Magnolia which is gorgeous, but more of a summer shade. I wanted something bold for the winter so I tried these shades. They were on sale too! I love both colors. They make your lips feel really soft.

Sally Hansen Complete Manicure in Tropical Thunder and Branch Out

Tropical Thunder is on my nails right now and it's a beautiful dark blue/teal. Branch Out is a dark brown that will replace my super old Sephora polish that is similar. I love the wide brush on these polishes.

Boscia Pink Peppermint Blotting Linens (from Sephora)

Now that my skin has decided to go oily, I wanted to try some blotting papers. I've only tried one on my make-up free face just to see how they worked. I'll try them with makeup soon and see if they disrupt things. 

Rimmel Brow This Way

No more shelling out $30 for Benefit Gimme Brow! I discovered this brow gel over the summer and while it's maybe not quite as good as Benefit, it's so much less money and the difference to me is really minimal. 

Quo Art of Blending sponge set
These little Beauty Blender knock offs are too cute! I've not tried a Beauty Blender so I can't comment on a comparison, but I quite like the dewy finish these sponges give. My skin has gone cray-cray again this week, so I've been leaning toward a higher coverage face. I need to play around with these a bit more to try to get full cover.

Tarte High Performance Neutrals Cheek Set
This was a Black Friday Sephora deal. I got the little Tarte set last year with the stick blush and mini lip crayon and I use it a lot so I figured I'd love this set as well, and I do! The pan blush is a really pretty neutral and it does have shimmer, but a tasteful amount. The stick blush is less shimmery and is a color that would probably work on anyone.

If anyone has any specific questions about the products above, throw me a line! A huge thanks to fellow blogger Sara at Girl Met Blush who helped me out a lot with the SDM haul.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Optimal Comfort

So I have been living in a cave for the past ten years. How am I just realizing how great the Shoppers Optimum rewards are? Sure, I've been collecting them for ages, but have I been strategic about it? Nope.

I managed to score 13,000 points on Saturday by spending less than $60. I didn't even buy anything frivolous (don't you be judging my Nutella). This is what I wore for my point-collecting.

Details

Cardigan and Necklace: Forever 21

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Boots: Call it Spring

Shirt: Gap

Hat and Bracelet: Le Chateau

Glasses: Burberry

I only have 4,000 tiny little points to earn before I hit the motherload ($175 free)! I'll be waiting for a spend your points event so I can get $200 instead.

Do you have any points programs that you're crazy about?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Lancome Loot

I always try to attend the Shoppers Drug Mart galas that support Look Good, Feel Better. The charity helps women with cancer navigate some of the physical changes a person with cancer might go through.The majority of the clients I work with have cancer, so it's a cause that means a lot to me.

For the Christmas gala, I went to Shoppers on Lacewood Drive in Halifax. They had a saxophone player, snacks, punch, and lots of products on display. I had my makeup done for free by the Benefit make-up artist (she was so sweet) with a focus on face products. Their Hoola bronzer is amazing, and I now I totally understand why it has such a following among beauty bloggers.

When you buy a ticket, you get a $5 off coupon to spend that day in the beauty boutique. I decided on a lipstick (Revlon Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Socialite) which I ended up paying $4.99 for. It's a pinky nude shade. I wore it once and liked it, but wasn't really paying close enough attention to properly review it's long-lasting claims. However, I did end up brushing my teeth a good six hours after application and having some of it end up on the toothbrush so it definitely didn't wear off completely.

The gala always has a lot of door prizes, and I was excited to get the call the next day that I'd won something. I stopped in on Saturday to pick up my prize and was delighted to have won one of the big ones - a Lancome gift box worth  about $200. I received a huge bottle of La Vie est Belle fragrance ($110), a full size Hypnose Drama mascara ($33), a full size Effet Miracle primer ($40), and several samples (Dreamtone Dark Spot Corrector, Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate, and Tresor fragrance).

I always hesitate when trying new perfumes as I can be really picky. At first, I admit, La Vie est Belle was not a hit with me. It was too strong, and I like my perfume light. BUT... after about ten minutes of it reacting to my skin, I smelled my wrist and I loved it! After the initial strength wore off, it left a gorgeous, complex fragrance that was predominantly vanilla. I looked up the notes in this fragrance because I was so curious and discovered it is a "gourmand scent" - I had no idea what that meant so I had to look that up too! The best description I found was - "smells like you want to eat your arm off". Now I understand why I love it! It may be one of those I spray and walk into... it's very strong and long lasting when applied directly.

The mascara is really good - comparable to Benefit's They're Real which is my current fave. The wand is so cool - it's "S" shaped and can get at ALL your lashes. It doesn't get stiff after a few hours, which is a big complaint of mine with most mascaras. I don't know that I'd pay $33 for it (or ANY mascara for that matter) but it is amazing!!

If you live near a Shoppers Drug Mart, I highly recommend the Look Good, Feel Better Galas. They are a fun time and support a great cause!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl