Haul: Priceline 40% Off Sale

So last week Priceline had a two day 40% off cosmetics sale. As soon as I saw the post on Facebook I headed off with my wish list to my nearest Priceline store. I did do quite a bit of damage but I'm really excited about the products I purchased! Sales like this are fantastic for Australians as drugstore makeup is considerably more expensive in comparison to the USA and the UK. 

Just a warning - I did go a bit crazy! Let's just say I needed some retail therapy and had saved up an amount of money that I was willing to spend at once. 

I have been wanting to find a good drugstore foundation and after hearing many good things about the following, I decided I would go ahead and purchase quite a few while they were on sale. 

L'Oreal True Match Foundation - N2 Vanilla (from $29.95 to $17.97)

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation - Rose Porcelain (from $33.95 to $20.37)

Boujous Happy Light Foundation -#51 Rose Vanilla (from $29.00 to $17.40)

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - #103 True Ivory (from $19.95 to $11.97)

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation - Creamy Natural (from $19.95 to $11.97)

Revlon ColorStay Foundation Normal/Dry Skin - #150 Buff (from $34.95 to $20.97)

(Note: For reference I am NW20 in MAC Foundations)

So far I have tested the L'Oreal True Match, Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous, and Rimmel Wake Me Up. I must say I am very impressed with the L'Oreal True Match foundation, it has a very nice semi-matte finish and good coverage. It stays in place well throughout the day the only thing I need to do is powder my nose to prevent shine. I'll do a review on some of these foundations when I've tested them properly. 

I had also been meaning to purchase a new highlighting pen concealer one after finishing my previous one (Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch), so I picked up two by L'Oreal and one by Rimmel.

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Highlighting Pen Concealer - #2 Medium (from $27.95 to $16.77)

L'Oreal The Touche Magique True Match Anti-Fatigue Illuminating Concealer - Rose Beige (from $25.95 to $10.38)

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - #010 Ivory (from $14.95 to $8.97)

I have been testing the L'Oreal The Touche Magique Concealer and enjoying it so far. It gives light under eye coverage so is perfect for light makeup days or when you need a little help brightening your under eye circles. 

I love nail polish, especially Essie so I really went wild in the Essie section. These are all colours I've been wanting for a while and with 40% off I just went for it!

Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil (from $17.95 to $10.77)

Essie Blanc (from $16.95 to $10.17)

Essie Fiji (from $16.95 to $10.17)

Essie Muchi, Muchi (from $16.95 to $10.17)

Essie Cute As A Button (from $16.95 to $10.17)

Essie Come Here (from $16.95 to $10.17)

Essie Bottle Service (from $16.95 to $10.17)

Essie Lilacism (from $16.95 to $10.17)

Essie Ladylike (from $16.95 to $10.17)

Essie Merino Cool (from $16.95 to $10.17)

I also picked up two more nail polishes one from Revlon, and the other from Sally Hansen:

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Polish - Apricot Nectar (from $15.95 to $9.57)

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - Jaded (from $16.95 to $10.17)

I was also quite curious about the new Revlon Parfumerie collection, and selected the shade "Apricot Nectar". These nail polishes each have different individual scents, to me, "Apricot Nectar" smells like Allen's Sherbies lollies (do they even make these anymore?). I have this on my finger nails now and think it's a nice pastel shade. I cannot however detect the scent once dry with a top coat. I've never tried a Sally Hansen coloured nail polish before so picked up this lovely green/blue 'Tiffany' shade which is called "Jaded". I'm interested to see how it performs.

I do love my lip products, and picked out a few products that I was interested in testing:

Maybelline Color Whisper - #40 Orange Attitude (from $14.95 to $8.97)

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick - #914 Vibrant Mandarin (from $16.95 to $10.17)

Kate by Rimmel Matte Lipstick - #107 (from $12.95 to $7.77)

Covergirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm - #235 (from $12.95 to $7.77)

Maybelline's Color Whisper in "Orange Attitude" is reminiscent of Revlon Lip Butter offerings. It is a sheer orangey-coral that would be nice for daytime wear. Also from Maybelline, Vibrant Mandarin lipstick is in contrast a brighter and more pigmented lipstick which has very good staying power and slightly stains the lips on removal. Kate by Rimmel #107 lipstick is a red-burgundy matte lipstick with a lovely watermelon scent (think MAC Rebel but less purple and more reddish). I'm excited to use this for a bolder darker lip, it might be nice to use in the upcoming Autumn/Winter seasons. Alternatively, Covergirl's Gloss Balm offers "sheer colour" and "soft shine". It wears very comfortably on the lips, and feels quite moisturising and nourishing. It does not wear as long as some other crayon-style lip pencils unfortunately. The colour is a nice pinky-coral and I love how the lid colour corresponds with each shade.

I love my Maybelline Color Tattoo in #25 "Bad to the Bronze" as it is a fantastic cream eyeshadow with great staying power. I therefore chose two more shades from the same range:

Maybelline Color Tattoo - # 45 Bold Gold (from $11.95 to $7.17)

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Metal - #70 Barely Branded (from $11.95 to $7.17)

"Bold Gold" is a glittery golden shade which has a lovely iridescent shimmer when applied to the lid. "Barely Branded" is a newer release, from the Metal collection that has finer glitter particles and is a more neutral shade better suited for daytime wear. I think both of these are lovely shades which hopefully will be versatile and useful. A wonderful thing about Maybelline's Color Tattoos is that they can be used both as a base and a cream eyeshadow, so are great if you want a wash of colour on your lids but you are strapped for time in the morning (or evening!)

So that's my (rather large) Priceline 40% off sale haul. Well done if you made it this far, I feel like I babbled on but I'm pretty excited to try some of these products!


Let me know if you like these haul posts (I know I've done a few recently). But I'm on a bit of a beauty spending ban now, so next up will most probably be an empties post ;)

Japan Haul: Beauty, Skincare, Muji

Here is a an outline of the beauty products I picked up recently on my trip to Japan. I've tried a few things already so I'll give my opinion where possible. 

One of my first stops was Matsumoto Kiyoshi, the main drugstore chain in Tokyo. I picked up a few things from the Koji Dolly Wink brand, which is very popular and has the cutest packaging. As you can see from the picture, I picked out a Koji Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black. This eyeliner has a very thin pointed felt tip which makes it easy to draw a neat wing. I've repurchased this a few times and love it. I had never tried the false lashes by Dolly Wink before and decided on the False Lashes #5 Real Nude and False Lashes #14 Natural Cute. Looking on the Sasa website now, I realise that both these lashes are in fact made for your bottom lashes, when I presumed they were top lashes (silly me). I'll be using these as top lashes and hopefully they work as these were slightly more expensive (around the $20 mark). 

These next three packs of lashes were more affordable than the Dolly Wink brand and were purchased at Matsumoto Kiyoshi and Don Quitoje (a variety store, the Shinjuku branch has a decent selection of cosmetics). From left to right Sho-Bi Decorative Eyelash #09, Gorgeous Days False Lashes #2 (again made for bottom lashes - whoops!), BN Luminous Change Eyelash Ex (#03 Baby Face). These lashes were all more affordable in comparison to Dolly Wink (around $8-$10). 

I love skincare and couldn't help but pick up a few things, including my favourite asian skincare item - sheet masks!

I thought these Kao Lavender Steam Eye Masks looked so interesting and I couldn't help but pick up the smaller sized packet. They are disposable cotton eye masks which heat up to 40°C and calm and relax your eyes. I have tried one and it was quite nice, the smell of lavender is not too overpowering and the steam is a comfortable temperature. It did make my eye area a little wet from the steam but it did feel relaxing and calming. These are nice to use before bed and would be perfect for travelling when you need help winding down.

I'd read about the Shiseido Perfect Whip Foam Cleanser online, and it has quite good reviews on MakeupAlley. This is a very affordable cleanser, priced around $7 and seems quite popular as it was often displayed at the front of drugstores. I have only used this a few times but it seems a nice basic foaming cleanser. It really lathers up well and the foam remains very thick as you massage it into your skin.

I picked these LuLuLun Pink Sheet Masks up because they were so affordable, but I haven't tried one yet. The packaging is different as it is one zip lock bag with seven masks inside, as opposed to individually wrapped masks. After looking them up online, it appears they are a moisturising masks and are free of oil, alcohol and fragrance, making them ideal for sensitive skin types.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is a very popular cleansing oil in Japan, and has a lot of great reviews on MakeupAlley. It is free of mineral oil which is fantastic, as mineral oil is a cheap ingredient and not the best for your skin. Instead, the DHC has olive oil as the main ingredient and there is no added perfume apart from the fragrance of the rosemary essential oil. I've been using this for the past 2 weeks and have been very happy with its ability to remove makeup. I apply 1-2 pumps to my dry face, massaging it in to dissolve makeup and then rinse with a warm flannel. I then follow up with my normal balm cleanser (I'm currently using Emma Hardie). Like other cleansing oils, when applied to your eyes it can leave your vision blurry for a few seconds which sounds scarier than it is, so don't panic! 

These are Dariya Velcro Bows, the purpose of this product is to hold your hair or fringe back out of your face while you apply skincare or makeup. I was browsing Tokyu Hands in Shibuya when I spotted these in the cosmetic section. I remember a video by Miss Glamorazzi when she hauled some velcro hair bows and thought they could be useful. The velcro material doesn't crease your hair like a hair tie or headband. They do work to pull you hair back, although they are not very strong so they don't hold it in place with much force. I think these would be particularly useful for those with a fringe. 

Muji is such a fantastic store, they have recently opened a store in Melbourne so fingers crossed a Sydney store is coming soon, They have a fantastic selection of cosmetic containers and acrylic storage, which is perfect for storing makeup and jewellery. 

A nice little Clear Cosmetic Bag perfect for airport carry on luggage and a Folding Mirror, also great for travelling. 

A large Muji Body Sponge and a small Muji Body Sponge. The small size is perfect for travelling. Two Muji 20g Pots which are a great size for decanting moisturiser or face masks. 

From the acrylic storage range, I purchased a Muji Acrylic Stand and a Muji Acrylic Pot. The stand is currently on my bedside table with a few beauty items stored in it that I like to use before bed (lip balm, cuticle cream, hand cream, foot cream). The Acrylic Pot is now holding my larger makeup brushes. 

And that's all the beauty stuff I purchased from Japan, I hope this was interesting :) Have you tried any Japanese beauty products before? 

Haul: Kiehl's, Aesop, Haircare, MAC

Kiehl's Creme de Corps, Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15, Superbly Smoothing Argan Shampoo, Ultra Facial Cleanser, Ultra Facial Toner, Superbly Smoothing Argan Conditioner, Creme with Silk Groom, Ultra Facial Cream, Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream

From Kiehl's I picked up their cult product Creme de Corps as I've heard it's a great body lotion, as well as the Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15, which I though would be a good lighter moisturiser to use in summer. I couldn't believe how generous the store assistant was with samples, everything else was given to me to try out! It really impressed me as receiving samples is a great way to try out products from a brand to see what you like. I liked the Ultra Facial samples and I'd consider looking into this skincare line in the future. 

Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque, Control, Chamomile Concentrate Anti-Blemish Masque

Over at Aesop I picked up the much raved about Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque - and it hasn't disappointed! I really like this masque as a purifying mask as it helps with blemishes but doesn't dry my skin out.  I also picked up Control, which is a blemish gel that you apply and leave overnight. This helps mildy, but I haven't been wowed with this product so far. Whenever I go to Aesop I always get a sample sachet or two. This time I received two samples of the Chamomile Concentrate Anti-Blemish Masque, which was nice to try but I think I prefer the Parsley Seed. Also, the full-size packaging is in a pot as opposed to a tube which isn't as convenient. 

Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Shampoo, Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Conditioner, Matrix Biolage Hydrathérapie, Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner, Bun Maker

I picked up a few hair care products from Hairhouse Warehouse. First up was a Joico pack which consisted of 500mL pump bottles of the K-Pak shampoo and conditioner. This was a great deal and is one of my favourite lines, so I picked this up as it was good value. Next, I picked up a Biolage shampoo as my hairdresser uses this on me and I wanted to try it out properly. This is my current shampoo and I love the scent it leaves in my hair and it leaves my hair feeling hydrated. I also grabbed a new leave in conditioner to try out - and this one from Healthy Sexy Hair was recommended by Amarixe so I though I'd try it out - it smells nice and works okay but it's not my favourite so I'll be looking for something else when I finish up this bottle. Finally I picked up a donut bun maker - which I've tried out but haven't actually worn out yet! 

First Aid Beauty Smooth Shave Cream, Glassshouse Montego Bay Candle

From David Jones, I purchased a travel size shave cream from First Aid Beauty. I've found it hard to find small sized shaving creams at the pharmacy so I picked up this little mini to use when travelling. It sounds like it will be great for my sensitive skin. I also bought a new Glasshouse candle for summer, this one is Coconut Lime and it smells truly fabulous, reminding me of a tropical holiday!

MAC Vegas Volt Amplified Lipstick

Over at MAC I traded in 6 containers and received a new lipstick through their Back to Mac recycling program. I chose Vegas Volt which is a lovely bright orange coral, and I really love it, especially because I didn't have to pay for it!

Haul: MorrocanOil, Evo, Dermalogica

Here's my latest haul from this month! I'm really happy with all the products I picked up and I can't wait to use them all.

First off, I picked up this MoroccanOil Set. It came with the MoroccanOil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner and a 25mL MoroccanOil Treatment all packed in a nice bag. I was really happy with this purchase as it only cost me $65. The Shampoo and Conditioner retail for $32.95 each and the mini MorrocanOil retails for $26.50, so I really got the MoroccanOil for free! This worked out really well as I've been wanting the small see for travelling but couldn't justify the price as I already own the full-size. I'm finishing off my current shampoo and conditioner but when I try these out I'll let you know how they work! I purchased this online here.

Next up, I purchased a few things off Adore Beauty as I had a $10 voucher. I purchased Evo The Great Hydrator Moisture Mask. I've wanted Evo's The Great Hydrator ever since I tried a sample I received in a Lust Have It box, it worked really well, leaving my hair smooth and hydrated. I received Evo Soap Dodger Body Wash for free as the site was giving it away with any Evo purchase (unfortunately this offer is not on the site anymore). Finally, I purchased Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. This is a terrific cleanser with a really unique formula. It is a powder that you mix with a few drops of water to create a paste and then you apply it to your skin. I also received a sample of this in a previous Lust Have It box and was really impressed with how soft it left my skin feeling.

Evo products have such quirky descriptions that are so fun to read! Here's what was written on The Great Hydrator and Soap Dodger:

My order also included two samples and a little chocolate which was a nice touch. The two samples were Subtle Energies Divine Passion Double Cream and Aesop Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser. I think it's great to receive samples with your order as it's a great way to find new brands and test out different products. 

Priceline Skincare Goodie Bag

Priceline has an amazing offer going on right now until the 2nd July. If you spend $50 across these brands: Palmer's, Nivea, Avene, Pure Therapy, Witch, Biore, Innoxa, Neutrogena, Dove, Aptiva, Playboy, Softlips, Skinvitals, U Little Beauty, Yes To, Vaseline, Puretopia, Oxy. You receive a goodie bag valued at $220! 

Here's the outside of the bag...

And the contents... 

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lotion Fragrance Free, Puretopia Glowingly Smooth Body Polish, Dove Silky Nourishment Body Cream

Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF30+, Vaseline Aloe Fresh Lotion SPF15

U Little Beauty Hand Cream, Nivea Intensive Nourishing Hand Cream

Avene Thermal Spring Water, Playboy Play it Rock Parfum Deodorant, Innoxa SOS Skin Tissue Oil Aerosol

Biore Clean Things Up Gel Cleanser, Sukin Facial Moisturiser

Skinvitals Hydraflex Face Mask, Apivita Express Beauty Mask with Cereals, Yes to Cucumber Facial Towelettes

Oxy Zit Blitz Gel, Witch Blemish Stick, Pure Therapy Intensive Moisture Repair Gel, Softlips Vanilla SPF20

And here's what I spent $50 on to get the goodie bag. Dove Triple Moisturising Body Wash, Skinvitals Eyelift Cloth Eye Treatment Masks, 2x Biore Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, Swisspers Blot-off Oil Tissues, Vaseline Cocoa Butter Body Butter, 2x Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes Night Calming 

If you like the look of this goodie bag, hurry into your nearest Priceline before they all run out!

Haul: Real Techniques Brushes

My Real Techniques brushes have arrived...

I'm so excited to receive these in the mail as I've wanted them for ages! My other makeup brushes are predominately MAC with a few Laura Mercier and Eco Tools brushes. I've read and watched great reviews about these and I wanted to try out some synthetic brushes for applying foundation and cream products. 

I ordered the Core Collection, Stippling Brush, Blush Brush and Powder Brush.

Core Collection:

I ordered the Core Collection specifically so I could get the Buffing Brush, which is only available in this set. It also comes with a Detailer Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush and Contour Brush. $17.99 

Stippling Brush:

The Stippling Brush has received great reviews online. I'll try this brush for applying foundation and cream blushes. The bristles are quite firm, so I'm excited to see how this works. $9.99

Blush Brush: 

This is quite large for a blush brush and could even be used to apply powder all over the face. However, due to its size it should make blending blush very simple. $8.99

Powder Brush:

This powder brush is really big! It is similar in width to my MAC 150 brush but it has more bristles. This should make applying powder all over the face really quick and easy. I'll also give this a try for bronzer and see how it works. $9.99

Overall, I'm happy with these brushes. They are extremely soft and feel like they are good quality. I'm happy with the price of these brushes, they are very affordable and I was able to find them easily online with affordable shipping. 

I like how the handles are labelled with the name of the brush, making them easy to identify. The handles are also colour coordinated. The gold handles represent a brush that is for applying a base, and the pink handles are finishing brushes. There are also eye brushes which have purple handles. 

What I found disappointing was that you can't purchase all the brushes individually as I really only wanted the Buffer Brush but had to pay $17.99 for the set of Core Collection brushes. 

Also, brushes sold in a set come with a stand/case included. Although this might be useful for some, I don't think I will use it and would prefer a lower price for the set without the case.

I ordered these from http://www.iherb.com/ as they offer cheap international shipping. You can use the code FIX325 to get $5 off your first order, which is a great deal. 

Have you tried any Real Techniques brushes? What do you think of them?