December Haul 2015 (Makeup)

Hey guys, I'm bringing to you my monthly haul! I used up my gift cards and I also received a few gifts, so that's why I have quite a bit of stuff! I also wanted to add a few things to my kit! So ya, I hope you guys enjoy this haul and like usual, let me know if you want me to talk about any of these products!

A few goodies from this haul! 

Let's start off with Morphe. I placed this order in November and I received it about a week ago. It took awhile, just like my previous order, but honestly, I'm obsessed with their products. It legit doesn't matter to me anymore, as long as I get my products! So, almost everything I purchased from Morphe was for my kit! I went a little ham on the lashes, because my kit desperately needed them! I purchased the Morphe Wispies for myself. I'm absolutely in love with these lashes and I just stock up when I can! Then, I purchased 2 pairs of the #415. I've never tried these before, but they look really nice, so I wanted to add them to my kit. I also purchased 7 pairs of the #217. I absolutely love these long lashes! They're not too full, so they look natural, but they are long! I also got the #747S. I only got one pair, because I already have 2 pairs that are short and natural like these ones! I find these are perfect for people that don't want dramatic lashes! I also got 5 pairs of the Demi Wispies. I originally wanted the Wispies, but they were sold out, so I got these. They're really nice and again, it can be a nice pair for people that don't want anything too dramatic. The lashes I got for my kit were only $1.99USD. So, it was an amazing buy, but unfortunately Morphe got new packaging (you see it on the Wispies pair), so now they're $3.49USD. I'm a little upset and I wish I got more pairs for my kit! The last thing that I purchased from Morphe is the Shadow Shields. I got this mostly to help me apply mascara. Tamanna from Dress Your Face uses it for that and I find it really helps prevent the mascara from touching the crease. You can even use it to prevent eyeshadow fallout or to help you create a wing. I find since it's so versatile why not get it.

My kit was missing these items!

Next, I purchased from Bh Cosmetics. I got the Carli Bybel Palette! This is another item that I ordered in the beginning of November and only received it the first week of December. I actually wrote a mini review on it http://makeupcheckbydivya.blogspot.ca/2015/12/bh-cosmetics-carli-bybel-palette-hot-or.html . Overall, I love this palette and I highly recommend it! It's so affordable guys, like you can't go wrong with it! I really hope Carli does more collaborations in the future!

The Carli Bybel Palette!

Next, I made a few purchases online and in store at Sephora! I always place orders online to get cashback from Ebates, but since I had 2 gift cards, I had no choice, but to go in store. I purchased the Urban Decay & Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette. This packaging is everything, but overall, I wasn't too impressed with the eyeshadows. Especially for the price, I expected better! I also wrote a quick review on it, if you guys want to check it out http://makeupcheckbydivya.blogspot.ca/2015/12/urban-decay-gwen-stefani-eyeshadow.html .

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Palette

I also purchased the Benefit Real Cheeky Party Palette. I'm absolutely obsessed with this palette! The packaging is also very unique and I love the smell of this palette! I love the blushes, they're pigmented and blend like a dream! They're also really long wearing! I also finally used the Hoola bronzer and it's really nice! I finally understand what the hype is about! It also comes with the Watt's Up highlighter and They're Real mascara, which are two products that I absolutely love! Overall, it's a great value and I highly recommend that you guys get it!

Benefit's Real Cheeky Party Palette

I finally purchased the Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizing Veil. This highlighter is so creamy in texture and glides on your skin like butter! It's a subtle highlighter. It's perfect for bridal makeup or even just for someone that wants a soft subtle highlight! I also purchased the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. I purchased the smaller size to test it out and I really do like it! I love the scent of it, it's not too strong and it really does absorb the oil! It leaves my hair fresh and clean! I was really impressed with the results and I'll definitely be getting the full size!

I've been eyeing these for awhile! 

Next, I purchased the Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue. I've been really into glitter lately and I didn't have a glue for it, so I was like why not. I've used it a few times and I really do like it! It's super strong and long lasting! Next, I purchased the Tarte Inner Rim Liner. I've read really good reviews about this product and I needed a beige liner for my water line! I only used this once and so far so good! I also purchased the Smashbox Always Sharp Lip Liner in Nude Medium. I saw this shade in store and I couldn't pass up on it! It's creamy in texture, so I was intrigued! As far as first impressions go, I do like it, but I'm not sure how it works. What I mean by that is that the packaging is very different. Apparently there's a sharpener in the cap, so that the liner is always sharp, but I don't know how you dispense more product out. But ya, that's my only issue, but the formula is really nice! Next, I purchased the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita 2. I absolutely love Lolita, so I had to give Lolita 2 a try! The color is really unique. It's a terracotta nude. It appeared more on the orange side on me and I don't like orange on me, so I'm "meh" about it. However, I see this looking stunning on fair and light skins! I'll continue to use it and maybe I'll change my mind! Then, I also got the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in the shade Med-Light Neutral. This concealer is a bit too light for me. I find the lightning at Sephora is always off and I always mess up on foundation and concealer shades. I was thinking of exchanging it, but my kit doesn't have a concealer that's this shade, so I'm just going to toss it in there. However, the consistency and texture of this concealer is really nice! It's full coverage, but feels so light! I really like the formula of it! It's pricey, but I see what the hype is about! I'm for sure going to get one in my shade later on! Next, I purchased the Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. So far, I like this primer. It's super expensive and I'm not a fan of this lip gloss packaging, because I find a ton of product always gets left behind. However, the product itself is nice and it really does help your eyeshadow last longer! I'm actually writing this post on how to get your eyeshadow to last almost the whole day, so stay tuned for that! Lastly from Sephora, I repurchased the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. This is like my 4th tube and I'm honestly obsessed with this mascara! I love the wand, it's very unique! It  lengthens and volumizes my lashes to a whole new level! It's a bit pricey, but definitely worth it!

Loving these! 

If you follow me on Instagram then you know that I was in Toronto for a weekend. I didn't have much time to do shopping sadly, but this one day, I ran into Walmart quickly. I passed by the beauty department and had to take a quick peek! I saw the L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Powder on sale, so I had to pick it up! I believe it was $12CAD. I ripped off the part that had the shade on it, so I'm not 100% sure what shade I got. I believe I picked up Sun Beige and it does match me pretty well right now. The powder itself is really smooth and blends really nicely! It's also long wearing! I really like it so far and if you guys want me to do a review, let me know!

Another product that was on my list for a long time!

Next, I placed a order online on The Bay's website to get a few products from the Ellie Goulding collection by MAC. I love Ellie Goulding and the packaging of her collection legit sucked  me in! I couldn't pass up on this collection! I got the lipstick in the shade Without Your Love. It's a warm light pink with a cremesheen finish. I don't really like cremesheen finishes, because I love a opaque lip, but maybe I'll get clients that don't. I know not everyone loves a bold lip. Next, I got the Powder blush in I'll Hold My Breath. The compact is super cute!You can use the top as a bronzer and the bottom as a blush or you can fix the both for a deeper blush. I still haven't tried this product, but normally MAC blushes and bronzers are really nice! Like honestly, these are collector's items. I'm a makeup junkie, so you know why I got these. But, they're not must haves!

Makeup Junkie Problems! 

Now, I'll show you guys the few gifts that I've received! My friends got me a new straightner! They got me the Infiniti Pro by Conair. I have like a weird hair texture, like it's thick and weird. So, I have a hard time with straightners. It takes me at least an hour to straighten my full head. However, this straightner works really well! I'm really impressed by it! If you have thick hair, I highly recommend it! I can straighten my full head in half an hour and my hair actually stays straight throughout the day!

Obsessed with this!

Next, my aunt got me the Gucci Guilty perfume set for Christmas. I've been looking for a new perfume,so this was honestly perfect! I don't like getting perfumes as a gift, because I'm super picky with scents, but I actually love Gucci Guilty! I've tried a sample of it before. I'm bad at describing scents, so I'm not even going to try, but if you're looking for a perfume, give Gucci Guilty a try! This set came with a full size perfume, a travel size spray and a body lotion. It's a super nice set! I know I'm probably the last person to get this perfume, but whatever, I finally have another perfume that I like!

Love this gift! It has everything!

Lastly, this wasn't a gift, but my friend had these travel size MAC pigments that she never used, so she passed them on to me. She saw me snap about Melon that I've received last month, so she was like hey I have some lying around that I barely touched. This was a part of a old MAC Holiday Collection. It came with 5 sized to go MAC pigments. I'm not sure if they're limited edition or not, but I'll list the names anyways. There's Reflects Gold (white base with reflecting gold shimmer), Copperized (olive green with brown), Rushmetal (rustic orange red brown), Jardin Aires (peachy beige) and Museum Bronze (medium bronze). I'm obsessed with MAC pigments, so I love all of these! They're perfect for holiday looks!

Yassss more pigments for my collection!

That's it for my December Haul! I got quite a bit of stuff as you can see! I still have more coming in the mail, that I'll be including in my January Haul! I hope you guys enjoyed this post and let me know if you want me to review any of these products! As you guys can see, I'm building a kit to do freelance makeup! I still haven't made an announcement about it, because I'm still missing a few things and I need more content for my website. So ya, I'm super excited to start, because I love makeup! I want makeup to be my full time job in the future! I should be ready to go by February, so ya, my Montrealers you'll be able to book me! This is my last post for 2015! I just want to thank all my followers and viewers for taking the time to read my blog! I really do appreciate it! I'm so happy that I started blogging this year and I can't wait to continue next year! In 2016, I want to start doing giveaways to show you guys my appreciation! I also have a lot of plans, so hopefully everything goes well!  Anyways, I just want to wish you guys a Happy New Year!!! Wish you all nothing, but the best and see you in 2016! xoxoxo

Bobbi Brown University Lip Palette: Hot or Not?

Hey guys! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! I definitely did and enjoyed my few days off! So, I wanted to do a  mini review on this lip palette by Bobbi Brown. I normally don't buy Bobbi Brown products, because it is expensive. However, I was really drawn to this palette! I also haven't heard many people talk about it, so I was like why not talk about it on my blog!

Bobbi Brown University Lip Palette

First things first, the packaging of this palette is very classy. It's simple and looks very professional. It's also not that big, so it's super travel friendly! I originally wished that it was bigger, but honestly, this size is perfect! I also love the size of the mirror inside! It's very sturdy! I also love how the names of the shades are on the back! It comes with 12 beautiful shades! The palette comes with 12.8g of product and it costs $70CAD. For $70, I wish it had more product! I don't find it's enough, but then again, Bobbi Brown is a highend brand. I purchased this during the VIB sale, it was the only way that I could justify the price!

Love the packaging!

Close up

As mentioned this palette comes with 12 gorgeous lip shades! All the shades are uniquely different from one another! I find it compliments any skin tone! You have a mixture of pinks, mauves, nudes, reds and corals! The great thing about lip palettes is that you can always mix two colors to customize shades! It's very versatile in that sense! The finish of these lipsticks is more on the satin side and a few are sheer. There's Beige Gold Shimmer, which is like a finishing topper, so it's sheer. I like how they included that shade, because it gives you the option of creating a shimmery glossy finish! There's even Berry Shimmer that has shimmer in it. The rest have absolutely no shimmer in them! This is honestly a all year round palette! It legit has your bright colors, your dark colors and your everyday colors! I honestly just can't get over the shade range, it's just so stunning! If you're a makeup artist, you'll love this palette!

Close up (gorgeous, right?)

Here are the swatches! (I have medium skin!)

First row

Middle row

Bottom row

Now, let's talk about the quality! Overall, I'm really impressed! They're pigmented and glide on your lips like butter! They're also super long wearing! I would say it can last up to 6 hours! Obviously, if you eat or drink, it'll start coming off. However, I find when you use a lip liner, it doesn't completely come off! Like some lipsticks disappear completely when you're eating or drinking, but these lipsticks don't completely come off. You still slightly see the color (not sure if that makes sense). I used the shade Burnt Red on my aunt for this party and guys, she had it on all night (so for 7 hours). She ate and drank! Like it wasn't as bold as it was in the beginning, but the lipstick was still there throughout the night (and she didn't even touch it up)! Like I said though, you have to wear a lip liner or else, it would come off completely!

Can't get over it!

Even  though this palette is expensive, I do highly recommend it! I love the quality of this palette and the shade range is to die for! Especially if you travel a lot, this palette is really handy and there's something for every occasion! This palette is limited edition, so get your hands on it ASAP! If you're not sure, I recommend that you play with it at your local Sephora! I hope you guys enjoyed this mini review! My December Haul will be coming up shortly, so stay tuned for that!

BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Palette: Hot or Not?

Hey guys, so once I posted a picture of this palette, a few people been asking about my opinion on it. So, I decided to do a quick review. The main question that I got was "Is it worth it or not?". So, I'll keep it as short as I can and I will provide swatches of these eyeshadows and highlighters!

Bh Cosmetics Carli Bybel Palette

Let's start off with the packaging. I love the design of this palette! It's so Carli! It's also unique and different. I definitely don't own a palette that looks similar to it! It looks nice, but feels cheap. It's made out of cardboard. However, the magnetic closure is really strong, so the palette doesn't open easily, which is something that I like! This palette comes with 10 eyeshadows and 4 highlighters. It has 47.6g of product, which is quite a bit! It's only $12.50USD, which is honestly so cheap! Carli teamed up with BH Cosmetics to create something that wasn't highend and affordable for her subscribers. I thought that was a great idea, because she has so many followers and let's face it, makeup is expensive! I honestly paid a bit under $25CAD for this palette with shipping. On top of it, Ebates was giving back 15% cashback at the time, so this palette is legit so affordable! You can only buy this palette on the BH Cosmetics website!

Really pretty packaging!

Let's talk about these shades.What I like is that these shades would suit any skin tone! They're all neutrals with 2 shades that are mauve and purple. This palette comes with only 3 mattes and the rest are all shimmers. I kind of wish she made 5 mattes and 5 shimmers. There's only 1 or 2 shades that would look good in the crease, so it would have been nice to have another 2 options to really mix it up! I also find those 2 shades may be too light for someone with dark skin. There are honestly 3 eyeshadows that are so similar to the highlight shades and I find that wasn't necessary. However, you have a large variety for lid shades! You can even use the highlighters as a lid shade!

The first row is more on the pink and mauve side!

Gorgeous neutrals! I'm in love with the first 2 shades!

Highlighters for any skin tone!

In terms of formula, these eyeshadows are really nice! I've never tried BH Cosmetics before, but I heard really good things about their eyeshadows. The eyeshadows in this palette are buttery smooth and super pigmented! They feel like highend eyeshadows, no jokes! They also blend like a dream! The only downfall is that the eyeshadows are way too soft, so they crumble. When you dip your brush into the pan, it creates a mess and you also get fallout when you apply the eyeshadows. For the lid colours, I just spray MAC Fix Plus on my synthetic eyeshadow brush to avoid fallout! The highlighters also feel the same exact formula, but they don't crumble as badly as the eyeshadows do. They're also super pigmented and buttery smooth. They also blend like a dream! You can even spray Fix Plus on your fan brush for a wet highlight look! They're really stunning and there's something for every skin color! In terms of longevity, I find both eyeshadows and highlighters last up to 7-8 hours and then start to fade away slowly (be sure to prime your face and eyes!).

Another look, stunning right?!

I've been following Carli for awhile and I absolutely love her! I know she worked really hard on this palette and overall, I'm really impressed with this palette. I think the fact that it's so affordable makes me love this palette even more. Carli and BH Cosmetics did a really good job on this palette! It's currently back in stock and for $13, it's worth giving it a go! I highly recommend this palette, you won't be disappointed!

Urban Decay & Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette: Hot or Not?

Hey guys, I decided to write a quick review on this palette. I feel like everyone has been talking about this palette, so why not? I've been really busy lately, so I apologize for not posting often!

Urban Decay & Gwen Stefani Palette

The one thing that grabbed my attention was the packaging of this palette. Like, how gorgeous is this palette?! It looks and feels so luxurious! There's a nice weight to it and it's not too big, so perfect for travelling! Even the box for this palette is fancy, like I honestly CAN'T! The  palette comes with 15 eyeshadows with 1.4g each. It retails for $70CAD. It's quite expensive and that's why I was a bit hesitant on buying this palette. You can purchase it at Sephora or the UD website!

Both the palette and box are gorgeous!

A close up of the palette. Stunning right?!

In terms of shades, I find Gwen Stefani did a good job picking out the shades! There's neutrals and a few bold pop out colors. I find this can easily be a everyday palette or perfect for a full glam! It's suitable for any skin color! There's a right amount of shimmers and mattes! There's also a nice mixture of neutral, warm and cool undertones!

Another close up

Here are the swatches of the eyeshadows on my medium skin (Starting from the first row, left to right)

Really nice colors!

The middle shade is light for my skin, but it would be gorgeous on light skin!

The bottom row is more pigmented! They're absolutely stunning!

Let's talk about the formula. These eyeshadows are so smooth and pigmented! The only eyeshadow I find that's a bit patchy is Pop, other than that, they're all really nice! I find they all blend out really nicely, minus Pop. I've experience just a bit of fallout, but not too much. Now, here's the disappointing thing. I just don't find these eyeshadows last long. The first couple of hours (about 1-3 hours), my eye makeup looked flawless and after that, the eyeshadows just started to fade away! I always use the same products and technique to prime my eyes and for some reason, these just don't last long! I feel like I've tried everything! Even drugstore eyeshadows last longer! I also had this problem  with the Naked palettes (besides the basics!) and that's why I rarely use them. I thought this palette would be different, but no. Like I don't know, am I the only one?! Like, the Basic palettes (1&2) don't fade away as quickly, it's weird. Even the Moondust eyeshadows last a long time, but just Urban Decay's regular eyeshadows! For that reason, I'm turned off by this palette!

Another look

I honestly love the shades and packaging of this palette! I also love the texture, pigmentation and blendability of these eyeshadows, but I just wish they lasted longer! I think this is more of a "collector's" item for me. I definitely won't be using it everyday, but days or nights that I don't need to keep my makeup on for long, I'll reach for this palette. It's just too bad, because I had high hopes for it and I really wanted this palette to work! Let me know if you guys had this problem! Other than that, I hope you're all having an amazing day and I'm trying to get more posts up!

Makeup Gift Ideas for the Holidays (2015)

Hey guys! The holidays are quickly approaching us, so I wanted to do this gift idea post for you guys. This is basically gift ideas that you guys can get for that makeup lover in your family or friends. I figured it would be really useful, since makeup can be tricky to buy! So, I hope you guys find this post helpful!

Some must haves!

1) Empty palette with a giftcard
I personally love getting giftcards! I know some people think giftcards are a lazy way for you to save time, but honestly, when it comes to makeup, it's hard to buy a product, unless you know exactly what they're looking for! What you can do, if you don't want to look "lazy" is maybe get a empty eyeshadow palette with the giftcard. It gives your gift a value and hey it shows that you were thoughtful! Your best bet is to go to MAC! You get a empty palette (they have several sizes) and then just give a giftcard with it. You can even get the install if you want. With this, your makeup addict can customize her/his own eyeshadow palette! Let's say they don't like eyeshadows or have way too many, you can maybe get a lipstick holder at Dollarama or Winners or any stores that sell that with a giftcard. You can even get them a brush holder or any unique thoughtful piece for their vanity along with a giftcard! You're still being thoughtful and you can't go wrong with that!


2)Makeup Palettes
Since it's the holidays, there's hundreds of palettes that you can get them! Of course it all depends on what kind of palette they want. You have a choice between contour palettes, face palettes, lip palettes and eyeshadow palettes. So, it's nice to get  an idea of what they need or want in their collection. If you're looking to buy them a eyeshadow palette, well here is my Top 5 Favorite Eyeshadow Palettes: http://makeupcheckbydivya.blogspot.ca/2015/11/my-top-5-favorite-eyeshadow-palettes.html . Other than that, Sephora has tons of palettes for the holidays. They have a mixture of everything! If you want to get them something limited edition, there's the Anastasia Beverly Hills Self-Made Palette (love this palette!), the Urban Decay Vice 4, Benefit Real Cheeky Party Blushing Beauty Kit (I'm obsessed with this palette!), Smashbox ShapeMatters Palette and Bareminerals The Royal Court. You also have your non limited edition palettes, such as Hourglass Ambient Lightning Palette (must have!), Kat Von D Shade and Light Palette (absolutely obsessed with and highly recommend!), Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit (there's both powder and cream palettes), Yves Saint Laurent Couture Variation 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette, Naked Basics Palettes (everyday palette) and much much much more!

Benefit Real Cheeky Party Blushing Beauty Kit

Kat Von D Shade & Light Palette

Morphe 35T Eyeshadow Palette

Anastasia Beverly Hills Self-Made Palette (sorry about the ring light!)

[Those are just some pictures of the palettes mentioned!]

3)Value Sets from Sephora
Sephora has so many value sets to choose from right now! You have the Too Faced Grand Palais, GlamGlow GiftSexy sets, Too Faced Melted Kisses and Sweet Cheeks, Bite Beauty Discovery Set (most products are full size, so great value!), Smashbox Art Love Color Pout Collection, Origins Let Us Glow, Sephora Favorites: Give Me Some Lip, Fresh Mask Must Haves, Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi-Gloss Kit, Buxom Look All You Want Set (on special right now! Amazing value!) and much more!


4)Limited Edition Lipsticks
Everyone loves a limited edition lipstick! There's Bite Beauty Mapple Matte Creme Lipstick, YSL Rouge Pur Couture Kiss and Love Collector's Lipstick, Chanel Allure Velvet in La Merveilleuse, MAC Mariah Carey Lipstick and much more! You can always get a non limited edition lipstick! Like you really can't go wrong with lipsticks!


5)Perfume
If you're willing to spend a little more, perfumes are a great gift! My personal favorite is Gucci Flora. It's floral, but fresh! I also love both Chanel Chance and Madmoiselle. Like perfume can be hard, because I'm really picky, but you can casually just add in "Oh you know what scent I love ______" and they'll give you their opinion or say "Yes I've been wanting to try it" or "No, I'm not a fan". Like, when I'm shopping for gifts, I always casually slide in things and they never notice! I always get my answer! Also, another tip, go shopping with them! If you know they want a perfume, take them to Sephora or The Bay or Nordstorm and try them out!


6)Makeup Bag
Honestly, you can never have enough makeup bags! Sephora has so many cute makeup bags! They have those cute printed ones with a saying, such as "Losing you hurt, but losing my makeup bag would be a tragedy". They also have the leopard/cheetah print rose gold makeup bags! There's a ton of them and they're all very cute/stylish! You can even go to a department store and get a brand name makeup pouch, such as Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Charlotte Tilbury, Michael Kors, Kate Spade and so on!


7)Makeup Brush Sets
Makeup brushes are a great gift! Normally, a lot of beauty lovers don't purchase brushes, because they tend to be expensive! Especially during holidays, so many companies come out with brush collections that are a great value! For example, Sephora has several brush collections under their brand! They're good quality and come with cute packaging. I highly recommend you look into their Be Spotted Brush Set or Glitter Happy Brush Set. There's also Morphe that have amazing brush sets at a affordable price! These brushes are honestly amazing! They're MAC dupes, but so much cheaper! There's Set 692, Set 696, Set 501 and Set 682 that are really nice! I highly recommend you check it out! You can always pick out the brushes individually if you know exactly what they want! Just tie a ribbon around it to make it pretty!


8)Customization
Honestly customizing things adds so much value to a product! Even if it's someone that collects clutter, I guarantee you, if you put their name on it or their business name, they'll keep it forever! You can do this for brush holders, makeup brushes, customized eyeshadow palettes, makeup travel case or even just get a badge for your makeup artist! Especially brush holders are easy to customize! You can get it from dollarama and paint (or spray paint) your desired color. Then, you can add gems on it or if you're artsy, draw your friend's business logo on it or even just write their name or business name. You can even go to those ceramic cafes and do that or even customize a mug for them! There's so much you can do, you just got to get creative!



Now, I know some of you may just be doing a secret Santa or even just want a stocking stuffer or you're on a budget. It's ok! There's still options for you! Here are basically under $20 gifts!


1)Sephora Masks
This is legit the perfect inexpensive gift! Sephora released the Face mask ($8CAD), the Eye Mask ($6CAD) and the Sleeping Mask ($5CAD), which are absolutely amazing! The face and eye mask are one time use, but you see instant results with them! I personally love the Sleeping Mask out of all of them and you can use that pot up to 4-5 times! I really think they'll enjoy it, because who doesn't love a mask?!

Sephora Face Masks

2) Lush products
Since it's winter, who doesn't love to take a bath? Especially a long day at work and travelling in the cold weather, taking a bath is just so relaxing. I find Lush has the best bath products! Like have you ever tried their bath bombs, bubble bars or luxury bath melts?! They're amazing and just make bath time even more exciting! They range anywhere from $5-$10CAD, so it's the perfect small gift! They also have a huge variety, so you'll definitely find something suitable for them! Especially when it comes to the bath bombs,  you have so many options! Lush also has amazing face masks! They also come with a lot of product and I find if you use their masks for about a week or 2, you start seeing results! I also heard great things about their body butters and toners!


3)Morphe Lashes
This is another great gift! Morphe Lashes are only $3.49USD and you have a large variety to choose from! I personally love the WSP and #217! The band isn't too thick and the lashes look so natural! You also have many options! If you're not too sure which lashes they would like, I would stick to the natural looking ones (the ones I mentioned!). There's also Ardell lashes that I like and I heard great things about the Koko ones!


4)Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams
These are honestly amazing and they would make the perfect stocking stuffer! Nyx is really popular for their Soft Matte Lip Creams. They're in between a lip gloss and a liquid lipstick, so if your makeup addict hasn't tried these yet, you can surprise them with this! Some of the popular shades are Stockholm, London, Abu Dhabi, Zurich, Athens and Canne!

Abu Dhabi & Athens

5)Nail Polish
I think nail polish is one beauty product that no one gets sick of! There are just so many shades and finishes out there! I personally love Essie and Sally Hansen nail polishes! They're under $10CAD and at times, you can find Sally Hansen nail polishes for $5CAD! There's always a new different color trending by the season, so I suggest it's best to pick up that! If you want to splurge, there's also Formula X nail polishes that are amazing at Sephora and that brand comes in a huge variety!


6)Deluxe Size Products at Sephora
There's so many deluxe size products at Sephora! If you know something in specific that they been wanting to try, then definitely go check it out at Sephora! They have a lot of deluxe size mascaras and lipsticks to choose from! Even for skincare, they have so many products! Many people just want to test out a product before splurging on the full size, so it may be a nice stocking stuffer to get! I know a lot of people buy the Smashbox Photo Primer, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray in deluxe forms to test out, so these can be a option for you! There's of course more products, I just named the few main ones!


7) ColourPop Products
I absolutely love this brand and all their products are $5-10USD. They're really inexpensive with great quality! I absolutely love their eyeshadows, highlighters, lipsticks and lip liners! They have a huge variety to choose from! It's good to have some kind of an idea to what colors they like! You can even read reviews of the products on the site!



Other than that, I'm sure there's millions of things that I forgot about, but this is just a small list to give you guys an idea! Like, I stress a lot with Christmas gifts and I'm constantly looking up things on Google, so I decided to make your lives a little easier! I know if you don't know much about makeup, it's really hard to find things, but just remember, a makeup addict or junkie will love any kind of makeup, so don't stress too much! Regardless, it's the thought that counts! Happy Christmas shopping guys!

November Makeup Haul 2015

Wow, November honestly flew by! Don't you agree?! I feel like I wrote last month's haul just yesterday! So this month, there was a lot of damage that was done! I splurged like crazy! I never go this crazy, but it was the Sephora VIB sale and it's my birthday month! I also received makeup from my friends as a gift, so ya. It's a pretty big haul! I'm going to try to keep it as short as possible! But ya, let's get into it!

A few goodies from this haul! 

I'll start with my Morphe package that finally arrived! If you read my last haul, then you saw how I ranted about Morphe, because this package came in really late. However, it's in my hands now and that's all that matters! I placed this order mainly to repurchase the M427 duo fiber foundation brush. My old one got water in the handle, so the bristles sadly came undone, so I had to repurchase it! I absolutely love this brush to stipple in my foundation! It works really well and it just leaves a airbrush finish! I highly recommend this brush and it's not expensive at all! I also purchased 2 pairs of the Wispies lashes. These are again a repurchase! I've been obsessed with these! They're so natural and comfortable! I figured why not buy some for my kit! Lastly, I purchased the 35T eyeshadow palette! I mean the Morphe eyeshadow palettes have been everywhere lately! I just had to get one! Everyone raves about the 35O palette, but it's always sold out, so I decided to give the 35T palette a go. Let me say, I'm obsessed with this palette! I love everything about it! You have a mixture of shimmers, mattes, metallics and satins! You also have a large variety of neutrals, mauves, purples, taupes, golds and bronzes! This palette is perfect for any occasion and it's only $23USD!!! The formula of the eyeshadows are also really nice! If you're interested, I wrote a mini description of this palette in my top 5 favorite palettes! http://makeupcheckbydivya.blogspot.ca/2015/11/my-top-5-favorite-eyeshadow-palettes.html

My Morphe goodies!

Next, I made a trip to MAC. I wasn't planning on buying anything from MAC, but this one day I had time to kill before an appointment, so I walked in and walked out with a few goodies. I honestly can't window shop for my life! I purchased the Colourdrenched Pigment from the holiday collection in the shade Night Thrill. So basically, this is a pressed pigment. Night Thrill is a light-medium gold with warm undertones. I've already used this and I'm like on the fence about it. It's a little patchy. When you swatch it on your hand, it's not as smooth as the MAC eyeshadows and it just looks patchy. Even on the lid, I have to apply several layers. I find the best way to make it work is to spray a synthetic eyeshadow brush with MAC Fix Plus and then pack it on. You can apply a neutral eyeshadow as a base, so that you don't have to worry about it looking too patchy on the lid! It also transfers into the crease, so watch out for that and it also has a bit of fallout! I honestly love the color, but I expected better! Then I purchased the regular eyeshadow in the shade Beauty Marked. I completely forgot to ask for it in the pan! I was just having a bad day and I wasn't there completely. When I got home, I'm like shoot. So, I'm debating to depot it or not, because I also lost the receipt so I can't exchange it. Anyways, Beauty Marked is a beautiful blackened burgundy with purple sparkle in it. It's a beautiful unique eyeshadow for the lid. I can't wait to try this on! Then, I purchased 2 matte lipsticks. I purchased Smoked Purple, which is a deep eggplant purple. I already wore this a few times and it's the perfect deep purple! It's currently my favorite purple lipstick and I highly recommend it! I also purchased Persistence, which is peachy cinnamon color. It's a nude, but more on the medium side. I still haven't tried this one on, but I have a feeling that I'm really going to like it!

Gotta love MAC!

I also went to Jean Coutu. They started selling Nyx products, so I wanted to go check it out! They were sold out of all the lip shades that I wanted from the Matte Lip Cream line, so I was disappointed about that. However, I picked up the Nyx Matte Finish Long Lasting Setting Spray. I read good reviews about it, so we'll see. I still haven't used this product yet. I also got the Nyx Wonder Pencil in Medium. It's basically a concealer in a pencil form. I thought it would be useful to conceal my lips and brows with. I haven't used it yet.

Can't wait to try these! 

I also placed a order on Anastasia Beverly Hills website. It was my first time ordering from their official site and let me say, it's the last time I'll order from their website! I just had the worst experience with them, so from now on, I'll just be getting ABH products from Sephora. If you're curious to see what happened, click on this link http://makeupcheckbydivya.blogspot.ca/2015/11/anastasia-beverly-hills-rant.html . I received the liquid lipstick in Potion. It's a beautiful deepened purple that's perfect for the Fall! I still haven't used it, so I'll let you guys know what I think of it! I also purchased the Illuminator in Starlight. I've been dying to try their highlighters! I actually wanted all of them, but due to the problems, I only received one of them. Starlight is a beautiful light gold with warm undertones. I still haven't used it, but I have a good feeling about this one!

ABH products! The highlighter is gorgeous, right?!

So now, let's get into my Sephora VIB Sale purchases! I'm telling you, I bought a lot of stuff! The first thing that I got was Huda Beauty lashes in Sasha and Scarlett. These are really full! At first, they seemed like they were too much, but I fell in love with Scarlett! These are perfect for a full glam! I still haven't tried on Sasha yet, but I'm definitely excited! They are a bit expensive, so I didn't put mascara on them, so that they can last for a long time and because they're so full, you don't even need mascara to begin with! I also purchased 2 of the Moondust eyeshadows by Urban Decay. I got the shades Scorpio (matte black with 3D gold sparkle) and Ether (light purple with 3D blue/pink sparkle). I tried Ether on and I'm absolutely obsessed! It's a perfect shimmery lid color for the holidays and it really pops! I have nothing like these in my collection, so I'm excited to create looks for you guys!  If you guys want, I can definitely do a review on these! I also purchased the Burberry Holiday Palette in Gold (no.25). Since it's limited edition, it comes in this beautiful gold packaging, so I obviously had to pick it up! I still haven't used this palette, but I heard nothing but good things about Burberry eyeshadows, so I can't wait to play with this!

Gorgeous right?!

I also splurged on the Bobbi Brown University Lip Palette. I've read good reviews on it, so I decided to purchase it. The palette is a lot smaller than I had imagined and it also doesn't come with that much product (12.8g). However, the shades are so stunning! It's perfect for Fall and the holidays! I still haven't used it, but if you guys want a review on it, let me know!

I need to play with this!

I ended up repurchasing the Flora by Gucci travel spray. I already own the full size of this perfume, but these travel sprays are so handy when you're on the go! So when I ran out of mine, I immediately purchased it! This is probably my favorite perfume! It has a floral scent, but it's fresh. I'm really bad at describing scents, but definitely if you're looking for a perfume, try this one! I also repurchased the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. This is my holy grail! I believe this is my third bottle. It definitely does help your makeup stay on longer! Then, I purchased the Tarte Shine Bright Statement Lash Essentials. This came with a deluxe size of the Lights, Camera, Flashes mascara and a blinged out eyelash curler. I mean this eyelash curler is the bomb and I couldn't miss out on it! It's so stunning with the rhinestone handle! I actually needed a good eyelash curler, so when I saw this, I'm like yes, no questions asked. No doubt, Tarte has the best holiday packaging this year!

Love these products!

Next, I bought the Evian Mineral Water Spray. It's basically a spray that will moisturize, refresh and tone your skin. I've used it several times and I really do like it. Especially days that I don't wear makeup, I love to spray this on and it will keep my face moisturized. It also makes your face look refresh and healthy! Then, I got the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in  the shade 5.75. I did so much research and I thought this was the perfect shade for me, but no, it's a bit too light for me. I was going to exchange it for the shade 6.75, but then I got lazy. But, I have a feeling 6.75 would have been too dark. So, I'm just mixing this foundation with a darker shade in my collection. This foundation is really nice. It's luminous and it feels light. I'm not like "omg" about it, but I'll keep using it and let you guys know! It's a very expensive foundation, so I definitely wouldn't have bought it, if it weren't for the VIB sale. I also purchased the Sephora Sleeping Mask in Pearl. The Pearl mask brightens and perfects! I honestly love this mask and I saw instant results! It really brightened my face and just made it look healthy! They're only $5CAD, so give these a try! I know they're small, but I got 4 uses out of mine, which isn't bad! I also purchased the Makeup For Ever Brow Seal Transparent Eyebrow Gel. I've read really good reviews, so I decided to purchase it. I bought this for my kit. Next, I got the L'Occitane Nourishing Shea Butter Set. It comes with the hand cream and the Shea Butter Ultra Rich Body Cream. I've used L'Occitane's hand cream before and it's amazing! It's lightly scented and it doesn't make your hands greasy! It's really nourishing and I highly recommend it! I used the body cream and I'm obsessed! My skin's been really dry lately and this does the work! It makes it look so healthy and it really feels nourishing. It also makes my skin really soft and it leaves this sheen to my skin. I feel like this product is going to be my holy grail! This set is a great value, because technically you're getting the hand cream for free!

I'm loving these products!

I also purchased the new Gwen Stefani and Urban Decay Palette! The packaging of this palette is so gorgeous and the eyeshadows are also really stunning! I love how there's a bunch of neutrals and pop out colors! I've been playing with this palette for a few days now and I do like it. I just don't find the eyeshadows are as long wearing as I would like them, but in terms of texture and pigmentation, they're amazing! I'm going to continue to play with it, so let me know if you guys want a review on it!

Isn't this so gorgeous?! 

I also repurchased the Beauty Blender Blendercleanser Solid. I ran out of mine, so I definitely had to get it! This thing works like magic for your beauty blenders and brushes! It's expensive, but it gets the work done! I also purchased the Sephora Brush Conditioner. This basically prolongs the life of your makeup brushes. It also restores the softness to your brushes. I bought this mostly for my face brushes. Those are my most expensive brushes, so I definitely want them to last a long time. I've already used this on my Tarte Buffing Brush and it did make it super soft! So, I'm going to continue to test it out and see if it's worth it!

Gotta take care of my brushes!

So, that's all that I bought with my own money. Now, let's get into the makeup gifts that I've received for my birthday! I got a few gift cards that I'll probably use next month! So, I received the Anastasia Beverly Hill's Self-Made Palette! I've been wanting this palette ever since it came out, but I couldn't get my hands on it! So, I was completely shocked when I was gifted this! I can't wait to start playing with this palette! It's so gorgeous! Next, I received the Ben Nye Banana Powder! This is another goodie that I've been wanting for a long time! I'll definitely keep you guys posted on this product! Next, I got the MAC lip gloss in Oyster Girl. I've heard Amrezy rave about this lip gloss several times, so I'm glad that I finally have my hands on it! It's basically a light fresh pink with shimmer in it. I can't wait to try this on! Next, I got the MAC eyeshadow in Brown Down. It's basically a fudge brown. I actually needed this shade for my custom made palette! I also received the MAC pigment in Melon in the deluxe size. Melon is a golden peach. It's super gorgoeus! This actually comes with a lot of product! This is my first pigment, so we'll see how it goes! Next, I received the Sephora Rose and Ginseng masks! I've tried the Rose mask before and I absolutely loved it! So, I'm super happy that I got these! I'm honestly obsessed with masks! I also received the Sephora Lingzhi Eye Mask, which I can't wait to try out! I've heard really good things about it and you know I'll do anything to imrpove my under eyes!

I have such amazing friends right? 

I also received the Tarte Stroke of Midnight Brush Set. You know how many times I walked by this set and I'm like I don't need it. Then, all of a sudden, I desperately needed this set! Obviously, it was sold out everywhere, so I was upset. When my friend gave me this, I was like "OMG"! This is such a great value! I actually don't own any of these brushes, besides the buffing brush, so I'm excited to play with these! I actually needed another buffing brush for my kit!

I love this set! Sorry I had a hard time taking a picture of this set for some reason!

Next, I received 2 goodies from Lush. I honestly love Lush's bath stuff! I only started using them since last year and I've been obsessed! Especially since I'm like done the semester, I'll have time to take baths! I got the Stardust bath bomb and Rose Jam Bubbleroon. I'm so excited to try these!

 

Stardust and Rose Jam

Lastly, I received this nail set! I actually don't have much nail stuff, besides nail polishes, so I'm excited to try this! It actually comes with everything! I'm curious to see how this works out! It's a super cute gitft!

All the nail essentials are here!

Alright, so that's it for my huge November haul! I hope you guys enjoyed this haul! There was a lot more stuff than the previous hauls! So, let me know what you guys purchased during the VIB sale! Also, if you guys want me to review any of these products, let me know! Hope you all have a great week!