April Haul 2016 (Makeup)

Hey guys! Tell me how fast April went by? I feel like I just did my March Haul the other day! It's crazy how fast time flies by! I haven't been consistent and I do apologize! I just been so busy! I have a lot of things that I'm working on for my freelancing and I also started working out! It was hard the first few weeks, but it's been getting better! Other than that, I kind of went ham at the VIB sale! I purchased more than I expected! I was a little disappointed that Sephora didn't have an event like they normally do. I was all excited to bring my friend and stuff, but it was nothing special, but hey at least we got 15% off! I don't know if this was just in Montreal, but wherever you're from, did Sephora do an event? I'm just curious! But ya, let's get into this haul!

My April Haul!

The first thing that I purchased is this Glamlite. I know this isn't makeup, but I find it's something useful for makeup addicts. I heard someone on Instagram raving about this, so I was like why not! I originally wanted the LuMee case, but unfortunately, they don't have one for my phone. However, the Glamlite can be plugged into any phone, so I was happy about that! They're $30USD and super easy to use! I've used it a few times and it does make a difference in the dark! I know a lot of people are expecting it to have the same results as a ring light, but it definitely doesn't. Like if you're taking a picture during the day and you want to use the Glamlite to capture the smallest details like a ring light does, it won't. It's just useful in the dark. It's a handy and nice product to have! It's perfect for when you're going out with your friends at night!

Has anyone purchased this?

Let's jump into the Sephora stuff! I made one trip to my local Sephora in Fairview and I also placed 3 orders online (because I couldn't make up my mind). So, it's a combination of both! I didn't buy everything in store, because a lot of things were sold out and I also wanted to get cashback on Ebates! So ya! I finally purchased the Anastasia Glow Kit in That Glow. Originally, I bought this as a gift for a friend, but she ended up picking it up, so I decided to keep it for myself. I wanted this for the longest time, but I just have so many highlighters! Like, did I really need another one? But, of course, one more doesn't hurt! I haven't tried this on yet, but they swatch really nicely! They're super pigmented and buttery smooth! I'm sure everyone and their moms have it! I'm just the last one to get this! I also picked up some Anastasia eyeshadows! This is another thing that's been on my list for a long time! However, I just waited for the sale to get these. I wanted to see the colors in store, but they didn't have all the eyeshadows from the collection, so I kind of wished I just ordered them online. However, I'm really happy with the shades that I picked up! I got the shades Metal (a titanium silver gold shimmer), Pink Champagne (pinky beige shimmer), Warm Taupe (matte warm soft brown) and Comfort (satin antique copper). I own a few of the ready made palettes, so I tried to get shades that I didn't already own. I didn't create this palette for the colors to work together. Originally, I just wanted really shimmery colors, but my Sephora was out of a few of the shades. I've used these eyeshadows several times and I love the formula! They're buttery smooth and super pigmented! They blend like a dream and they're long lasting! I know I'll be picking up more ABH eyeshadows in the future for sure! I just wish they had a 8 pan palette or something though!

I been wanting these ABH goodies forever now!

I finally picked up the Tartelette in Bloom palette! I've been eyeing this ever since that it came out, but I never purchased it because I have so many palettes and I was waiting for the sale! You guys don't understand how happy I was to have this palette in my hands! It's everything that I expected! It's just so stunning and I love the colors! I also love how there's shimmery shades in this palette! I've already used this a few times and it's amazing! I have nothing bad to say about it! It's pigmented, smooth and long wearing! There's so many looks that I want to create with this palette!

The Tartelette in Bloom! Absolutely stunning!

I also purchased the Make Up For Ever Duo Mat Powder Foundation. I wanted to get a foundation, but I have so many, so I decided why not give a powder foundation a go, since I don't own any? You guys, this stuff is so amazing! It's so creamy and smooth! It also covers everything! It's full coverage and I love it! Even if you don't want a full coverage, you can lightly dust this on and it'll give you a really nice natural matte look! You can even set your foundation with this! Like, powders are always versatile! I've been really liking this powder and I'm going to get great use out of it this summer! If I had the money, I would legit buy every shade for my kit!

I love this full coverage powder foundation!

Next, I purchased the Huda Beauty lashes in Samantha. You guys already know that I love Scarlett, so I had to get another one! I haven't tried this one on yet, but I love how they flare at the end! They kind of remind me of Wispies, but with more volume. So ya, we'll see how it goes!

I love Huda Beauty lashes!

I purchased a bunch of sheet masks. I love masks and sheet masks have just been in lately. So many brands are coming out with them, so I just had to pick up a few! I got the Karuna Exfoliating+ Face Mask. This is supposed to deep clean, freshen the skin and gently exfoliate dead skin cells. It looked very promising, so I decided why not? I also picked up the Tony Moly Tea Tree Face Mask Sheet (Soothing). Originally, I wanted the other masks, but they were all sold out online, so I decided to just get the soothing one. So, this is a tea infused mask that balances and soothes skin tones. It came with 2 sheet masks. I already  used one of them and it's nice. It's very soothing and hydrating. Do I think this mask is a necessity? No, not really. It's a really nice mask to use when your skin just feels dull. The last sheet mask that I picked up is the Boscia Sake Brightening Hydrogel Mask. This is supposed to brighten, firm and hydrate your face, which really captured my attention. I love masks that have more than one benefit, which is why I picked up this mask. I still haven't used it, but I'm really excited to try it out! I may just do a review on this mask, what do you think?

Sheet masks! Who wants me to review any of these?!

When I went to my local Sephora, I came across the Minnie Mouse Collection! The packaging is absolutely adorable and I just had to pick up something! I was debating to get the eyeshadow palette, because the eyeshadows swatched really nicely, but I have way too many eyeshadow palettes, so I went with the Minnie's Perfect Red Lipstick. It truly is the perfect red! It's not too blue nor is it too orange! It's a beautiful true red! The packaging is absolutely gorgeous and it feels very luxurious! I also love the charm on the box! Like, I bought this lipstick for collection purposes, I didn't even try it on! I kind of don't even want to, because the embossing on the lipstick is also really cute! I swear makeup addict problems!

How cute is this packaging?! I can't!

Next, I purchased the Glamglow Gravitymud Firming Treatment. I been wanting a Glamglow mask for centuries, but they're just too expensive and I couldn't justify the price! I got a sample of this when I went into my local Sephora. It was only a one time use, but OMG, I fell in love with this stuff! I never used a product that firmed and toned my skin instantly! I just had to pick it up and I thought getting 15% off is better than nothing! I'm obsessed with this product! I also picked up the Tangle Teezer, because Jaclyn Hill was raving about it. It actually works! I saw it a few times before, but I'm like whatever, how amazing can a brush really be? But, it really is that amazing! I have a lot of knots in my hair and taking them out can be really painful! With this thing, I don't have to deal with pain at all and it takes out the knots instantly!

Love these 2 new products!

I also purchased the Ouai Dry Shampoo. Everyone was raving about this brand, so I wanted to give it a go. I actually don't own that many hair products and I also been loving dry shampoos, so I was like why not? I still haven't used this, but it has a strong musky scent to it. I'm not too crazy about the scent and I don't hate it, but I can see people not liking it, because it's strong. So ya, we'll see how it goes! I can definitely review this, if you guys are interested!

I love the packaging! It's simple, but chic!

We're almost done with Sephora! I purchased these 2 products for my kit! I got the Make Up For Ever Instant Brush Cleanser. I've been on a search for a quick brush cleanser, so that I can quickly clean my brushes  in between clients. I've read really good reviews on this cleanser, so I decided why not? This stuff you guys is amazing! It's definitely a must have for makeup artists! It dries within seconds and definitely gets rid of everything! It's good for both natural and synthetic brushes! I highly recommend this product! Lastly, I purchased the Tweezerman Pink Perfection Slant Tweezer. I really needed a good pair of tweezers for my kit and I heard great things about Tweezerman. However, these tweezers aren't cheap ($29CAD). So, I always put it off, but honestly, I get clients that need a bit of clean up and my Revlon one wasn't the best. I also needed a good pair to help me put on fake lashes, so I just splurged on this! Honestly, it's amazing! It gets every hair! Even the thinnest and smallest hair! Also, using this to apply lashes with is so easy! Like, it's pricey, but it's worth it! It's a one time investment type of thing!

My kit desperately needed these products!

I also made a purchase on The Bay's website. MAC released this new collection that I wasn't really interested in, but this highlighter just kept popping up everywhere and I just had to get it! The shade is called Otherearthly and it comes in the regular MAC compact. However, the embossing on this Skinfinish is to die for! It's absolutely stunning! It comes with basically 3 shades; silver, pink and golden bronze. You can use them separately or mix 2 of them together or even just mix the 3 of them! I've used this just once and I was like "OMG", it's really stunning! They also swatch really nicely! I still have to play with this, because that one time that I used it was for legit 2 minutes, so ya! If you want me to do a review, let me know! I believe this is sold out on MAC's website and in store as well, so definitely check out The Bay's online!

MAC limited edition stuff always gets me!

Lastly, I  ordered from Nyx's website. The Full Coverage Concealer Jar in Orange came back in stock, so I had to pick it up. It's basically a full coverage orange corrector. I purchased the Green one a few months ago and fell in love with the texture and consistency! I waited for the Orange one to get back in stock. It's mainly for my kit, so I haven't really played with it! I also purchased the Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Sandstorm. It's basically a true nude! I was scared that it was going to be too light for me (I fall in between medium to tan skin) and it's legit the perfect nude! I've only worn this once and I really do like it! I didn't have it on for long, so I can't say much about the formula, but if you want me to review it, let me know! Next, I purchased the Soft Matte Lip Cream in Seoul. Seoul is the perfect violet color for the Spring! It's nice and vibrant, which is why I purchased it! I feel like this will be my go to shade, as soon as the weather gets warmer! I also purchased 2 of the Ultra Pearl Mania. I picked up the shades Mink (pale gold) and Sky Pink (light pink). I still haven't tried these on yet, but I find them very messy. The packaging should be a bit bigger, so that when you twist off the lid, the pigment isn't flying and falling everywhere! Like, I really can't deal with the mess, so I'm looking for empty containers to dump these in. Lastly, I purchased the new Face and Body Glitter in Crystal. The packaging is better on this and it's a lot bigger than the pigments. Crystal is basically a holographic silver. I'm really excited to use this, because you guys know that I'm obsessed with glitter!

I love Nyx Cosmetics! Best drugstore brand hands down!

Now, I'm going to share with you guys these samples that I received from Karen, who is a independent consultant at Rodan + Field. We actually met through Glambassador. I'm not going to get into Glambassador on this post, but I'll be talking about it on the same post that I review the Rodan+Fields products! So ya, she sent me samples of her products to test out and review on my blog. I received the Micro Dermabrasion Paste and the serum. I've been using it for 2 weeks now and so far so good! Stay tuned for that post!

Can't wait to talk to you guys about this brand!

That completes this haul! It's a lot bigger than the past few hauls that I did! I had to splurge, because of the VIB sale! The next few months are probably going to be small hauls now, but I'll be doing "Monthly Favorites" now, so stay tuned for that! It should be up on my blog next week! If you guys don't follow me on Instagram yet, you definitely should @divya_patelxo. A lot of times, I post on there the products that I'm testing out or what I've been liking! I even have my freelance work on there, so feel free to check out that good stuff! You can even get a glimpse of my other interests on there that's not makeup! So ya, I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Let me know what you picked up during the sale! Also, let me know if there's any reviews that you want me to do! :)

Estée Lauder: Bronze Goddess Summer Glow Multi-Palette Review

Estée Lauder is back at it again with the Bronze Goddess Collection! This time, it's something new. They released the Summer Glow Multi Palette, which is a face palette that comes with a highlighter, blush and bronzer! Last year, I know a lot of people weren't a fan of the Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelée. It looked like Heat Wave, but it was completely different. So, I guess they wanted to try something different this year. I was really drawn into this palette. I love face palettes and I get great use out of them! It's just so convenient! I also heard great things about their bronzers and blushes! I thought this would be perfect to try them out and see for myself. It's also gorgeous! Like, do you see the embossing? How can I possibly pass up on this?!

The new Summer Glow Multi Palette by Estée Lauder

Alright, let's start with the packaging. It comes in the regular Bronze Goddess box (the same as the bronzer and the Illuminating Powder Gelée). The product itself comes in a gold rectangular compact. It looks absolutely stunning, but it feels cheap. The palette itself has no weight to it. It's not as sturdy as I want it to be! Aside from that, the palette comes with 11.5g of product. I pictured this to be bigger and was hoping that it came with more product. So, I was a bit disappointed with that too. However, once you open the palette, the embossing is SO gorgeous! It makes you forget how cheap the palette feels. I don't know how to describe the pattern to you, but it has this cool 3D look to it! It's very original and creative! As mentioned, it comes with a highlighter, blush and bronzer. The blush is a lot bigger than the highlighter and bronzer! This palette retails for $55CAD. I bought this on The Bay's website. It was also available on Estée Lauder's website, but for Canadians, I know it's sold out (keep checking though!). Other than that, I have no idea which other retailers have this product, so definitely check out The Bay! I'm not a 100% sure, but I feel like it's limited edition!

The compact does look stunning!

Here's another view of this palette!

The whole concept of this palette is to give you a radiant sun kissed look. The formula of the 3 products are gel based. It feels super soft! The powders give you a natural finish. Like, this powder melts into your skin and looks like your skin, but better! The pigmentation is also really nice! It's not too opaque, so it makes blending super easy! Especially when it comes to blush, you don't want a blush that has too much pigmentation or else, you'll be spending a good amount of time trying to blend it out and to make it look natural! The powders are also long wearing. I had them on for 8 hours and it lasted pretty well. The only issue that  I had with these powders is that sometimes I have a hard time picking up the product with my brushes. For example, with the bronzer, when I use a fluffy natural hair brush, it doesn't pick up the product easily. I find myself swirling into the product several times to pick up the product! It's best to use a synthetic or dense brush to pick up the product and then blend it out with a natural hair or fluffy brush. The formula is nice, but it could use a bit of work.

Up close! 

I'm going to break down each shade now! They don't have any specific names, so I'll just be referring to them as highlighter, blush and bronzer!

Highlighter:
It's a gorgeous soft beige with golden undertones. It has a luminous sheen to it. It's finely milled, which I really like! It does have glitter to it, but it's not overpowering and just leaves a natural luminous sheen. You can barely tell! I would say it's more on the subtle side. It's not super opaque, but you can definitely build it up. I find it's a nice everyday highlighter. I also love how it doesn't emphasize my pores or anything! As mentioned, it wears really nicely for 8 hours! I'm not too blown away by it, because I believe you can definitely find something similar for cheaper.

Blush:
The blush is a gorgeous rosy pink with warm undertones. It has a golden shimmer sheen finish to it. It's a gorgeous color, but it's nothing special. I'm sure there's so many dupes of it in the market! As mentioned, I like how the blush isn't too opaque. You can definitely build it up, if that's your preference. But, the fact that it's not opaque, makes it appear really natural. However, out of the 3 powders, I find the formula is a bit drier for the blush. I had a hard time picking up the blush with my usual Chanel Blush Brush (I use this brush for all my blushes! It's my favorite!). After a few swirls into the pan, I managed to get the product, but I never had this issue before. The blush is a bit firm.

Bronzer:
This shade is a warm medium brown that's on the orange side. It also has very fine shimmer to it. It's not overpowering, but it leaves a beautiful sheen to the skin! This is technically supposed to be your contour color. However, this is way too warm for you to contour your face with! I also find it pretty light! It's best to just use it as a bronzer and not as a contour or else, it'll just appear muddy. I have medium-tan skin and this bronzer is light for me. I have to really build it up for it to show up. I'm not a fan of this bronzer for myself, but it can look nice on people with light and medium skin. It's best not to use a lot of it, because it can appear too orange! My brush picked up this product a bit better than the blush, but not as easily as the highlighter. Overall, I'm not a fan of this shade. I wish they just included the original Bronze Goddess Bronzer that everyone raves about!

Here are the swatches of the 3 products. Top to bottom: Highlighter, Blush & Bronzer (no flash)

I applied the 3 products on my face. They're all very subtle and you really have to build it up! I just went for a really natural look and didn't build up the product too much. It's nice for a everyday makeup, but I'm not too blown away by it!

Here's a picture of me wearing the 3 powders with no flash

My overall thoughts on this palette is that I'm just not crazy about it. I'm going to use it, since I have it. But guys, there's better face palettes out there! The formula is not "OMG" and the price doesn't justify the quality of it! It's a really nice concept, but it just fell short for me. I just think Estée Lauder needs to bring back Heat Wave and that's that! Who agrees with me?!