Unboxing: Hard Candy 13 Piece Holiday Best Of Kit

Hard Candy has always been a brand that intrigues me. Whenever I am at Walmart, I peruse through the products and I'm tempted to pick up quite a few things. So when I saw this Best Of Kit at Christmas time I knew I had to pick it up. This kit normally retails for $19, however, I picked it up on Boxing Day for only $9.50. To me this was an unbeatable price, as the cost of the concealer by itself is almost that price.

I haven't had a chance to use everything in this kit, so this post will be more of an overview of the products. As I use these more in my daily routine I may post a review of the products I really like. If you would like to see an in-depth review of anything in this kit, leave me a comment below.

Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer in Medium Light

"A heavy duty, highly pigmented, blendable concealer that provides the ultimate coverage. Create a flawless surface by covering birth marks, freckles, dark circles, and even tattoos!"

I would have bought a lighter shade, but I can make this one work for my skin tone. I have heard great things about this concealer, so this was the main reason I bought the kit. I did find it a bit thick when I was swatching it, but hopefully after playing around with it I will find the best application method.

Glow All the Way Bronzer in Glamazon Bronze

"Glow All the Way with this pearly, luminizing highlighter that illuminates any skin tone. Infused with 24-karat gold for a million dollar look! Also available in two shades of tinted sunless tanners to instantly bronze and build a lasting tan."

This product was a lot darker then I thought it was going to be, seeing as this is the lightest shade available. It is too dark for my skin tone as a bronzer, and I find it too metallic for a bronzer as well. I am going to try it out as a cream shadow, or a base for other bronze eyeshadows I already own.

Plumping Serum Volumizing Lip Gloss in Girl Next Door

"Super glossy formula hydrates and instantly plumps for fuller, curvaceous lips. Layer on for outrageous shine and create the perfect pout. No collagen needed!"

I have used this type of Hard Candy gloss before but in a different shade. This milky pink shade reminds me of Nars Turkish Delight or Essence My Favourite Milkshake. I have really been loving this shade of lip gloss lately so I am excited to try this one out.


Concealer, Bronzer, Lip Gloss

So Baked Bronzer in Tiki

"Baked on a terra cotta pan to create a beautiful, dewy yet matte finish, the infused colour found in this compact gives the complexion a hint of bronzed colour for a sun-kissed look."

This product is extremely light and too frosty to be a bronzer. When swatched it barely shows up on my skin. I will be using this as a highlighter or eyeshadow.

Kal-eye-descope Baked Eyeshadow Duo in High Maintenance

"Palette duos of highly pigmented shadows to highlight eyes with rich colour. Apply wet for a dramatic finish or dry for a softer, shimmery effect. Available in a kal-eye-descope of coordinating shades."

These shadows swatched beautifully, and will look great on the eye. Although they felt dry when I was swatching, they apply smoothly and blend easily. They would both work well as an all over the lid colour or a lid and crease duo.

Bronzer, Shadow Duo

Take It Off Makeup Remover Wipes

"Take It Off makeup remover wipes remove long-wear and waterproof makeup in one easy step. Effectively cleanse skin while refreshing and moisturizing the surface of your face. No rinsing needed. Safe for all skin types."

Lashaholic Super Volume Mascara in Blackest Black

"Are you a Lashaholic? Our volume building mascara is formulated with unique powders that thicken and lengthen each lash with every coat. Paired with an outstanding molded brush to elongate, separate and define every lash to create the biggest, baddest lashes ever."

I am always excited to try out new mascaras, however the brush and formula of this mascara does not seem like anything special. The brush reminds me of the original Great Lash brush, and I really don't like that mascara. The formula also did not swatch overly pigmented.

Walk the Line Liquid Eyeliner in Asphalt

"A quick drying, liquid eyeliner that creates bold mesmerizing eyes with a precise brush for application. Available in rich metallic and sparkling glitter shades."

I really like the small brush size of this liner, as it will give me more control over the product, and I will be more apt to achieve a straight line. However, upon swatching the formula is not overly pigmented. I may need a few coats for it to look opaque.

Take Me Out Liner Pencil in Abyss

"These creamy eye pencils deliver powerful, vibrant colour that glides on smooth for a long-lasting finish that wont budge. Line eyes with a hint of colour or go for the full artistic, multi-hued effect. Formula's vary and include metallic, glitter, and matte shades for the ultimate custom eye."

This liner needed a few swipes before it became pigmented and creamy. After that it created a decent swatch with some silver glitter visible. Because of the glitter I am not going to use this on my water line, but it will provide a different look to my everyday liner.

Mascara, Liquid Liner, Pencil Liner

Eyelash Curler & 3 Mini Brushes

I couldn't find anything about tools on the Hard Candy website, nor do I remember ever seeing any in stores. I believe that these are just filler products for the kit. I will use the eyelash curler in my travel kit, but the brushes are a no go. They feel plastic, and picky on the skin, so I will be throwing these out.

December 2013 Ipsy Review

December was so busy, and went by so quickly that I just remembered I had to review my December Ipsy Bag. I don't know how I could have forgotten about this bag, as it is pretty amazing! It came complete with 4 full size products, and a trial size eyeshadow palette, that came with three full size eye shadows. My bag also came with a replacement bronzer from the November bag. Overall, I am super impressed with the contents of Decembers bag, and I was excited to see a variety of products from both brands I love, and brands new to me. The value of this months bag also far exceeded the cost in which I paid. The value of the products came to $59.19. Ipsy continues to impress me and provide me with new and exciting products to try, so I will be staying subscribed into the new year.

If you are interested in signing up for your own Ipsy Bag, you can do so by clicking here. Ipsy costs $10USD or $14.95CDN per month.

Mirabella Eye Blender

Value: $27
"This fluffy eye blender brush perfectly fuses eyeshadow to create a naturally sculpted eye. Tapered domed shape provides flawless and easy application. Mirabella hand sculpted brushes are made with the finest quality materials and feature exclusive brushed aluminium ferrules and handles."

Pop Beauty Naturally Bare Eyeshadow Trio

Value: $7.20
"This palette of bare pigments adds definition and intensity to lids, creating a broad range of shadow looks that complement all eye colours. From light bare to midnight bronze, these hues blend smoothly onto the lid, adding a veil of silky luster that will outlive the day or night!"

Be A Bombshell One Stick in Flustered

Value: $16
"An all-in-one multiple stick with a smooth texture. Apply to eyelids, cheeks or lips for the perfect pop of colour anywhere! Apply as you would regular eyeshadow, blush, or lip gloss."

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Hermes

Value: $4
"The mineral-based emollient formula offers a beautiful velvet texture, saturated colour and it resists wear and smudging. It's your go-to lipstick."

NICKA K Nail Polish in Classic Taupe

Value: $4.99

"Our new and improved professional DBP, Toulene and added formaldehyde free lacquer easily glides onto nails for a picture perfect polished finish. Specially formulated to be applied minimal effort while offering smooth, even coverage. Our long wearing, vibrant NICKA K New York Nail colours are available in 44 variations."

2014 Resolutions & Goals

Last year I made a list of goals, broken down into 5 categories. For 2014 I am going to use the same categories, and have some of the same long time goals, however I am also going to come up with short term goals throughout the year that coincide with what is going on in my life. I am hoping that by making these goals and resolutions public I will be more apt to actually achieving them.

1. Financial

2013 - Save 40% of income for future.
I achieved both of these goals 100%+.

2014 - Put 40% of my monthly income into savings, for retirement and a down payment on a house.
         - Pay off my car loan by the end of March.
         - Do the 52 week challenge, which will lead to $1378 that can be used on a splurge item or a vacation next year.
         - Keep track of all expenses using income/expense sheets.
         - Spend less than 50% on beauty/makeup then I did last year.

2. Don't Be A Hoarder

2013 - Keep an up-to-date inventory of all beauty and bath products on hand.
         - Do an empties post every month on my blog.
         - Don't buy any product unless I am down to 1 on my inventory list, and I really need it.
I kept my inventory up-to-date on a monthly basis. I did a few empties posts, but not on a monthly basis. Most of the time I just threw the product away after taking them off the list. I failed at not buying anything. Most of the time I was buying things when I already had 5+ of the same thing already.

2014 - Keep an up-to-date inventory of all beauty and bath products on hand.
         - Do an empties post every month on my blog.
         - Using up products will yield spending money to buy new things. Full size = $1, Sample size = $0.50, Packet size = $0.25. I can only buy things with this money.
         - Don't buy any product unless I am down to 1 on my inventory list, and I really need it.
         - Make informed buying decisions. Don't buy just because it is on sale.
         - Try and downsize the amount of stuff I own, by throwing it out, donating it, or selling it.

3. Blogging

2013 - Write a blog post at least 2 times a week.
         - Write a product review post, at least once a week.
         - Make at least one post a week a NOTD post.
At the beginning of the year I was doing so well at posting, however that kind of dwindled down. I didn't do very well at posting product reviews, and even my NOTD posts stopped happening.

2014 - Write a blog post at least 2 times a week.
         - Make a blog schedule and stick to it.
         - Post at least 1 NOTD and review post a week.
         - Create a Facebook Page for my blog.
         - Become better at replying to comments, and using social media to grow my blog, and to be more immersed in the beauty/blogging community.

4. Reading

2013 - Read at least 2 books a month.
         - Do not buy any new books until I read what I have.
         - Find a store that will buy my used books from me.
I read quite a few books last year, sometimes more or less then 2 a month. I failed miserably at not buying more. I still have 50ish books to read. I was successful at finding a used book store in my city. They give store credit for books they are interested in.

2014 - Read at least 1 book a month.
         - Do not buy any new books until I read what I have.
         - Any new books I buy, I will buy from the used book store using my store credit.
         - Once I read all of my books, I will buy an e-reader.

5. Misc.

2013 - Buy a 5 year journal and stick to filling it out everyday.
I didn't end up buying one last year, so I failed this 100%.

2014 - Try new things, even if they are way outside of my comfort zone.
         - Start getting more active, and living a healthier lifestyle.
         - Take a few courses at the college, get my Accounting Certificate.
         - Be more open, and try to re-kindle old friendships, and make new ones.
        

Did you make any goals for 2014? Do you have any tips for sticking to these goals and accomplishing them? Let me know in the comments below.

What I got for Christmas/Boxing Day Haul

Happy New Year Everyone!! I hope that you all had a great Christmas and New Years surrounded by friends and family.

I want to get out of the way at the beginning that this post is by no means me bragging about what I got and purchased for myself. I am simply sharing like so many others in the beauty community have been over the past week. These have been some of my favourite videos to watch lately, so I thought I would share some pictures.

I didn't get many beauty products for Christmas, cause honestly I really don't need anything. But on Boxing Day I picked up quite a few skincare and makeup sets. I normally go to Walmart first thing on Boxing Day because all of their Christmas gift sets go on sale 50% off. I stock up mainly on skincare, and I don't have to buy any for the rest of the year. I will put the price of the sets below the pictures.

Before Christmas, I took a trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan and bought a few things. The first was the Clinique 3 Step bundle above. It cost $11.75 which was the price of the Clarifying Lotion by itself at the CCO. I needed more Clarifying Lotion so this was an easy buy. At Dollarama I picked up the Clean & Clear Body Wash to try out.

At a Lancôme Outlet store I picked up the Glamorous Nudes palette as a gift to myself for getting a new full time job. It was normally on sale for $45, I got it for $22. These are my first high end eye shadows and I'm really excited to try them out. At Ulta I could have gone crazy, but I restrained myself and only picked up a few things I have been wanting to try. The first was the UD De-Slick Spray. I bought the sample bottle for $14. I also picked up a sample trio of UD eyeliners. These were $14ish I believe.

The only makeup product I asked for this Christmas was the Real techniques Core Collection. I have been looking for this collection for so long, but they are always sold out. I'm glad that my mom could find it. These are some of my favourite brushes!

My parents also got me a box of the Kirkland makeup remover wipes from Costco. These are my favourite remover wipes, and this box normally lasts me an entire year.

This 5 piece travel makeup brush set was on sale for $4.50. The brushes are extremely soft, and I am in love with the rose gold handles.

This Venus Embrace Travel Pack came with the handle, two razor cartridges, a small can of shave cream, and the travel container. It was on sale for $9.

I couldn't find any Nivea skincare sets this year so I picked up two of the Olay Fresh Effects Sets. These were seriously the best deal. They were on sale for $12 and came with a full size cleanser, lotion, and makeup remover wipes. They also came with the small cleanser brush, that kinda reminds me of the Clarisonic, as well as, a sample cleanser to use with the brush. I am hoping that this skincare routine does wonders for me.

 I wasn't in the market for a hairdryer, but this Revlon one was only $15. It came with two attachments, a hair brush, a mirror, some hair clips, and a headband. It was a deal I couldn't pass up.

This Revlon set came with a travel sized straightener, three hairbrushes, and an assortment of other hair accessories. It was on sale for $12. Even though I already have a straightener, I picked this up because it will be good for travel.

At Shoppers Drug Mart, the Live Clean travel sized skincare sets were on sale for $5. I only picked up one, but I was tempted to get a lot more. But seeing as I have never used this brand before, I didn't know if I would like it.

 I love Clean & Clear skincare, so buying this set was a no brainer. It was on sale for $9.99.

This Balea set was a total impulse buy. It comes with makeup remover wipes, eye makeup remover, cotton rounds, and a BB cream. This kit was on sale for $11.99.

Essence wasn't on sale, but I couldn't pass up on this Limited Edition Collection. The eye shadows are so shimmery and glittery. I believe the eye shadows were $2.99 and the face powder was $3.99.

Did you get any great deals on Boxing Day? Let me know in the comments below!