Haul MAC, Bath and Body Works, E.L.F and Walgreens + hopshopgo.com review

When you live in a country that sells "drugstore" make up at high end prices you are left with a really hard decision on what to try out. Beauty bloggers and Youtube certainly don't make that easy, because you keep on read and watching people rave about how amazing Revlon Kissable lip stains are, and how they just love some cheap and great E.L.F product is. And then you rush out to your nearest Priceline only to be shocked at how expensive it cost here in Australia, and if your like me you look, swatch and leave empty handed because you just cannot justify the price.

This got me search good ol' Google for alternatives and most of the results was eBay listings but how can you tell the product is still fresh and not a million years old. So I some how stumbled across HopShopGo.com which is created by the people at PayPal so you know it's safe to use. So how does it work I hear you saying?? Well it basically a forwarding company, you sign up with your PayPal e-mail and they give you an American address that you use. HopShopGo.com also offer a buy for me option for website that don't accept international credit cards.

What really made me jump ahead with the forwarding company was Bath and Body Works, they were having a buy 3 get 3 free on all of the body care section. I have tired their products before and really liked them so I knew it was a good deal. I ordered 3 triple moisture creams and got 3 free of my choice. I also got a Slatkin & Co candle in White Sand.

Bath and Body Works

 I then ordered for E.L.F they were having 50% off the eyes section, so I got some brushes, mascaras, eyeshadow and some other things. I know E.L.F have an Australian website, but seriously have you seen there prices absolutely ridiculous, for example the essential line costs $1.00 in Australia the same line costs from $2.99-$3.99. So I got a really good deal with the 50% off. However, a few days later they were having a 50% off the Studio line and so I had to get the flat powder brush that everyone raves about.

E.L.F I actually got two packages :)

Next was Walgreens they were having Buy 1, Get 1 Free on all of the Revlon items. I have been wanting to try the Revlon Colourstay foundation for the longest time ever, but it costs $34.95 in Australia, while in America is cost $12.99. So I bought the Revlon Kissable Lip Stains, ColourBurst Lip Butters and the ColourStay Whipped foundation.

Walgreens

 My final stop was the MAC site, to be honest I have never set foot in a MAC counter mostly because I cannot afford it. But the US site was considerably much more affordable than the Australian one. I got the famous MAC Face and Body foundation, Studio concealer, Fix+ and Strobe cream.

MAC goodies

Overall, the shipping was a bit expensive but I did choose to use the speed delivery and my items arrived within 3 days. Even with the shipping fees the items I bought were still much cheaper than buying them in Australia. I quite enjoyed shopping with HopShopGo and I would definitely shop with them again.

Stay tuned as I will be doing separate posts on the items I bought with swatches.

Love,
Sakura

Empties #2

Hi, I'm back with another empties post. When I did the first one I was thinking to my self that there was just no way I could finish enough products to blog about in one month. This is a great challenge for me as I have a tonne of products that are half empty and now I love reaching for them so that I can finish them and blog about it. Let's get started.

 
Caudalie Vinexpert Anti-Aging Serum for Eyes and Lips- 15mL
Purchased it off FeelUnique.com about a year ago and I have been using it for the past 3 months. I purchased it because Fuzkitty from YouTube kept on raving about it. A great serum for the eye area, absorbs nicely, no apparent scent an over all nice product. It's more of a prevention, so it's better suited for those in their 20's.    
Repurchase? Yes

Lusia Milk Hand Cream- 80mL
Brought solely just to redeem free shipping from SaSa.com. Dirt cheap, and I was not really expecting a lot from it. It's got a really nice texture, and melts right into the skin. Keeps my hands very moisturized, but see the catch is that it really smells like milk.
Repurchase? No

I ❤ Suki Rose Hand Cream- 75mL 
Received it for free at SaSa.com a long time ago. A strong rose scented hand cream, kinda like an old lady. But it was a nice hand cream and small enough to fit in a hand bag.
Repurchase? No

Naruko Rose Aqua Cubic Foaming Wash- 120mL 
First note this does not foam up, but I still like it because I use it during the morning. It's very gentle and smells so so great.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have back ups 

Am Pm Happy Everyday Flash Foam Wash- 120mL
 My sister gave this to me and it's under the Naurko brand and you can purchase it from the same website. This is one of those self foaming wash, you just pump and out come the foam. It smells so herbal and I get a really strong rosemary scent. I used this during my night routine and while it was effective at removing my makeup. It left my skin very squeaky clean and very tight. I would say it's more suited to those with oily skin.
Repurchase? No

Softymo Speedy Cleansing Milk- 230mL
One of the first cleansers that I ordered from SaSa.com. Described as a great cleanser for dry skin. I wasn't really impressed. It has a strong chemically kinda smell and left a residue which meant that I had to use another foaming cleanser to wash my face. I know that this two step cleasning method it effective for deep cleaning and to remove all traces of make up.
Repurchase? No

Laneige Water Bank Essence- 60mL
A highly raved about product from Laneige, reading all those reviews just made me cave in and buy it. I don't know how I feel about it, it's thicker than a serum but is absorbs so nicely. However, I didn't do anything for me. This claims to provide long lasting hydration, but I didn't notice it that.
Repurchase? No, there are many serums that can do the same effect

Skin79 Diamond Collection BB Cream- 40g
This BB cream was one of the first that I tired out. It was cheap, available through eBay with free shipping and it's pink. I even brought the matching powder. I remember feeling so amazed by how it evened out my skin tone without feeling so heavy. The colour matched my skin very nicely. I don't remember if it came in different colours. It felt a little drying during the colder months.

Repurchase? No, just because I like trying out new BB creams

Skin 79 Super BB Cream (Hot Pink Bottle)- 40g
The FIRST BB cream that I brought. It's also got so many raves about it, well back then anyway. It comes out a little grey but blends in very nicely. I also brought the matching powder, it was the cool thing to do. I think this BB cream is great for any one wanting to try BB creams out for the first time.
Repurchase? No

That's all for this time. I really like doing these kind off posts so keep an out for more (hopefully).

Love,
Sakura

    

GlamGlow Tingling and Exfoliating Mud Mask - Review

Hi,

Do you like trying out products just because they are raved about by celebrities. I don't really care for it all that much and have since turned to beauty bloggers for their reviews and comments. Which was how I came to know about this product.

Amount: 50mL

Made in: USA

Price: $45.00 (Sale)

Purchase: FeelUnique, BeautyBay
Product Info: A 10-minute anti-aging 'facial in a jar'. Noticeable 3-day glow from 

Skin Collagen Synthesis. Helps diminish fine lines and wrinkles. 

Skin is left brighter, smoother and softer. A mutli-level resurfacing 

exfoliation and evens out skin tone. Helps tighten skin and minimizes pores. 

Absorbs impurities without removing natural oils. Helps protect against 

free-radical damage.

 Product Instruction: Apply a thin layer to clean face. Expect a tingle-tactic tightening 

effect in 10 minutes or less. Remove mask with water in circular 

motions to exfoliate. Use twice a week or as often as desired.

A mask that was designed to be used for the Hollywood industries and loved by many celebrities like Nina Dobrev (never heard of her) and Tommy Lee just to name a few. However, that's not what attracted me to the product. I have seen while shopping at FeelUnique and BeautyBay but never paid enough attention to it because I'm really skeptical about products that claim to be loved by celebrities and the Hollywood world. To me they are just full of lies, a few years ago I brought Egyptian Magic which was raved about by so many celebrities and I just did not like it at all, but that's another story. Maybe I should review it if I can find it in my room again.

I heard about GlamGlow from a beauty blogger and she just loved it and since I trusted her word I decided to try it out. A few weeks ago FeelUnique were having a huge sale on nearly everything on their site and since they offer free shipping I decided to try it out. I think GlamGlow was 30% or 35% off and that made the price a little bit more appealing to me.

I have used it three times since I got it and I think I can give you a review on it. I first used it hoping that it could help brighten my dull face during one very cold winter evening. I cleaned my face and applied a thin layer to my face. The first thing that I liked about it was the fresh green tea scent. It tingled just like they said, but one thing that happened and they did not say anything about was how rock hard the mask becomes when it dries. I mean yes it is a mud mask and supposed to do that, but it dried so hard that it was even trying to speak was impossible. 

Ten-minutes later and the mask was rock hard. I was really hard to speak or move any facial muscles. I wet my hands with warm water and slowly began to exfoliate my face. The product actually contains crushed green leafs that help to exfoliate. The end result I was really disappointed at first that I did not see the brightening effects, but my face felt smoother, and the little blackheads on my nose were nowhere to be seen. About two hours later my mother commented on how brighter my face was so there was a brightening effect, even through I did not see it at first.    

Overall, a great little treat for the face, a great way to create your own at home spa treatment. I did not see any anti-aging benefits but then again I have only used it for three times.

Repurchase?  Probably....if I find it on sale again.